As people get over their shock at the bizarre scenes from the World Series, the New York Yankees fans involved have spoken out.
As you might have seen, Game 4 of the World Series took a shocking turn Tuesday night when two Yankees fans went too far.
The incident, involving Dodgers superstar Mookie Betts, unfolded as the Dodgers led the series 3-0 and tensions ran high for the New York team, on the verge of a sweep.
During the bottom of the first inning, with the Yankees trailing 2-0, Yankees infielder Gleyber Torres sent a fly ball toward right field.
Betts, in the fifth year of his 12-year, $365 million contract, moved to make what appeared to be a routine catch — until two fans reached over the boundary, turning the play into an unprecedented display of interference.
One fan, wearing a Mariano Rivera jersey, reportedly grabbed at Betts’ glove to pull the ball loose, while another, in an Aaron Judge jersey, clutched Betts' wrist, blocking his movement.
The stadium atmosphere quickly shifted as the fans were escorted out, met with a resounding chorus of boos.
The interference led umpires to rule Torres out.
Dodgers reporter Doug McKain demanded severe consequences for the fan, concerned about the safety risks posed to Betts. “Ban this Yankees fan for life. What if Mookie gets injured here?” McKain tweeted.
The fans were escorted out of Yankee Stadium, exchanging high-fives with other Yankees fans on their way out.
Newsweek's Dodgers beat reporter, Noah Camras, commented on the incident, 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."
Another social media user tweeted that the pair “should be banned from all 30 stadiums for life,” and another wrote on X: "He won't ever see a game in person again."
However, some people praised the fan's outlandish actions. One person reportedly told The Athletic’s Rustin Dodd that the fan was a “hero", adding: "It’s a championship game.”
ESPN identified the man who grabbed the ball as Yankees season-ticket holder Austin Capobianco, who had attended the game with a friend. According to ESPN, the pair had discussed beforehand how they might react if a foul ball came near them.
“We always joke about the ball in our area,” they reportedly said at a local bar following the game. “We’re not going to go out of our way to attack. If it’s in our area, we’re going to ‘D’ up. Someone defends, someone knocks the ball. We talk about it. We’re willing to do this.”
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 told The Athletic. "And then Mookie was swearing at us. Not good."
When approached for comment, brother Austin reportedly just stated: "I just want to watch the game" -- potentially expressing a moment of regret.
The fans informed ESPN that Yankee Stadium security assured them they would be permitted back for Wednesday’s Game 5.
Despite the controversy, the Yankees rallied, defeating the Dodgers 11-4 to stave off elimination. The Dodgers still hold a 3-1 lead in the series, but no team has ever come back from a 0-3 deficit in World Series history.
For his part, Betts downplayed the incident after the game. “It doesn’t matter,” he said. “We lost, it’s irrelevant. I’m fine, he’s fine, everything’s cool. We lost the game, that’s what I’m kind of focused on, turn the page. Everything’s fine.”
Dodgers shortstop Tommy Edman had a stronger reaction, calling the interference “unacceptable.”
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