Good for MLB for banning out-of-line Yankees fans from the World Series

MLB did the right thing and so did the Yankees. The fans who turned on Mookie Betts on Tuesday night were told in no uncertain terms on Wednesday that they would no longer be welcome at Game 5. They were told they would be arrested if they tried.

“The safety of players, fans and stadium staff is the fundamental element of every event at Yankee Stadium and must not be compromised,” the Yankees said in a statement early Wednesday afternoon.

“(Wednesday night) marks the final home game of the year and we want the full passion of our fans to shine through. Yankee Stadium is known for its energy and intensity, but exuberance in supporting your team should never cross the line and intentionally put players at physical risk.

“The Yankees and Major League Baseball have a zero-tolerance policy toward the type of behavior exhibited last night. These fans will not be allowed to attend tonight’s game in any way.”

No matter how MLB tries to curb these incidents, they never really go away. And even though Jeffrey Maier is now a 40-year-old New Hampshire resident and still a big Yankees supporter, people still seem to think they can be a charming part of the game if they try and go where they are not should go.

And I understand. I was part of the problem.

I was there. I was in the crowd. I had rushed down from the main press box, rushed through the main concourse to right field, and when I saw the crowd, I knew I was in the right place. That was four newspaper jobs ago for me, but that doesn't matter. I had an ID around my neck. I had a notebook in my hand.

I was one of those who asked Jeffrey Maier, “How does it feel to be a part of baseball history?”

It was with joy that I wrote about a 12-year-old who became part of Yankee history.

This is mine. I was part of the problem. The next day, Maier was a national celebrity and a local hero – “Angel in the Outfield!” was one of the headlines.

And Maier — who now goes by Jeff, as befits a 40-year-old — spoke to The Post's Mark Sanchez just a few days ago about the moment he snatched a Derek Jeter fly ball away from Baltimore's Tony Tarasco, off one Time Before What he did do was secure a run for the Yankees – an essential run, as it turned out, because he tied Game 1 and forced extra innings.

If you search newspapers.com for the day after, October 10, 1996, you'll find that about 244 different news organizations had Jeffrey's name in their Game 1 coverage. Baseball wasn't nearly as amused—and for good reason. Fan interference is a terrible – and potentially dangerous – thing. The rule will be made more precise and stricter in the coming years.

Replay would more sharply define the line between “fan spot” and “player spot,” which is just another way Chicago excluded poor Steve Bartman – who didn't cross the barrier, just had the misfortune of sticking his glove in the path of Moises Alou – was so shameful seven years later. And stadiums have tried to create more space between players and fans.

Just not enough.

That's why Austin Capobianco and John Peter got their 15 minutes of fame on Tuesday night, because they were able to break the barrier and actually get a baseball out of Mookie Betts' glove – “wrestled away” is actually more accurate.

And at the moment they were being celebrated by some. It even prompted Dodgers pitcher Ben Casparius to suggest that it “kind of sets the tone for the evening.”

“We always joke about the ball in our area,” Capobianco, 38, told ESPN after being sent off on Tuesday. “We won’t bother attacking. If it’s in our area, we’ll ramp up “D.”

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Except they avoided them and stepped out of line. They leaned on the field. Even Capobianco seemed to notice.

“I know when I'm in the wrong, and as soon as I did, I was like, 'Guys, I'm out of here.'”

Of course, this all happened just four days after a fan at Dodger Stadium got involved and caught a Gleyber Torres drive before it could clear the fence. He was kicked out so quickly that by the time members of the media dutifully sought him out, he had disappeared.

“It probably worked to my advantage that it helped the home team,” Maier told Sanchez afterwards, and he’s right. It also helped that it was him 12 years oldand was just working on instinct, trying to catch a baseball that was coming his way. He wasn't a grown man eager to fight and hinted a day later that he would return for Game 5.

Good for MLB and the Yankees for making fun of it. He's lucky they agreed to a refund.