Major League Baseball has indefinitely banned two New York Yankee fans from all big league stadiums after they made extended contact with Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts during Game 4 of the 2024 World Series.
In a letter issued earlier this week to Austin Capobianco and John P. Hansen and obtained by USA TODAY Sports on Friday, MLB told the pair they “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.”
The discipline, first reported by the New York Post, occurred in the bottom of the first inning of World Series Game 4, when a Gleyber Torres fly ball drifted toward the right field stands, an area with scant foul territory before field meets fan.
Betts leaped and made an impressive catch – the ball appeared to be in the stands and fan interference might not have been called had he not hauled in the ball – but the two men continued engaging the outfielder, as if trying to wrest the ball from his mitt.
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Capobianco later told ESPN he expected to be back for Game 5, and that “I patrol that wall and they know that.” But the Yankees and MLB barred he and Hansen from attending Game 5.
The Dodgers clinched the World Series title with a comeback victory in Game 5.
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