Yankees fan booted out of stadium after home run interference controversy
Yankees fan booted out of stadium after home run interference controversy
Christian Arnold Thu, October 8, 2026 at 12:22 PM UTC
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Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Victor Mesa Jr. (25) reaches to catch an RBI double from New York Yankees' Anthony Volpe as fans reach out for the ball in the sixth inning on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026. The ball was originally a home run but was ruled a double due to fan interference after an official review.
He’s out of there!
The Yankee fan who brought back flashbacks of the 1996 incident involving Jeffrey Maier was escorted out of Yankee Stadium after he stuck his arms out over the ledge of the wall in left field to catch a ball hit by Anthony Volpe in the bottom of the sixth in ALDS Game 3.
It led to a lengthy review and overturned what would have been a game-tying home run due to spectator interference in what became a season-ending 4-3 loss for the Yankees on Wednesday night.
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Video showed the Yankee fan, who was wearing a dark blue bomber jacket, being walked out of the outfield stands by a uniformed member of the NYPD and what appeared to be several members of Yankee Stadium security.
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He was also leaving with another fan, who was wearing a pinstriped Yankees jacket and cap.
In another clip that circulated online after the controversial moment, security staff was seen approaching the fan in his seat almost immediately after the replay ruled on the fan interference call, which led to Volpe being awarded an RBI double, meaning only one run scored.
Yankee fans around them did not appear to have too much of a reaction toward the spectator as he exited with stadium staff.
Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Victor Mesa Jr. (25) reaches to catch an RBI double from New York Yankees’ Anthony Volpe as fans reach out for the ball in the sixth inning on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026. John Angelillo/UPI/Shutterstock
The Rays got out of the inning with a 4-3 lead, the same score as the final.
The incident had a very close similarity to the infamous Maier incident in the 1996 ALCS between the Yankees and Orioles, when the then-young fan helped get a Derek Jeter home run over the wall in right field of the old stadium.
A fan who interfered with a ball hit by Yankees second baseman Anthony Volpe is removed from the game in the sixth inning during Game 3 of the American League Division Series against the Rays, Wednesday, October 7, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
A fan who interfered with a ball hit by New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe is removed from the game. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
In a statement, Major League Baseball said it had “definitively determined the spectator interfered with the ball over the field of play” after looking at “all relevant angles.”
“The ball would not have left the playing field nor would it have been caught. The call is OVERTURNED, there was spectator interference and no home run,” the league said in a statement. “Additionally, the Replay Official scored one run and placed the batter-runner at second.”
Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Victor Mesa Jr. (25) reaches to catch an RBI double from New York Yankees’ Anthony Volpe as fans reach out for the ball in the sixth inning on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026. The ball was originally a home run but was ruled a double due to fan interference after an official review. Getty Images
Source: “AOL Sports”
