As millions of viewers watched in bewilderment as two New York Yankees fans ripped a baseball out of Mookie Betts’ glove Tuesday, Jeff Maier was putting his son to bed.
Maier, who said he has watched every Yankees postseason game live, just happened to miss this particular play. But when he caught the replay, he could relate. Sort of.
Maier, now 40 years old, was only 12 when his full name — Jeffrey Maier — became infamously associated with the 1990s Yankees dynasty. In the eighth inning of Game 1 of the 1996 American League Championship Series, Maier reached over the right-field wall at the former Yankee Stadium to catch a Derek Jeter fly ball, causing it to be ruled a game-tying home run to the Baltimore Orioles’ dismay. The Yankees went on to win the game, and the World Series.
But 28 years later, Maier was as perplexed as anyone when he saw a replay of the two Yankees fans interfering with Betts, the Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder, in Game 4.
“How can I put this … I don’t really know what to make of it,” Maier told The Athletic on Wednesday. “I certainly think back to my experience as a 12-year-old, and I can think about how everything in that moment became me and the ball. … It was very much just an instinctive get the ball.
“Watching yesterday was obviously very different. I think there was an initial plan perhaps from that fan to get the ball, but once it’s in the glove… I can’t really quite understand what the thought process was there, certainly from two adults.”
Austin Capobianco, 38, from Connecticut, was ejected after the incident, which occurred on a foul fly ball hit by Gleyber Torres in the bottom of the first inning. Another fan, who ESPN identified as John Peter, was also ejected. Major League Baseball banned both fans from attending Game 5 on Wednesday, a league spokesperson said.
Maier spoke with levity and lightheartedness as he compared his moment from 1996 with Tuesday’s scene. He said he doesn’t mind being referenced each time a similar fan interference incident arises. In fact, he said his early moment of fame positively impacted his life and has helped him stay connected with friends and colleagues.
“It has become a very easy thing for me to talk about, now being 40 and having my own kids and being pretty far removed from that event,” Maier said.
As for what he would tell the two fans involved with Betts on Tuesday, Maier feels the opposite.
“I don’t know if there’s much to say. From their perspective, I’m sure they have a lot of regret and remorse,” he said. “I’m sure what might have felt good in the moment probably doesn’t play too well today for them.
“My advice would be don’t do that again, and I’m sure it was a costly mistake for them. I know from all three of my boys asking me about going to the World Series and me showing them how expensive the seats were, those guys are probably out a lot of money right now and probably not feeling too good about only being able to catch the first batter of the game for the Yankees.”
Maier credited being a father for much of his perspective about his moment as a fan interferer. It helps they can now relate in age and hobby: His oldest son is 14, the middle boy is 12 and the youngest is 10, and their bond over baseball is “special,” he said.
“They’re very aware of what I did as a 12-year-old,” Maier said with a laugh, adding that they have all grown up Yankees fans despite living in New England.
Maier said even the most passionate fans need a line, and “the line is probably grabbing it out of a glove.” But Maier still understands the impulse. Any fan, especially if they played the sport, will have an urge to react to a ball in the air, he said. A baseball diehard’s heart always skips a beat at the crack of the bat, even if it’s just a lazy fly ball off Torres’ bat.
Maier would know. Years after reaching above Tony Tarasco’s head to shuttle Jeter’s home run over the wall, Maier was a Division-III baseball star, breaking the Wesleyan (Mass.) College career hits record and finishing his four years with a career .373 batting average.
So, would Maier at 40 make the same decision as his 12-year-old self to reach for a home run ball if it could help the Yankees win a World Series?
“I think I might shred a hamstring trying to move that quickly compared to me as a younger lad,” Maier said with another laugh, adding, “I couldn’t say yes and I couldn’t say no.
“The instinct is there, the tendons and stuff are probably not as loose as they used to be.”
(Top photo: Manny Millan / Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
