One Yankees fan became the face of a brutal October night at Yankee Stadium after a controversial play in Game 3 of the ALDS ended with police escorting him out of the ballpark.
The Yankees entered Wednesday night already in trouble, down 2-0 in the series and facing elimination. Instead, their season ended in a 4-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, and one moment in the sixth inning only poured gasoline on the fire.
With a runner on first base, Anthony Volpe sent a deep fly ball toward left field. Rays outfielder Victor Mesa Jr. went up at the wall, and as the ball tracked toward the fence, a spectator in a navy blue Yankees jacket reached over the left-field wall and made contact with it before it could clear the barrier.
The ball was originally ruled a game-tying, two-run home run, sending the stadium into a frenzy. Mesa immediately argued the call and asked for a review.
After a lengthy look by Major League Baseball, the home run was overturned on spectator interference. Officials ruled that the ball would not have left the field or been caught without the fan’s interference.
Once security identified the spectator responsible, the scene got even uglier. Fans in the stadium turned on him as the replay decision came down, with angry chants breaking out and debris thrown onto the field.
NYPD officers then stepped in and surrounded the fan as he was walked through the concourse. The escort helped move him safely out of the stadium amid the hostile reaction.
Online, the moment drew plenty of mockery, with some joking that the fan might need witness protection to stay in New York.
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