NFL legend Rob Gronkowski has added a new layer to the drama surrounding a New York Yankees fan grabbing the glove of Dodgers’ star Mookie Betts during the World Series on Wednesday – he knows the culprit.
Gronkowski said he used to be friends with the New York fan, who was later identified as Austin Capobianco, when the pair were student-athletes at Arizona.
Capobianco entered the World Series saga during the first inning of Tuesday’s Game 4 of the championship series when he interfered with Betts’ attempt to catch a foul ball from the front row of the Yankee Stadium crowd.
Capobianco forcefully tried to snatch it from Betts’ glove with both hands. His friend, John Peter, then grabbed Betts’ non-glove hand. After the ball eventually flew out of his glove and onto the field, it was ruled fan interference and an out.
Both men were quickly ejected from the stadium and have been banned for Wednesday’s Game 5 for the incident. However, Gronkowski appeared proud of Capobianco less than a day later.
The Yankees fan who tried to rip a ball off Mookie Betts’ glove spoke out after the incident
Gronkowski knows the Yankees fan who grabbed Mookie Betts’ glove during the World Series
‘This is actually the first time I’m seeing this live, and here’s a little fun fact, that guy right there grabbing Mookie Betts’ glove was my friend in college,’ Gronkowski said on FanDuel TV’s Up & Adams.
‘He was on the ice hockey team, the club Arizona Wildcats ice hockey team. And let me tell you, the whole hockey team, they were absolute maniacs. They were indescribable. Animals, how wild these guys were.’
‘Him doing that, that represents him very well. I mean, he is all in for his teams. He is all in for the Yankees. I remember him talking about the Yankees all the time, how he loves them so much. And that describes him perfectly, just doing whatever it takes to help his team out.’
‘He’s a beauty. I just wanna say congratulations for SHINNING when your moment came. … I’m not saying it’s ok.’
Host Kay Adams then wanted Gronkowski to further analyze what ‘his friend’ did with millions watching.
Austin Capobianco (left), a season ticket holder from Connecticut, was ejected for his antics
Betts was seen yelling at the fans after the incident during Game 4 of the World Series
‘I haven’t talked to him in a while,’ Gronkowski clarified, before repeating that he and the Wildcats’ club hockey team were maniacs.
‘If Gronk’s calling you a maniac, that’s about all you need to know,’ Adams replied. ‘This is unhinged behavior.’
‘It is unacceptable, definitely in the world of sports. But when you’re that big of a fan, that’s what fans do. I mean, whenever they have an opportunity to do that,’ Gronkowski retorted.
This is not the first time Gronkowski has recently admitted to knowing someone in the public eye next to Adams.
Earlier this month, he said he knew Laith Wallschleger, who is playing Gronkowski in Aaron Hernandez: American Sports Story.
Gronkowski said he has known Wallschleger, a former college football player for the University of Delaware, for 14 years.
Aaron Judge and New York won their first World Series game against the Dodgers on Tuesday
An Anthony Volpe Grand Slam gave the Yankees the lead in Game 4 for good in the Bronx
According to the New York Post, Capobianco and Peter are having their tickets refunded for Game 5 after trying to rip the ball out of Betts’ glove when the Dodgers star caught Gleyber Torres’ fly ball by the wall in foul territory.
‘I know when I’m in the wrong and as soon as I did it, I was like, ‘Boys I’m out of here”. I patrol that wall and they know that,’ Austin Capobianco, a Yankees season ticket holder, told ESPN.
‘We always joke about the ball in our area. Someone defends, someone knocks the ball. We talk about it. We’re willing to do this.’
Capobianco said to ESPN he was told he would be able to go back on Wednesday night but that is no longer the case. ESPN later reported on Wednesday that MLB asked the Yankees to ban Capobianco and his friend.
The Yankees won their first game of the World Series after the incident, 11-4, needing a victory to keep their season alive.
Game 5 is Wednesday in the Bronx, the final home game for the Yankees of the season, win or lose, as a possible Games 6 and 7 would be in Los Angeles.
