NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball has prohibited two fans from going to any major league ballparks after they disrupted Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts during a World Series game at Yankee Stadium.
This week, MLB informed John P. Hansen and Austin Capobianco of the decision in a letter.
On Tuesday, October 29, 2024, in New York, fans obstruct a foul ball that was caught by Mookie Betts, the right fielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers, during the first inning of Game 4 of the World Series against the New York Yankees. (Ashley Landis/AP Photo, file)AP
You purposefully and violently grabbed a player during Game 4 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium on October 29, 2024, interfering with play. The letter, whose contents were first reported by the New York Post and then acquired by the Associated Press, stated that your actions were extremely inappropriate and constituted a major risk to the player’s health and safety.
According to the letter, Major League Baseball is permanently excluding you from all MLB stadiums, offices, and other facilities because of your behavior. Additionally, you are prohibited from attending any MLB-sponsored or affiliated events going forward. Please be aware that you could be arrested for trespassing and removed from any MLB property or event if you are found there.
In the past, MLB has banned spectators who trespass on the field or threaten baseball staff from the entire league. In 2023, a fan was similarly banned for approaching Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acua Jr. at Colorado’s Coors Field.
On October 29, Capobianco and Hansen were sent from the field, and the next evening, they were suspended from Game 5.
In the first inning, Betts caught Gleyber Torres’ pop fly after jumping at the retaining wall in foul area. However, a spectator wearing a gray Yankees away jersey in the first row grabbed Betts’ glove with both hands and removed the ball. Betts’ bare hand was seized by another supporter.
The actions were deemed undesirable and egregious by the Yankees. The team announced on Friday that the two supporters who were banned by MLB did not have season tickets.