Two fans who disrupted Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts during a World Series game at Yankee Stadium have been barred from all major league ballparks by Major League Baseball.
This week, MLB informed John P. Hansen and Austin Capobianco of the decision in a letter.
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 obtained by the Associated Press, stated that your actions were extremely inappropriate and constituted a major risk to the player’s health and safety.
The letter stated that Major League Baseball is permanently barring you from all MLB stadiums, offices, and other facilities due to 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 who went up to Atlanta Braves player Ronald Acu Jr. at Colorado’s Coors Field was similarly banned.
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 jumped at the retaining wall in foul area and caught Gleyber Torres’ pop fly. However, a spectator wearing a gray Yankees road 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 two MLB-banned fans were not season ticket holders, the team announced on Friday.