Category: Baseball

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Oh sports, and all of its fine lines that matter so much. A blade of grass here, an extra coat of paint on an upright there, a split second on a clock.

In baseball, there is the line between fair or foul, capable of separating glory from disaster, and then also the line between fan behavior that’s either boisterously enthusiastic (fair) or dangerously obnoxious (foul).

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What happened involving Mookie Betts and a pair of New York Yankees fans on Tuesday night falls into the latter category, no question about it. In the first inning of the World Series’ Game 4, Betts jumped to grab a Gleyber Torres pop-up along the right-field wall, but after he caught the ball, front row fan Austin Capobianco wrenched it out of his glove, while alongside him, John Peter took hold of Betts’ non-catching arm.

Both fans were ejected and Capobianco was reportedly told he would be arrested if the pair tried to enter Game 5 (8:08 p.m. ET on FOX). If that’s the only punishment meted out, it would seem to veer heavily on the lenient side, given the level of interference and the potential injury that might have been caused to Betts, the Los Angeles Dodgers star.

It is a thorny issue, and it is easy to see why the instant ban to take care of the immediate issue was implemented — Game 5 is the last game of the season at Yankee Stadium, even if New York is able to keep the series alive — to perhaps buy time to decide on something sterner.

[RELATED: Yankees ban fans from Game 5 who grabbed Betts]

Most of all, it is thorny because of that fine line mentioned earlier. There is no excusing what Capobianco and Peter did, quite the opposite. If a ban of several seasons or even more was put into place, there would be zero argument here.

Yet what is a little alarming to consider is that, except for the two key actions that crossed any kind of reasonable standard level, there were elements of what happened that actually spoke to what is magical about baseball.

The fact that fans are so close to the action that they can literally be in the airspace of the playing area is part of baseball’s time-honored lore. The fact that you can catch a ball bound for the stands and, heck, if you do so, you get to keep it forever. The fact that fans care so much, that the soul of their team courses through their veins, especially if November nears, especially if it’s the Series, especially if it’s a storied rivalry like New York and Los Angeles.

[RELATED: Full coverage of the World Series]

Yet amid all the excitement, there has to be some sort of decorum. Scream, cheer, shout, hurl yells and insults if you really have to, but let’s have a very clear understanding of what the role of the fan is.

We talk about the 12th man and supporters being part of the fabric of their ball club. They are part of the show, of course they are, because we all remember COVID and empty stadiums and how weird and eerie everything was.

Part of the entertainment, yes, but not part of the game, at least not in any way except rattling the nerves of an opposition player with a communal roar. Chant “Who’s Your Daddy” all you like, but for goodness’ sake keep your hands off the players, a statement that shouldn’t need to be made, but apparently does.

Don’t touch any gloves unless one is being offered as a fist bump. Don’t open up anyone’s glove to acquire a ball, be it a fellow fan’s or a player’s. Don’t run onto the field, because it’s dumb and wastes time, and you’ll get forcefully tackled and then kicked out for it. And don’t do anything that could affect how the outcome of the competition turns out, not even if you’re a cute smiley kid, like Jeffrey Maier was in 1996.

Being a fan is a privilege, even if it is an expensive one, with interest in this World Series so feverishly high. Paying for those tickets doesn’t buy you any extra concession or remove the requirement for a baseline of conduct.

For all the tens of thousands of games that have passed without a problem over time, how many repeats of what happened to Betts do you think would have to happen before changes were made to the ballpark experience?

This is a superb World Series, highlighted by Shohei Ohtani’s mere presence, by Freddie Freeman’s impossible hot streak, by the Yankees’ stirring revival in Game 4, and the tantalizing possibility that this thing might not be quite over yet.

Amid all that, it frankly hurts a little bit to be addressing a peripheral issue as disappointing as this one. Sometimes, that’s just the nature of things. And sometimes, it can be a reminder.

Whether the ball is foul or not, let’s keep the behavior fair.

