The two New York Yankees fans who made headlines for interfering with Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts during Game 4 of the 2024 World Series have been handed an indefinite ban from attending any Major League Baseball games.
During the incident in the first inning of Game 4 at Yankee Stadium, Betts successfully caught a fly ball in right-field foul territory. However, two fans sitting along the wall then attempted to grab the ball from Betts’ glove, leading to a call of fan interference by the umpires.
The fans, identified as Austin Capobianco and John P. Hansen, were ejected from the stadium and subsequently banned from Game 5. This ban has now been extended to include all MLB stadiums.
According to a report by the New York Post, the season-ticket holder who provided the seats for Capobianco and Hansen since 1990 supports the decision to ban them from Yankee Stadium and other MLB ballparks.
A letter from MLB to the fans stated, “Your conduct posed a serious risk to the health and safety of the player and went far over the line of acceptable fan behavior,” as reported by The Athletic.
The letter further added, “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.”
Betts, reflecting on the incident, expressed his astonishment, stating, “I’ve never seen anything like that.” He later conveyed his frustration towards the fans during a Peacock holiday special.