Actor Wendell Pierce had to leave Game 5 of the 2024 World Series early after fans at Yankee Stadium began throwing things at him while he was talking to a Los Angeles Dodgers fan.
Pierce, 61, shared his experience via X on Wednesday, October 30, during the game, telling fans, “The World Series is over for me.”
“Unfortunately I just left the Yankees Game because I was talking to a Dodgers fan and people were throwing things at me,” he wrote. “Unruly, obnoxious people can ruin everything. The worst experience ever. The Game and experience is of no significance now. The spirit of Sports ends with the ugliness of humanity.”
That post came around 10:30 p.m. ET, shortly after the Yankees blew a 5-0 lead in what will go down as one of the worst defensive innings in World Series History. The Dodgers went on to win the Game 7-6, clinching their second World Series crown in the past five seasons.
Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole took a no-hitter into the fifth inning before it all unraveled with the Yankees’ comedy of errors, including a play in which Cole failed to cover first base on a ground ball. He stayed in the game after that, gutting out two more innings to keep his team in the game.
“The fact that some suburban who ha’s come to Yankee stadium to act an ass, completely ruins the artistry of Cole pitching a no hitter into the 5th, or [Freddie] Freeman with a 4 Game consecutive home run streak: both in the World Series,” Pierce continued. “It will mean nothing to me because all I remember will be the obnoxious fans I had to avoid.”
The Yankee Stadium crowd, lauded in past postseasons for providing an electric atmosphere, became a target of controversy during the 2024 World Series. In Game 4, two fans were ejected for interfering with a fly ball by grabbing Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts by the arm and trying to jar the ball out of his glove. Those fans were banned from the stadium for Game 5.
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“The complete opposite of the Olympic experience when competition is celebrated because of the level of expertise,” Pierce noted.
The Elsbeth star is a baseball fan, not a Yankees or Dodgers fan. He wore both hats during the series, supporting the home team each game. After the Dodgers won Game 5, he shared a video of himself celebrating with other L.A. fans after Game 1.
“I could care less about its outcome,” he concluded. “I saw [Aaron] Judge find his swing for a homerun, I saw a walk off Grand Slam homerun by Freeman. I saw a masterclass in pitching by Cole and [Jack] Flaherty. The players I will remember.”
