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Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. and his family were recently subjected to online death threats following a difficult outing on the mound. The incident prompted a painful conversation with his five-year-old daughter, Ava, who overheard her mother discussing the threats.
“She asked me when I came home: ‘Daddy, like, what is threats? Who wants to hurt us?
Who wants to hurt me?'” McCullers shared with the Associated Press.
“Those conversations are tough to deal with.”
Sadly, McCullers and his family are not alone. Boston Red Sox reliever Liam Hendriks also revealed that his wife has been the target of online death threats and that he has endured a barrage of “vile” comments. This disturbing trend of online abuse directed at players and their families appears to be escalating.
Following the threats, the Astros contacted Major League Baseball security and the Houston Police Department. An ongoing investigation is underway. McCullers, a father of two young daughters, has since hired 24-hour security for his family, saying, “You have to at that point.”
Many players believe the rise in online abuse is directly correlated to the increasing popularity of legalized sports betting. “You get a lot of DMs or stuff like that about you ruining someone’s bet or something ridiculous like that,” said Red Sox reliever Justin Wilson.
“I guess they should make better bets.” Hendriks, a cancer survivor, revealed on Instagram that following a loss to the New York Mets, he and his wife received death threats, including comments wishing he had succumbed to his illness.
“Enough is enough,” Hendriks declared. “At some point, someone has to make a stand.
The more eyes we get on it, the more voices we get talking about it, hopefully it can push it in the right direction.”
Both the Astros and Red Sox are working with MLB security to address these threats. The Red Sox have implemented increased security measures for players’ families both at home and on the road.
While identifying those making anonymous threats is challenging, both teams and the league have dedicated cybersecurity resources working to identify and remove offending accounts. The Astros, even prior to this incident, had uniformed officers stationed in the family section at their home stadium.
For some players, the online harassment has become so unbearable that they’ve left social media altogether. Detroit Tigers outfielder Riley Greene deleted his Instagram account after being inundated with messages blaming him for gambling losses.
McCullers, who recently returned after two seasons sidelined by injuries, described this experience as the worst of his career. While acknowledging that criticism comes with the territory, he emphasized that there’s a line that shouldn’t be crossed.
“People should want us to succeed,” he stated. “We want to succeed, but it shouldn’t come at a cost to our families, the kids in our life, having to feel like they’re not safe where they live or where they sit at games.”
Astros manager Dusty Baker expressed outrage over the threats, emphasizing the team’s commitment to providing mental health resources to players. Veteran catcher Salvador Perez, while not personally targeted by online abuse, voiced his disgust and suggested the incidents could damage player-fan relationships. McCullers admitted the threats have made him more cautious, saying, “It does make you kind of shell up a little bit.”
While players and teams grapple with this growing problem, a solution remains elusive. As Tigers pitcher Tyler Holton put it, “I wish this wasn’t a topic of conversation.” Chicago White Sox outfielder Mike Tauchman echoed this sentiment, expressing concern that the situation will likely worsen before it improves, given the anonymity and lack of accountability afforded by online platforms.