"Guy grabbing Mookie Betts glove was my friend in college" - Rob Gronkowski congratulates Yankees fan on controversial behavior in World Series Game 4

There’s been plenty of chatter following Game 4 of the World Series between the Yankees and Dodgers about a fan interference call involving star outfielder Mookie Betts. The incident has also made headlines beyond the baseball world.

In an eventful turn of events, former NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski identified the individual, Austin Capobianco, trying to steal the ball away from Betts' hand as his former collegemate. On the "Up & Adams" show, host Kay Adams showed the clip to Gronkowski.

Gronkowski told Adams that Capobianco was part of the Arizona Wildcats ice hockey team. The five-time Pro Bowl winner said that, like Capobianco, most of his teammates were "absolute maniacs" and "undescribable animals."

"This is actually the first time I'm seeing this live, and here's a little fun fact: that guy right there grabbing Mookie Betts' glove was my friend in college," Gronkowski said. ... "Him doing that represents him very well. I mean, he's all in for his teams. He's all in for the Yankees. I remember him talking about the Yankees all the time, how he loves them so much and that describes him perfectly.

"Just doing whatever it takes to help his team out. But he's a beauty, he is a beauty, and I just want to say congratulations. Congratulations for shining when your moment came." [20:20]

Adams was shocked upon the revelation and tried to question Rob about whether he feels that it was okay of Capobianco to try to take away the ball from the stands. The four-time Super Bowl winner said that it was unacceptable. He also acknowledged reading the ESPN article where Capobianco and his friend John Peter had claimed they had planned for such a scenario.

Yankees released statement about the fan interference

After the incident, the pair told ESPN they would be allowed to attend Game 5 on Wednesday night. Capobianco is a season pass holder for the Yankees. However, the New York management quickly intervened in the early hours of the day and said both were banned from Wednesday's game.

“The safety and security of players, fans and Stadium staff is the foundational element of every event held at Yankee Stadium, and it cannot be compromised," Yankees said in a statement. "The Yankees and Major League Baseball maintain a zero-tolerance policy toward the type of behavior displayed last night. These fans will not be permitted to attend tonight’s game in any capacity."

The Yanks hope to win Game 5 and take the World Series back to LA. If they do so, they will become the first team in history to force Game 6 after being 0-3 down.