The incident, involving Dodgers superstar Mookie Betts, unfolded under the bright lights of one of baseball’s biggest stages. As the Dodgers led the series 3-0 against the Yankees, tensions were already sky-high.
The stakes were massive, with the Yankees staring down the barrel of a potential series sweep.
It was during the bottom of the first inning, with the Yankees trailing 2-0, when Gleyber Torres hit a fly ball toward right field. Mookie Betts – who is in the fifth year of his 12-year, $365 million deal – moved in for what looked like a routine catch.
That’s when the chaos unfolded… and it was ugly.
In a shocking breach of sportsmanship, two fans reached over into the field of play. One fan – donned in the iconic No. 42 Mariano Rivera jersey – audaciously grabbed at Betts’ glove, attempting to remove the ball, while another, sporting an Aaron Judge jersey, clutched at Betts’ wrist, hindering his movement.
The scene quickly escalated as the pair were promptly escorted out of the stadium amidst a chorus of boos and disbelief.
The umpires ruled it as fan interference, calling Torres out.
The audacious act sparked a national outcry, with figures across the sports world weighing in. Joe Pompliano, a notable US sports personality, took to X, writing: “This is absolutely insane behavior.”
Dodgers reporter Doug McKain didn’t hold back either, demanding a lifetime ban for the rogue fan, concerned about the potential injury risks to Betts. McKain tweeted: “Ban this Yankees fan for life. What if Mookie gets injured here?”
Newsweek’s Dodgers beat reporter, Noah Camras, highlighted the desperation evident in the act, stating: “Yankees fans are doing anything they can to try to help their team beat the Dodgers. I’ve never seen anything like this — two fans literally trying to rip the ball out of Mookie Betts’ glove.”
Even tennis analyst Brad Gilbert chimed in, shocked by the behavior, labeling it “inexcusable.”
The incident has since gone viral, with calls for the duo to be banned from all MLB stadiums. Reactions ranged from shock to outright anger, with another fan expressing on social media that the pair “should be banned from all 30 stadiums for life,” and another tweeting: “He won’t ever see a game in person again.”
The Athletic later revealed the identity of one of the fans as Austin Capobianco, a Yankees season-ticket holder from Connecticut. When approached for comment, Capobianco reportedly stated: “I just want to watch the game,” potentially highlight a moment of regret.
Capobianco’s brother, Darren, did offer a comment on the moment, claiming that he saw Betts’ glove go over the wall to make the catch.
“I just see the ball kind of — I don’t want to say up for grabs, if that makes sense,” Darren Capobianco said. “And then Mookie was swearing at us. Not good.”
A spokesperson for the MLB later confirmed the fans were ejected, per the New York Post.
The uproar overshadowed what turned out to be a critical win for the Yankees. A third-inning grand slam by Anthony Volpe catapulted the Yankees to an 11-4 victory, keeping their World Series hopes alive and preventing a sweep.
Commenting on the fiery passion of the Yankees, Betts said post-game: “They are going to fight and if you have made it this far, you are going to have a resiliency and are going to fight the whole time.
“We expect that. We didn’t play well today and they did and that is why they won.”
As the dust settles, the conversation continues, not just about the Yankees’ revival in the series, but about the boundaries of fan interaction in sports.
Let’s try to keep spectators just spectating and limit fan interactions to just cheering.