Actor Wendell Pierce, known for his roles in Suits and The Wire, was forced to leave the final game of the 2024 World Series early due to “unruly” behavior from baseball fans at Yankee Stadium.
On Wednesday (October 30) the Los Angeles Dodgers faced off against the New York Yankees in the Bronx, New York, for Game 5 of the MLB World Series. While the Yankees came out strong in the first five innings of the game with a five-point lead, the Dodgers clinched a 7-6 victory after the New York team made a string of defensive errors.
Pierce was in the stands for game five, wearing a signature Yankees blue baseball cap labeled with the team’s white insignia. While the Elsbeth star admitted he “loves both teams,” he decided to support the Bronx Bombers at their home stadium.
However, that all changed when Pierce became the target of “unruly” and “obnoxious” fans at the game.
“Unfortunately I just left the Yankees game because I was talking to a Dodgers fan and people were throwing things at me,” he posted on X/Twitter. “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.”
The 60-year-old actor slammed “suburban who-ha’s” for ruining “the artistry of [Gerrit] Cole pitching a no hitter into the fifth, or [Freddie] Freeman with a four-game consecutive home run streak” during the World Series game.
“It will mean nothing to me because all I remember will be the obnoxious fans I had to avoid,” he admitted.
Pierce also shared that his negative experience at Yankee Stadium was the “complete opposite” of his time at the 2024 Olympics, where “competition is celebrated because of the level of expertise.”
“The World Series is over for me,” he added. “I could care less about its outcome. 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. The game La mean nothing [sic].”
The Jack Ryan actor didn’t reveal whether it was Dodgers fans or Yankees fans who threw the items at him. His World Series experience comes after two Yankees fans attempted to rip the ball out of Dodgers star Mookie Betts’s glove during game four on Tuesday evening.
The outfielder lept towards the stands in foul territory to catch a hit by Gleyber Torres at the bottom of the first. It was then that a fan in the front row, who was wearing a Yankees jersey, grabbed Betts’s glove with both hands and ripped the ball out, while another grabbed Betts’s other hand. The ball flew out of Betts’s glove and onto the field, prompting a fan interference ruling and an out.
The two spectators were ejected from the stadium and ultimately banned from attending game five the following night.
“Last night two fans were ejected from Yankee Stadium for egregious and unacceptable physical contact with Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts,” the league and club said in a statement. “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.
“Yankee Stadium is known for its energy and intensity, however the exuberance of supporting one’s team can never cross the line into intentionally putting players at physical risk.”
