Fan Who Threw Ball at Alex Verdugo Banned by Yankees, MLB for Life

The fan was ejected from Yankee Stadium after hitting Red Sox left fielder Alex Verdugo with a ball.

Following Saturday's incident in which a fan threw a baseball from the stands that hit Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo, Yankees manager Aaron Boone called for the fan to be thrown in jail. That hasn't happened, but Major League Baseball stepped in to issue its own form of punishment with a lifetime ban.

The Yankees and MLB will bar the fan from attending any MLB ballpark for life, the team said in a statement, according to Brendan Kuty of NJ.com.

“While the Yankees appreciate the spirit and passion of our fans in our various rivalries—especially with the Red Sox—reckless, disorderly and dangerous behavior that puts the safety of players, field staff or fellow fans in jeopardy will not be tolerated,” the statement read. “There is absolutely no place for it at Yankee Stadium. The safety of everyone at Yankee Stadium, including guests in the stands and players on the field, will always be the top priority for the Yankees organization every time we open our doors.”

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The incident occurred just before the bottom of the sixth inning. Verdugo responded by angrily as his teammates, umpires and stadium workers conferred in the outfield before the entire Red Sox defense left the field and returned to the dugout.

A fan throws a ball at Alex Verdugo and he is not happy. The Red Sox all left the field pic.twitter.com/Z8GHRZd2oY

— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) July 18, 2021

Verdugo was understandably upset about the occurrence after the game, and said he was grateful nobody was hurt.

Alex Verdugo’s response to the #Yankees fan who hit him with a ball last night was perfect.

Can’t fault for how emotional he was when everything went down.

He has a special way of connecting with fans and that isn’t going anywhere.#DirtyWater| #RedSoxhttps://t.co/1Rh2viO1PA

— Tyler Milliken ⚾️ (@tylermilliken_) July 18, 2021

"At the end of the day, people need to understand we're people as well," Verdugo said. "We do the same stuff that you guys do, we feel the same way that you guys feel, but playing baseball is our job. That's our work. I just feel like the fans are in the wrong on that one."