ESPN, Yankees Organization Disgrace Themselves With How They Treat Fans Who Grabbed Mookie Betts | Ian Miller
It hasn't been a banner week for New York Yankees fans. They cheered when Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani got hurt during World Series Game 2 at Dodger Stadium on Saturday night. They chanted "F*** you Freddie" during the first inning of Game 3…only to see Freeman hit a two-run home run into the right field stands. Then in Game 4 on Tuesday night, they entered peak Yankee fan performance mode.
In the bottom of the first inning, Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts ran over near the right field fence in foul territory to catch a pop-up from Gleyber Torres. He caught the ball against the wall, only to have two unbelievably stereotypical Yankees fans grab his wrist and glove and try to force the ball out.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 29: Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after catching a fly ball in foul territory despite fan interference during the first inning of Game Four of the 2024 World Series against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on October 29, 2024 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
READ: Yankees Fans Embarrass Themselves Again, Try To Steal Ball Out Of Mookie Betts' Glove
It was immediately, correctly, ruled fan interference. And could easily have led to a series-changing injury for Betts. Though of course, the fans and those around them, New York's best and brightest, immediately started arguing with the umpires that they were in the right to interfere and physically grab a player. Classy, as always.
Then, during a moment of silence for Stand Up To Cancer later in the game, another lovely representative of the most overrated city in America could be heard loudly yelling "You Suck, Freeman." Freeman's mother, of course, tragically died of cancer when he was 10 years old.
The worst fans in sports strike again. But what makes these incidents even worse isn't just how classless, offensive, ugly and embarrassing Yankees fans have repeatedly shown themselves to be. It's how New York-based media and the organization themselves have handled it.
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 29: Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers makes a play for an out with fan interference in the first inning during Game 4 of the 2024 World Series presented by Capital One between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, October 29, 2024 in New York, New York. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Yankees Organization, ESPN Disgrace Themselves Yet Again
For some inexplicable reason, ESPN reporter Jesse Rogers decided to track down the fans who interfered with Betts and give them an opportunity to defend their indefensible behavior. Austin Capobianco, one of the classic mouth-breathing New Yorkers, said that it was a plan for him and his buddy to interfere with opposing players.
"We always joke about the ball in our area," Capobianco, 38, told Rogers afterwards. "We're not going to go out of our way to attack. 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."
Why in the world would ESPN give these two clowns glowing coverage? Why does anyone care what they have to say? If Dodgers fans or Philadelphia fans had done this, they'd be rightfully excoriated. Jeff Passan posted criticism of Dodgers fans for throwing trash on the field against San Diego, and was right to do so. But because they're Yankees fans, and this kind of disgraceful behavior is accepted or encouraged in New York, they deserve their own profile, complete with a photo and fawning description as a "beaut?"
Passan even retweeted that ridiculous, nonsensical post from Rogers, without comment. And what might be even worse than ESPN's self-created mess, is that the Yankees organization demonstrated afterwards they're just as embarrassing as their fans. Per Rogers' story, Capobianco and his friend John Peter were escorted out, but told by Yankees personnel that they would be welcomed back to attend game five on Wednesday.
"Capobianco and Peter were escorted out of Yankee Stadium but said they were told they would be allowed back for Game 5 on Wednesday," Rogers wrote. "The Yankees did not immediately respond to ESPN's request for comment regarding if that was indeed the case."
If this had happened to Aaron Judge or Juan Soto at Dodger Stadium, the Yankees, and ESPN, would have lost their collective minds. Especially if the Dodgers organization told the fans involved they'd be happily allowed back with open arms. It would have resulted in days of New York media outlets raining down an endless stream of criticism. But the Yankees are the Yankees, and as baseball's signature organization thanks to success they had 85 years ago, they can get away with decisions and behavior no other team can. As of Wednesday afternoon, it's unclear if the Yankees planned to ensure Capobianco and Peter were presented a special pregame meal in the clubhouse of classic New York specialty foods: mediocre bagels, woefully disappointing pizza and rat covered garbage piled up on the street.
Even worse, on Wednesday, Rogers reported that the Yankees had to be told by Major League Baseball to ban the fans from attending tonight's game.
Quite simply, this is a disgrace. There should never have been even a remote possibility that these fans would be allowed to attend a game this year, or any other year. The Yankees should be ashamed of themselves, though maybe after decades of excusing and promoting the worst fans in baseball in the worst city in America, they don't know any better.