Fansided

Glorifying Astros fan who interfered with Mike Trout is a slippery slope

MLB can't afford to go down this path.
ByMark Powell|
Apr 12, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Angels right fielder Mike Trout (27) walks in the dugout before the game against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Apr 12, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Angels right fielder Mike Trout (27) walks in the dugout before the game against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

In Saturday night's Astros-Angels game, a Houston fan took a ball out of Mike Trout's glove in a moment that was eerily reminiscent of Game 4 in the 2024 World Series, in which a Yankees fan committed the same offense to Mookie Betts. The two incidents have been handled differently by the sports media landscape, and even the players themselves.

Trout met up with the Astros fan postgame, even signing gear for him. The Astros fan apologized, claiming he was only trying to protect his kid, who was several seats over from the ball and Trout's glove.

“I jumped in and the ball was in my glove, the guy just literally just took it out,” Trout said. “But he was really apologetic. I learn new things every single day. Once I go into the stands, it's free game. Being in right field, it’s a little different. In center, I don’t really get that play.”

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MLB media and players shouldn't glorify fan interference, legal or not

Trout commented several times on how apologetic the fan was for interfering with the play.

“They were really apologetic,” Trout said. “It didn't really affect the game. I’ve got kids myself and that kid was probably nine years old. Just seeing them after the game, they were really nice people. They had to move and they probably spent hard-earned money on those tickets.”

Sure they did! However, they should also not interfere when a player is trying to catch the ball. I do not care if that occurs in the stands or not. A quick side-by-side angle of the Trout play and the fan interference called in favor of Betts in the World Series shows some striking similarities.

Whether the umpires made the right call or not isn't the point I'm trying to make. Those replays are virtually the same, and they point to a growing trend in MLB for fans to involve themselves in certain plays, and essentially play defense near the foul line. As easy as it was to hate on said Yankees fan in the World Series who blatantly admitted he wasn't about to let Betts catch that ball, it is glorifying moments like these that leave bread crumbs for the worst fans in sports to eventually feel they have the right to delay a World Series game.

As FanSided's Adam Weinrib pointed out on Sunday morning, ESPN even named said Astros supporter their 'fan of the game' for getting in Trout's way. How does any of this make sense? Said Astros fan wasn't even punished and went home with a bad full of autographed memorabilia.

There are a couple of solutions here. MLB could move the stands back some, or include netting up to the foul pole as to avoid fans reaching out into the field of play. Surely we shouldn't keep rewarding such behavior.

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