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MLB Bans Yankees Fans for Grabbing Mookie Betts' Glove in World Series Game 4

Oct 30, 2024, 11:52 AM

During the first inning of Game 4 of the 2024 World Series at Yankee Stadium, two New York Yankees fans interfered with a play involving Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts. As Betts leaped at the right-field wall in foul territory to catch a foul ball hit by Gleyber Torres, one fan grabbed Betts' wrist while another pried the ball from his glove. Umpires ruled Torres out due to fan interference. The fans, who are season ticket holders, were ejected from the stadium following the incident. The Dodgers went on to lose the game 11-4. Major League Baseball requested that the Yankees ban the fans from attending Game 5, and the team complied, refunding their tickets. The Yankees released a statement condemning the fans' actions as "egregious and unacceptable physical contact." There have been calls for the fans to receive a lifetime ban, though the fans reportedly hoped for only a short-term suspension. Yankees broadcaster John Sterling and others criticized the fans' behavior. Betts declined to comment extensively on the incident, calling it "irrelevant" to the game's outcome.