Shenanigans began early in World Series Game 4 at Yankee Stadium. Mookie Betts jumped up the right field wall to grab a flyout off the bat of Gleyber Torres — the very first Yankee hitter of the game — and two fans grabbed his wrist to snatch the ball out of his glove after it'd been caught.
A replay showed one fan attempting to pry Betts' glove open to free the ball before another New Yorker grabbed the outfielder's wrist to keep Betts from fighting back.
After their childish show of terrible sportsmanship, the fans were escorted out of the park for their interference. One of the fans is a season ticket holder, and it took far too long for the Yankees organization to decide to ban the fans from attending Game 5.
Let's get one thing straight: Red Sox and Dodgers fans aren't saints. Every fanbase has a few rowdy individuals who will get out of line at times. But grabbing a player at any point, especially while they're in a dangerous position making a play, is unacceptable in any ballpark.
"Well, A for effort."
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 30, 2024
Fan interference was called on this play where a Yankee fan tried to take the ball out of Mookie Betts' glove after an out. pic.twitter.com/iZ6taImncd
The ejection wasn't a great look for Yankees fans, who have already had a few tough moments these playoffs, but the hordes of people rushing to their defense are even more embarrassing. ESPN interviewed the fans after the game, and their defense may have been even crazier than the action.
"We're not going to go out of our way to attack," Austin Capobianco said after going out of his way to rip the ball out of Betts' glove. "If it's in our area, we're going to 'D' up."
Too many fans think that's a valid excuse to grab a player, something anyone could catch a case for doing on the street. "Passion" shouldn't get in the way of sportsmanship or civility.
The defensive Yankee fans would absolutely have a different response if a Dodgers fan grabbed Aaron Judge or Juan Soto. They could barely contain themselves when Judge crashed into the wall and jammed his toe at Dodger Stadium, and that wasn't even anyone's fault.
Interference has always been a bannable infraction. Disrespectful fans shouldn't have excuses made for them or be given special treatment just because the Yankees are in the World Series.