In a controversial call in Game 1 of the 2024 World Series on Friday night, a fly ball from the bat of New York Yankees’ Gleyber Torres was caught by a fan at Dodger Stadium. It was ultimately ruled as fan interference by the World Series umps, and baseball fans were stunned.
Let’s back up.
In the top of the ninth in a 2-2 game between New York and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Torres swung on the 2-1 pitch, and the ball looked like it had a real shot to be the Yankees’ go-ahead home run late in the game. But a fan in the stands reached over with a glove and caught the ball, which might have made it over the wall but also looked like it easily could have been short.
Either way, the umpires declared it was fan interference and not a home run, which landed Torres on second.
A fan reached over the fence on this hit by Gleyber Torres resulting in a fan interference call pic.twitter.com/67dm8hrhqm
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 26, 2024
A Dodgers fan just Jeffrey Maier'd a Gleyber Torres shot that looked like a home run. The umpire ruled fan interference. Replay reviewed it. The call was confirmed. Torres will be on second base with Juan Soto coming to the plate.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 26, 2024
Obviously, baseball fans couldn’t believe what they just saw.
And, especially after a Fox replay from the 1996 Yankees-Orioles ALCS, a lot of them made the same joke, referencing Jeffrey Maier, who was 12 years old when he interfered with a ball hit by Yankees’ Derek Jeter in what was called a home run.
How baseball fans on Twitter reacted to the World Series fan interference call
I still hate Jeffrey Maier.
— Scott Van Pelt (@notthefakeSVP) October 26, 2024
No franchise deserves to be Jeffrey Maier'd more. pic.twitter.com/LGIquqVM7m
— Brian McNally (@bmcnally14) October 26, 2024
Where have I seen this before? https://t.co/koA5L0VqzN https://t.co/yZUPHiupGP
— Jody Jones (@jonesjod) October 26, 2024
WE HAVE A FAN INTERFERENCE CONTROVERSY IN THE WORLD SERIES pic.twitter.com/ITzXKqs1Hb
— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) October 26, 2024
Revenge on the Yankees for Jeffrey Maier decades later #WorldSeries pic.twitter.com/mtFw3WjQSn
— Banter Buddies (@Banter_Buddies) October 26, 2024
Every Orioles fan in their 30’s and older after seeing that Jeffrey Maier fan interference replay pic.twitter.com/jo12HbLHip
— KS1 👯♀️ (she/her) (@KimSchuss) October 26, 2024
Jeffrey Maier confused Dodger fan pic.twitter.com/ULdlsIAjDg
— Keith McPherson (@Keith_McPherson) October 26, 2024
12 inches away from a HR smh https://t.co/Qxo8bFBLAr
— Anthony Ho (@hova216) October 26, 2024
28 years later, Jeffrey Maier has been avenged. pic.twitter.com/MWSj8MtfJ3
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) October 26, 2024
OMG IS THIS FAN INTERFERENCE pic.twitter.com/s2rQyxcM8a
— MLB Clutch Moments And Walk Offs (@MLBWalk_Offs) October 26, 2024
The faces of the people next to the Dodgers fan that interfered are HILARIOUSLY good. https://t.co/CV3ZokVE5C pic.twitter.com/qjwOAiHniH
— Ben Stevens (@BenScottStevens) October 26, 2024
Fan interference in Game 1 of the World Series is pure insanity
Unreal
— Padres Nation (@NationPadres) October 26, 2024
