Houston Astros owner Jim Crane hired 24-hour security for right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. and his family after threats were made against McCullers, his wife, and their two young daughters earlier this month, the Associated Press reports.
“She asked me when I came home: ‘Daddy, like what are threats? Who wants to hurt us? Who wants to hurt me?'” McCullers said, referring to his 5-year-old daughter Ava (via the Associated Press). “So those conversations are tough to deal with.”
The threats were made after McCullers, who did not pitch in 2023 or 2024 due to injury, allowed seven runs and got one out against the Cincinnati Reds on May 10. It was his second start off the injured list. McCullers reached out to the Astros immediately, and the team contacted MLB security and the Houston Police Department. He also deleted his social media accounts.
“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 said after the May 10 game.
“So, just as a father, I think there have been many, many threats over the years aimed at me, mostly, and I think actually one or two people from other issues around baseball actually had to go to jail for things like that. But I think bringing kids into the equation, threatening to find them or next time they see us in public, they’re going to stab my kids to death, things like that, it’s tough to hear as a dad.”
Boston Red Sox reliever Liam Hendriks received death threats against him and him wife after a rough outing earlier this month. Hendriks and McCullers are not the only players to be the targets of threats in recent years. Threats against professional athletes and their families have been on the rise in the social media era, and especially since sports gambling has become legalized.
McCullers, 31, has a 5.89 ERA in five starts this season after returning from a series of arm injuries. He has a 2.50 ERA in four starts outside that May 10 disaster outing.
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