Two New York Yankees fans were ejected from Game 4 of the World Series for interfering with Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts, leading to a lifetime ban from attending future games.
The incident occurred in the first inning Tuesday night when Betts leaped at the retaining wall in foul territory to catch Gleyber Torres’ pop fly.
A fan wearing a gray Yankees road jersey grabbed Betts’ glove with both hands and pulled the ball out, while another fan grabbed Betts’ bare hand.
“Not good. There’s no place for that. It’s as simple as that,” New York manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday. “Come here, cheer, root for your team, whatever. No place for that. Should never have hands on anyone.”
The Yankees condemned the behavior, calling it “egregious and unacceptable.” The team stated that the fans involved are season-ticket holders and their Game 5 tickets were given to Calvin Young, a 15-year-old pediatric cancer patient from New Jersey, and his family.
“Yankee Stadium is known for its energy and intensity, however the exuberance of supporting one’s team can never cross the line into intentionally putting players at physical risk,” the team said Wednesday in a statement. “The Yankees and Major League Baseball maintain a zero-tolerance policy toward the type of behavior displayed last night. These fans will not be permitted to attend tonight’s game in any capacity.”
Major League Baseball Players Association expressed concern about player safety and security, stating they have been in contact with league security officials and will be closely tracking protective measures going forward.
Dodgers left fielder Teoscar Hernández believes the incident was isolated.
“I’ve played here for six years against the Yankees, and I never see anything go wrong with the opposite team,” Hernández said.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts agrees, stating that banning the fans involved was an appropriate measure.
“If there’s one player that I don’t think is worried (it) would be Mookie, given that he played a lot of games in this ballpark (with rival Boston). It was just an unfortunate circumstance. I’m glad it was dealt with the right way, and we can just move on to tonight,” Roberts said.
Betts reacted angrily initially, but quickly calmed down when Torres was immediately called out by umpires on fan interference.
“When it comes to the person in play, it doesn’t matter,” Betts said after the Yankees extended the series with an 11-4 victory. “We lost. It’s irrelevant. I’m fine. He’s fine.”
This incident echoes previous fan behavior issues at Yankee Stadium. Three years ago, Boston Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo was struck in the back by a ball thrown from the stands. A fan involved was banned for life.
Another incident involved Cleveland Guardians outfielders being pelted with debris by fans after a walk-off win. Myles Straw, a Guardians player, famously called Yankees fans “the worst fan base on the planet” following that incident.
Torres, involved in the latest incident, had another at-bat impacted by fan interference earlier in the World Series.
While Yankee Stadium is known for its passionate fans, incidents like these highlight the importance of ensuring player safety and respecting boundaries.
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