close
close

first Drop

Com TW NOw News 2024

Dodgers satisfied with punishment for World Series fan interference
news

Dodgers satisfied with punishment for World Series fan interference

Teoscar Hernandez may have been amused as he watched two fans try to pry the ball away from his teammate in real time during Game 4 of the World Series, but upon closer examination, the Dodgers outfielder realized the potential seriousness of the situation.

“I’ve never seen anything like this before, but now that I see the pictures and videos and all that stuff, it’s kind of crazy what’s happening,” Hernandez said Wednesday before Game 5 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium.

Mookie Betts, running toward a right side wall, was obstructed by two fans as he reached over the fence to try to catch Gleyber Torres’ foul pop-up in the first inning.

As Betts caught the ball, a fan grabbed Betts’ glove and struggled to pry it open.

Betts’ right wrist was grabbed by another fan, leaving Betts momentarily suspended in the air.

The ball went out, but Torres was ejected for fan obstruction.

Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers makes a catch on a foul ball by Gleyber Torres #25 of the New York Yankees as fans rip the ball from his glove during the first inning. Jason Szenes/New York Post
Fans were not allowed to attend World Series Game 5. Jason Szenes/New York Post

The fans, identified as Austin Capobianco and John Peter, were ejected from the ballpark and on Wednesday the Yankees ruled that both were banned from Yankee Stadium for the remainder of the World Series.

The Yankees have redistributed the Game 5 tickets of the two ejected fans (plus others in that section) to a childhood cancer patient and his family, the club said.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was pleased with the outcome.

“We didn’t need them to be here, so the Yankees refunded their tickets,” Roberts said. “So that’s perfect, right?”


Follow The Post’s coverage of the Yankees in the postseason:


But Roberts said he wasn’t too concerned about his players’ safety heading into Wednesday.

“If there’s one player I don’t think has any concerns, it’s Mookie, considering he’s played a lot of games in this stadium,” Roberts said, referring to the former Red Sox star. “It was just an unfortunate circumstance. I’m glad it was handled properly.”

Manager Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on before playing against the New York Yankees during Game Three of the 2024 World Series at Yankee Stadium on October 28, 2024 in the Bronx borough of New York City. Getty Images

Hernandez also downplayed the possibility of another incident.

“Yankee fans, they are really passionate about this team,” Hernandez said. “They are going hard on the players, but I don’t think there is anything to worry about. I played here six years against the Yankees and I never saw anything go wrong for the opponent, so I don’t think that’s the case today.”

But Hernandez agreed that discipline was warranted.

“Fans know they can’t do that, which they did on Tuesday night,” he said. “But they are really looking forward to it, they are big fans and they care a lot about this team. It happens, but unfortunately for (the ejected fans) they’ll be thinking about that play last night for a long time.

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez, 37, speaks in a press conference after game two against the New York Yankees in the 2024 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium. Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn images

Alex Verdugo had plenty of experience playing in Yankee Stadium as a visitor with the Red Sox before being traded to the Yankees.

The veteran outfielder said the fan interference in this case was “extreme” but not a reason to worry about the players’ safety.

“I feel like that’s what you expect here,” Verdugo said. “You expect unique things. In the end I didn’t think it was that serious. I think Mookie kind of shook it off too. That is exactly the passion that New Yorkers have.”