An intoxicated overseas sports bettor was discovered to be behind death threats directed at the family of Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr.
McCullers said the man told him he would “find my kids and murder them” following a May 10 matchup with the Cincinnati Reds.
Key takeaways
- Charges were not presented against the gambler, who lived outside the U.S.
- McCullers Jr. had only made one appearance in two-and-a-half years before the game that inspired the threat.
- An official at an MLB partner said that abuse is still prevalent in all areas, not just sports betting.
A Houston Police Department spokesperson on Monday told David Purdum of ESPN that the man lived outside the United States and had not had charges filed against him. The man confirmed he had gambled on the game and made the threat while drunk and after losing money.
The game was only McCullers Jr.’s second since Nov. 1, 2022, following major arm surgery and a long recovery. He surrendered seven earned runs and was pulled after only registering one out in what became a 13-9 loss.
"I understand people are very passionate and people love the Astros and love sports, but threatening to find my kids and murder them is a little bit tough to deal with," McCullers Jr. said to Astros reporters after he received the threats.
The Astros hired 24-hour security for McCullers immediately after he reported the threats.
Harm, no foul?
The Astros’ starter, who has posted a 3.19 ERA and has not received a decision in three starts since the Reds game, told the Associated Press that his five-year-old daughter overheard his wife discussing the situation on the phone.
"She asked me when I came home, 'Daddy, like, what is threats?’” McCullers Jr. relayed. “‘Who wants to hurt us? Who wants to hurt me?'"
The anonymous gambler asked that an apology be relayed to McCullers Jr. and his family.
Although charges have not been filed, they are still being considered. The case will remain open until the authorities determine whether or not they want to proceed.
Athletes deal with abuse
Boston Red Sox reliever Liam Hendriks recently said he’d also received death threats related to his performance.
“Threats against my life and my wife's life are horrible and cruel,” Hendriks, who missed the last two years as he fought non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and recovered from Tommy John surgery, wrote in an Instagram story. “You need help. Comments telling me to commit suicide and how you wish I died from cancer is disgusting and vile.
“Maybe you should take a step back and re-evaluate your life's purpose before hiding behind a screen attacking players and their families.”
The Milwaukee Brewers’ Christian Yelich said that he believed the volume of threats received increased over the last few years, coinciding with the continued expansion of legal sports betting.
However, Jim Brown, head of integrity services and athlete well-being for Sportradar, told ESPN that online and verbal abuse have long been ingrained in professional sports.
"It is broader than just sports betting," Brown claims. "Yes, sports betting is a factor, but we see it in all forms, whether racism, transphobia, doping, geopolitical, misogyny. The abuse is insane."
