Fans who interfered with Betts in WS Game 4 banned from all parks indefinitely
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NEW YORK -- The two fans who interfered with Mookie Betts during Game 4 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium have been indefinitely banned from all MLB stadiums and facilities.
The fans -- Austin Capobianco and John P. Hansen -- were immediately ejected from Game 4 and later had their tickets for Game 5 revoked. An MLB official notified them of the latest punishment in the following letter sent this week:
"On October 29, 2024, during Game 4 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium, you interfered with play by intentionally and forcefully grabbing a player. Your conduct posed a serious risk to the health and safety of the player and went far over the line of acceptable fan behavior.
"Based on your conduct, Major League Baseball ('MLB') is banning you indefinitely from all MLB stadiums, offices, and other facilities. You are also hereby banned indefinitely from attending any events sponsored by or associated with MLB.
"Please be advised that if you are discovered at any MLB property or event, you will be removed from the premises and subject to arrest for trespass."
Capobianco and Hansen were sitting in the seats of a longtime season-ticket holder who was not in attendance. The season-ticket holder will be allowed to keep their tickets. The ban was first reported by the New York Post.
The incident occurred during the bottom of the first inning of New York¡¯s eventual 11-4 win. Betts was making a play along the right-field wall on a foul fly ball off the bat of Gleyber Torres. However, as Betts leaped to make the catch above the boundary, the two fans in the first row interfered with him. One grabbed Betts' glove with both hands and pried the baseball out, while the other clutched Betts' right hand. Torres was called out due to fan interference on the play.
"They shouldn¡¯t be here," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said the next day. ¡°What happened last night is not OK. It shouldn't happen, period."
Betts withheld criticism of the fans after the Dodgers' Game 4 loss, saying at the time, ¡°It¡¯s irrelevant, we lost.¡± However, he was far more forceful when talking to Kevin Hart and Kenan Thompson during their "Back That Year Up 2024" special on Peacock in late December.
"I get them trying to get the ball -- cool. But, like, you tried to grab my [stuff]," Betts said. "I was in the moment. So I thought about throwing a ball at them, and then I realized, 'Mook, you ain't gonna do [anything]. Go back to right field.'"