Austin Capobianco and John Peter are New York Yankees fans who recently got banned from attending game 5 of the World Series, find out more about the incident below
The New York Yankees fan got ejected from the Yankee Stadium following an intense altercation with Los Angeles Dodgers’ star Mookie Betts.
Who are Austin Capobianco and John Peter, New York Yankees fans who got banned from game 5 for stealing Mookie Betts’ catch during World Series
The incident took place during the end of the first inning, when Capobianco reached out and attempted to wrestle a ball from Betts’ glove.
Austin Capobianco sparks controversy
The controversy involving Austin Capobianco and his friend Justin Peter took place during game 4 of the World Series between the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers. In the match, Dodgers’ outfielder Mookie Betts made a leap towards the stands to catch a fly ball. As the crowd watched Betts extend his glove over the edge of the wall, Capobianco grabbed Betts’ glove with both hands to take the ball for himself.
Moreover, Capobianco’s friend, John Peter, also took hold of Betts’ wrist, preventing him from taking control over the ball. Following the altercation, the ball tumbled out of Betts’ glove. As security personnels escorted Capobianco and his friend out from the stadium, fans cheered on in excitement.
Austin was a college friend. Very passionate about the teams he represents. Will do anything for them. A menace, wild boy as well, he is the person that undoubtedly would say he would do that then actually do it. Maniac status since college has been confirmed. https://t.co/jkSaiWlr8i
— Rob Gronkowski (@RobGronkowski) October 30, 2024
Austin Capobianco who is a Yankees season ticket holder is a former University of Arizona hockey player and has a friendship with ex-NFL star Rob Gronkowski, who described him as passionate and a maniac for his teams.
Capobianco played club hockey at the University of Arizona and the season-ticket holder was banned from attending Game 5 along with his friend John Peter.
Austin Capobianco speaks out in response
Meanwhile, Austin spoke out about the incident in an exclusive interview with ESPN, stating how he acknowledged the severity of his actions. The 38-year-old from Connecticut stated:
We always joke about what we’d do if a ball came our way. If it’s in our area, we’re going to ‘D’ up. Someone defends, someone knocks the ball. We talk about it. We’re willing to do this.”
Interestingly, others have called him a “hero” for his efforts to support the Yankees. Capobianco’s brother Darren explained how Betts’ glove extended over the wall, which placed the ball within the fan zone.
Mookie Betts speaks out
Meanwhile, Mookie Betts spoke out about the whole incident stating:
It doesn’t matter. We lost. It’s irrelevant. I’m fine, he’s fine. Everything’s cool. We lost the game, that’s what I’m focused on.”
Dodgers’ pitcher Ben Casparius also stated how the interference “set the tone” for the remainder of the game. His teammate Tommy Edman expressed frustration, calling Capobianco’s actions “unacceptable” and “ridiculous”.
Fans react to the incident
Unsurprisingly, the controversial ejection has sparked all kinds of reactions from fans. Many Yankees fans have called out the incident stating that the Yankees ban Capobianco and his friend for life. One fan stated:
As a Yankee fan, I am embarrassed to see this despicable behaviour.”
Meanwhile, some other fans stated:
I told him he was my hero for trying to save the Yankees. It’s the championship game.”
Game 5 ban implications
Following the whole incident, Austin Capobianco and his friend are set to miss Game 5 at the Yankee Stadium. The MLB has reportedly decided to band them from the stadium for the upcoming game. Despite this, it remains unclear whether the MLB will extend it beyond the World Series. The league will reportedly refund their tickets to compensate for their loss of access to the high-stakes game.