Yankees fans ejected for prying open Mookie Betts' glove in World Series: 'Mookie cursed'

NEW YORK – In one of the wildest moments in recent World Series history, a New York Yankees fan grabbed the glove of Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts, ripped it open and ripped the baseball from his glove.

The fan – Austin Capobianco, 38, of Connecticut – and another fan sitting next to him were immediately ejected from Game 4 at Yankee Stadium during the first inning on Tuesday.

When The athlete Reached by text message, Capobianco declined to comment.

“I just want to watch the game,” he wrote shortly before Anthony Volpe’s grand slam brought the stadium to life in the third inning.

The scene was enough to make Jeffrey Maier blush.

“Well, A for effort.”

This play was called fan intervention, in which a Yankee fan tried to pull the ball out of Mookie Betts' glove after an out. pic.twitter.com/iZ6taImncd

– FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 30, 2024

In the bottom of the first inning, leadoff hitter Gleyber Torres threw a high pop into right field foul territory, giving the Yankees a 2-0 loss.

As Betts pinned the ball with his glove over the padded wall, Capobianco grabbed Betts' glove with both hands, opened it, reached in with his right hand and threw the ball back onto the field. The referees decided the game fans had intervened and Torres was out.

Capobianco's brother Darren, 29, said he saw Betts' glove fly over the concrete wall as he tried to block Torres' hit.

“I just see the ball – I don't want to say it's winnable, if that makes sense,” Darren Capobianco said. “And then Mookie called us names. Not good.”

Austin Capobianco is a season ticket holder for Yankee Stadium, his brother said.

Security guards immediately went to Austin Capobianco, who tried to argue with them that Betts' glove had entered foul territory, according to a video he obtained The athlete. Ana Flamengo, a Yankees fan from Connecticut, said she was standing in the concourse as stadium security escorted Austin Capobianco from the stands.

“I saw him being taken out,” Flamengo said. “I told him he was my hero because he tried to save the Yankees. It’s the championship game.”

A league spokesman confirmed two fans were ejected.

“This was one of the most aggressive incidents of a fan ripping the ball out of the glove that I have ever seen,” said longtime former MLB umpire Dale Scott.

The athleteEvan Drellich, Rustin Dodd and Sam Blum contributed to this story.

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(Photo: Robert Deutsch / Imagn Images)