This is what Wikipedia says: “Spectators may even use a certain level of non-violent force (for example, they may attempt to dislodge a ball out of a defender’s glove) provided they do not themselves cross the plane in their efforts.”
I’m curious if that edit/entry was made right after the Betts incident. But could it be that the fans actually technically didn’t even break the rules? Although they were, of course, still jerks, and the grabbing of Betts’ wrist was unacceptable.
I just watched the video for the first time. My first thought was that if this had taken place in Iran, the two fans who attacked Mr. Betts would have had their hands chopped off, in addition to being banned for life. It may indeed be that certain aspects of Islamic Justice are a better fit for the world of sports than society at large.
Nothing in the relevant rule says this.
The batter is already out before the fan pries the ball out of Betts’s glove anyway. Had there been runners on base, umpires may make such judgments as they see fit to uphold the standards of fair play and good sportsmanship if the rules are not specific. In this case it would have been absurd to judge the play to be a catch and a ball out of play, resulting in runners advancing, and the reasons why the umps can’t permit that should be obvious.
Yes, that section was added to the Wikipedia entry yesterday. As @RickJay notes, the rule doesn’t actually include anything about dislodging the ball. I’d guess a Yankee fan added it.
Also, I hate to see what it takes to constitute violent force if you don’t think that qualified.
To take the wind out of their sails, in case they wanted to sue based on the lack of a no-prying-the-ball-out-of-an-opposing-player’s-glove-or-mitt disclaimer on the ticket.
From the New York Post
The two fans who grabbed Mookie Betts’ wrist and tried to rip the ball out of his hand during Game 4 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium have been banned “indefinitely” from attending any MLB games, The Post has learned.
The fans, Austin Capobianco and John P. Hansen, were ejected from the game and banned from Game 5 in The Bronx, which proved to be the final game of the season.
Good.
Still would have preferred criminal charges in addition to the ban, but per discussion above it apparently would’ve been difficult to make any form of assault stick under the law.