On Tuesday night in Game 4 of the World Series, a historic event took place. And it wasn’t Freedie Freeman setting a record by hitting a home run in his sixth consecutive game in the “Fall Classic.” It happened when two Yankees fans interfered with a fly out caught by Dodgers’ right fielder Mookie Betts, taking his glove and pulling the ball along with one of the walls.
PUBLICIDAD
A play like that had never been seen before in the World Series. Such a play had never been seen in any Major League game.
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It has happened several times that fans try to catch a ball and inadvertently bother an outfielder. That's what happened, in fact, with the incident of Steve Bartman, a Cubs fan who interrupted a crucial out of his own team in the 2003 National League Championship Series between Chicago and Miami. But like what happened at Yankee Stadium, never.
However, the play was declared out due to interference by one of the umpires. At that moment, the Dodgers were winning the game 2-0, but the Yankees turned it around and secured a victory of 11-4, allowing them to avoid a painful sweep in the World Series.
The fans were suspended for Game 5.
After the interference, the two Yankees fans were ejected from the stadium and it was reported that they were banned from the fifth game of the World Series, scheduled for this Wednesday night (8 pm EST).
This was established by the league and the Yankees in a statement that was released during this day.
"Last night, two fans were ejected from Yankee Stadium for their outrageous and unacceptable physical contact with Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts," the statement reads. "The security of players, fans, and stadium personnel is a fundamental element of every event held at Yankee Stadium and cannot be compromised."
Fans do not regret their actions.
The two Yankees fans were identified as Austin Capobianco and John Peter. Interviewed by ESPN at a local bar after the game against the Dodgers, they said, "We always joked about the ball in our area. We're not going to go out to attack, but in our area, we'll defend it... Someone has to defend, someone has to throw the ball. We were willing to do it," commented Capobianco, who is a season ticket holder for all of the "Bronx Bombers" home games.
Darren Capobianco, Austin's brother, also mentioned that Mookie Betts insulted them.