Alex Verdugo Defends Yankees Fans That Grabbed Mookie Betts in World Series vs Dodgers
New York Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo, who used to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers but was traded for Mookie Betts, defended the Yankee fans that interfered with Betts before being thrown out of Tuesday’s Game 4.
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While those fans have since been banned from the stadium for Game 5, Verdugo said he “didn’t feel it was too serious,” and doesn’t think the fans needed to be banned.
Read more: Yankees Break Silence on Fan Who Grabbed Mookie Betts in World Series vs Dodgers
“I saw it. It was maybe one of the more extreme, kind of trying to rip a ball out. But at the same time, that’s kind of New York. I feel like that’s what you expect out here. You expect some unique things,” Verdugo said.
“At the end of the day, I didn’t feel it was too serious. I think Mookie kind of shook it off too. That’s just kind of the passion, I guess, New Yorkers have.”
He was then asked if he felt it was fair that those fans weren’t allowed back in the stadium for Wednesday night’s Game 5.
“I don’t know. It is what it is, right? I wouldn’t have any problem if they were here today or if they weren’t,” Verdugo said. “At the end of the day, that’s what MLB deemed they wanted to do, and they’ve got to show some type of, I guess, disciplinary act. So it is what it is.”
The fans have since been banned for Game 5. According to ESPN’s Jesse Rogers, the fans would be arrested at the door if they tried to get into the stadium with other tickets.
The fans told Rogers on Tuesday that they had been planning something like that if a ball went into their area.
“We always joke about the ball in our area,” Austin Capobianco said to Rogers. “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.”
Photo Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
