CABO ROJO, PR — Yesterday’s actions by fans who reached into Mookie Betts’ glove to try and yank the ball from him, seen by millions on TV, shocked many and once again cast Yankee fans—and worse, my home, the South Bronx—in a negative light.
"Well, A for effort."
Fan interference was called on this play where a Yankee fan tried to take the ball out of Mookie Betts' glove after an out. pic.twitter.com/iZ6taImncd
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 30, 2024
I have been living in the South Bronx since 1956. Though we had to move many times due to the challenges of living in the country’s poorest urban congressional district, I have always lived within walking distance of the stadium. Like many youths in the South Bronx, I grew up an avid Yankee fan. I remember, as a teen, chasing Boston Red Sox fans if they dared to walk through our neighborhood in any Red Sox apparel. Fans from other states who traveled to the South Bronx for a game knew they couldn’t wear other teams’ apparel or leave anything in their cars indicating they were fans of opposing teams.
However, as young and rowdy as we were—including yelling anything you could imagine at visiting players, and even jumping onto the baseball field after a Yankee victory only to be chased by the police—we would never do anything to jeopardize the safety of players from other teams.
Fans at Yankee Stadium – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
After witnessing what those two fans did yesterday on national and international TV, I felt compelled to write this because, once again, it fuels the negative image of Yankee fans and the South Bronx. We run a five-star-rated Airbnb guesthouse within walking distance of the stadium, hosting guests from all over the world. Even today, some guests ask if our community is safe because their taxi or Uber drivers have warned them otherwise. This bothered us so much that I made a T-shirt for our guests reading, “I Slept in The South Bronx & Survived.” The shirt has become quite popular, with many guests taking one home and calling later to share the positive reactions they received from people with ties to the Bronx.
Mi Casa Tu Casa 150 T-shirt – Image Credit: Latino Sports
My wife, Blanca, and I were deeply upset watching those two so-called Yankee fans misrepresenting our community to the world. That behavior is not reflective of the South Bronx. It reminds me of another incident during the 1977 World Series when a fire in the South Bronx was shown and discussed extensively by announcers like Howard Cosell, which furthered the infamous “Bronx is burning” narrative—a negative image that still lingers. I couldn’t let yesterday’s incident pass without expressing my disgust and clarifying that those were not South Bronx residents.
I’m glad those fans were escorted out of the stadium and ended up paying over a thousand dollars to watch the remainder of the game from Billy’s Sports Bar across the street. They may try to promote themselves as true Yankee fans and milk their three minutes of fame, but only fools would think that was cool.
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