The New York Yankees responded beautifully after a Yankees fan whined about being banned from attending Game 5 of the 2024 World Series after he moronically interfered in Game 4.
During the first inning of Game 4 on Tuesday, Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts leaped in the air to catch Gleyber Torres' foul ball against the wall where the front-row fan, identified as Austin Capobianco, grabbed Betts' hand and aggressively tried to yank his glove off.
The failed glove heist resulted in the ball plopping down onto the field. Betts was visibly furious and Torres was ruled out by the right-field umpire for fan interference.
You can watch a clip here.
Consequently, Capobianco and his accomplice, John Peter, who grabbed Betts' non-gloved hand by the wrist for no reason, were ejected from Yankee Stadium.
Here's the walk of shame out of the ballpark.
Capobianco and Peter were additionally banned from Wednesday's Game 5, and Capobianco griped about it in the media.
The 38-year-old season-ticket holder was refunded but remained peeved because his tickets for the next day's game were confiscated. He had wanted to hand those tickets over to his younger brother and friends.
He lamented to Newsday through text:
“The banning to tonight’s game was kind of expected, but the fact my little brother and his friends can’t use our season tickets tonight has really pissed me off."
"It’s not like they can go to the next game.”
Social media users who thought Capobianco got off easy had no sympathy.
@UtahPucky/X
While the internet played the tiny violin for Capobianco, the Yankees ended his 15 minutes by giving the vacated seats to a family battling pediatric cancer.
On Wednesday afternoon, Buster Olney shared the uplifting news on X (formerly Twitter), writing:
"From the Yankees, about the fan who will sit in the seats left behind by the two fans kicked out of Game 4: Calvin Young was one of approximately 80 children from families battling pediatric cancer invited to a 'Kids Only' Press Conference at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 13, in which Jazz Chisholm., Jr, Anthony Rizzo, Jose Trevino and Marcus Stroman fielded questions from children battling cancer and in remission."
"Unfortunately while walking from his car to the stadium, Calvin became very ill and weak and was not able to attend the press conference or stay for the game. He was admitted back to hospital and had to have surgery."
"As he recovered, we let him know we would love to have him out to the Stadium when he felt well enough (Anthony Rizzo sent him this video invitation.). We followed up again today and he accepted our offer. He is attending tonight’s game with his mother and younger brothers."
"Calvin has been a patient of the pediatric sarcoma team at MSK. He was diagnosed [in] June 2023 with DSRCT Sarcoma."
This will be the first time that Calvin and his family, who are from Bergenfield, New Jersey, attend any playoff game at Yankee Stadium, the post read.
Fans lauded the philanthropic move and sent Calvin their well wishes.
Game 5 wound up being a victorious night for the Dodgers, who became World Series Champions for an eighth time after winning 7-6 on Wednesday night.
While the Yankees lost the 2024 World Series, they won plenty of respect for their admirable gifting of the transferred tickets to Calvin and his family.
@badgalriri/Instagram