Martin Rogers is a columnist for FOX Sports. Follow him on Twitter @MRogersFOX.

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The Chicago White Sox have reportedly hired Will Venable to take over as manager, turning to the former big league outfielder to help turn around the team after a miserable season.

Venable, who turned 42 on Tuesday, is stepping in for Pedro Grifol, who was fired in August with the White Sox on their way to breaking the modern major league record for most losses in a season. 

With Grady Sizemore serving as interim manager, the club finished with a 41-121 record.

Venable was an associate manager for Texas for the past two years. He handled daily schedule items and outfield instruction as part of his duties with the Rangers, who won the World Series in 2023 in manager Bruce Bochy’s first season.

Venable played baseball and basketball while studying anthropology at Princeton. He was an all-Ivy League performer in each sport.

He was selected by San Diego in the seventh round of the 2005 amateur draft. The outfielder played for the Padres, Rangers and Dodgers in nine years in the majors, hitting .249 with 81 homers, 307 RBIs and 135 steals in 967 games.

After his playing career ended, Venable joined the Cubs’ front office in September 2017 as a special assistant to baseball operations. He also was on the team’s major league staff for three years, spending two seasons as the first base coach and one as the third base coach.

Venable also was the bench coach for Red Sox manager Alex Cora for two years before joining the Rangers.

Venable comes from an athletic family. His father, Max, played parts of 12 seasons in the majors, and also was a minor league manager and coach. Will’s brother, Winston, played college football at Boise State and appeared in 12 games with the Chicago Bears during the 2011 season.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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The New York Yankees staved off a sweep in Game 4 of the World Series, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers, 11-4. Now, the Dodgers have another chance to end the series in the Bronx in Game 5 on Wednesday night (8:08 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app).

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The two New York Yankees fans who interfered with Mookie Betts‘ attempt to make a catch in Game 4 of the World Series have been barred from attending Wednesday’s Game 5. 

Yankees fans Austin Capobianco and John Peter were ejected from Game 4 after the incident with Betts in the first inning when the Los Angeles Dodgers star made a grab along the right field wall in foul territory. Even though Capobianco and Peter were ejected, the Yankees season-ticket holders told ESPN that they were told they could attend Game 5.

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However, MLB asked the Yankees to ban Capobianco and Peter from attending Game 5. Capobianco told ESPN that the Yankees warned him that he and his friend would be arrested if they attempted to attend Wednesday night’s game. It’s unclear if the ban will extend beyond Wednesday, ESPN reported.

The Yankees released a statement on Wednesday describing the incident as “egregious and unacceptable phyical contact” with Betts. 

“The safety and security of players, fans and Stadium staff is the foundational element of every event held at Yankee Stadium, and it cannot be compromised,” the statement continued. “Tonight marks the final home game of year, and we want every ounce of our fans’ passion on display. Yankee Stadium is known for its energy and intensity, however the exuberance of supporting one’s team can never cross the line into intentionally putting players at physical risk.”

Capobianco and Peter were seen trying to rip the ball out of Betts’ glove after he made the grab on Gleyber Torres‘ fly ball. Capobianco tugged on Betts’ glove while Peter grabbed Betts’ right wrist. Torres was immediately ruled out due to fan interference.

Betts was noticeably upset with the fans after the play. He brushed aside the incident, though, when he was asked about it following the Dodgers’ 11-4 loss.

“When it comes to the person in play, it doesn’t matter,” Betts said after the Yankees extended the series with an 11-4 victory. “We lost. It’s irrelevant. I’m fine. He’s fine. Everything’s cool. We lost the game and that’s what I’m kind of focused on. We gotta turn the page and get ready for tomorrow.”

The Dodgers will have another chance to clinch a World Series title on Wednesday night as they’re up 3-1 in the series. Even if the Yankees win Game 5, Wednesday’s game is the final game scheduled at Yankee Stadium for the series. Games 6 and 7 will take place in Los Angeles, if necessary.

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