Boomer Esiason and Gregg Giannotti couldn’t help but troll the two Yankees fans who were ejected from Game 4 of the World Series Tuesday after prying a foul ball out of the glove of Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts.
During Wednesday’s installment of WFAN’s “Boomer and Gio,” the former NFL quarterback called Austin Capobianco and his friend, John Peter, “asinine.”
Giannotti gave them a new nickname: the Goomba Grabbers.
“The two goombas out in right field. The Grabbing Goombas — the Goomba Grabbers that got this whole thing started,” Giannotti said. “Everybody’s gotta have a mascot. Everybody’s gotta have something and the 2024 New York Yankees now have the goomba grabbers. The main guy, Austin Capobianco, who I think was the catalyst for this win last night.”
In a wild scene at Yankee Stadium, Capobianco and Peter grabbed Betts’ glove and pulled the ball out as the Dodgers star jumped up the wall and initially caught Gleyber Torres’ foul ball in the first inning.
Torres was ruled out by the right-field umpire on fan interference.
Esiason explained that Dodgers fans had a right to be angry.
“First and foremost, it’s hilarious,” Esiason said. “You can look at it any which way you want. I was just happy Mookie Betts didn’t get hurt. That’s the most important thing.
“It’s ridiculous. This is where social media, in my eyes, is either spot on or just absolutely just tears into somebody. And every anti-Yankee fan out there that is on social media just ripped Austin a new one and rightfully so.
“He looked ridiculous… whatever the stereotypical Yankees fan is, that’s that guy. There he is. He doesn’t even have a Yankees hat on. He has a road jersey on that he probably got from somebody. He’s ripping the ball out of his hands. The other guy is holding onto Mookie Betts’ other hand. I mean, it’s asinine.”
Capobianco and Peter said in an interview with ESPN they were informed they are allowed back at Yankee Stadium for Game 5 on Wednesday.
However, that is not the case anymore as the two will been barred from the game.
Capobianco, a Yankees season-ticket holder, explained that he and Peter previously discussed how they would defend their right-field area if a ball ever came their way — and they acted on it in Game 4 of the World Series.
“We always joke about the ball in our area,” Capobianco, 38, told ESPN at a local bar after the game. “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.”
Capobianco added that those around his seat at Yankee Stadium are aware he patrols the area.
“I know when I’m in the wrong and as soon as I did it, I was like, ‘Boys, I’m out of here,’” Capobianco said. “I patrol that wall and they know that.”
Darren Capobianco, who is the brother of Austin, told The Athletic that Betts was “swearing at us.”
Betts, who was visibly frustrated in the moment, said the incident was irrelevant after the Dodgers’ 11-4 loss.
“When it comes to the person in play, it doesn’t matter,” Betts said after the Dodgers couldn’t complete a sweep of the Yankees. “We lost. It’s irrelevant. I’m fine. He’s fine. Everything’s cool. We lost the game and that’s what I’m kind of focused on. We got to turn the page and get ready for tomorrow.”
Game 5 will get underway at 8:08 p.m.
