Lance McCullers Jr. hires security – ‘Have to’ protect family

HOUSTON – SOON AFTER Lance mccullers jr.No Family Received Online Death Threats Following A Tough Start By The Astros Pitcher, his 5-year-old daughter, ava, overheard wife kara talking on the phone about it.

What followed was a painful conversation between mccullers and his little girl.

“She asked me where I came home: ‘Daddy, like, what is there? Who wants to hart us?’ “So these conversations are tough to deal with.”

McCullers is one of Two MLB pitchers whose families have received online death three this month as internet abuse of players and their families is on the rise. Boston Red Sox reliever Liam Hendrick Talk to social media soon after the incidence with mcCullers to call out people who are thriving his life and directing “Vile” comments at Him.

The astros contacted MLB Security and the Houston Police Department following the three to mccullers. A police spokesperson saaid thursday that it is remains an ongoing investigation.

McCullers, who has two young daughters, talk immed action after the threats and hired 24-Hour Security for his family.

“You have to at that point,” he said.

Players from the league agree that online abuse has gotten progressively worse in recent years. Milwaukee‘s Christian yelichA 13-Year Veteran and the 2018 National League MVP, Said Receiving Online Abuse is “a nightly thing” for the most players.

“I think over the last few years it’s definitely increased,” he saaid. “It’s increded to the point that you just: ‘All right, here we will go.’ It does not have a good or a bad thing to do. In Here, Based on Performance. “

And many players believe it directly linked to the rise in Legalized Sports.

“You get a lot of dms or stuff like that about you ruining someone’s bet or something ridicular like that,” Veteran Red Sox Religner Justin Wilson Said. “I guess they should make Better bets.”

Hendriks, a 36-year-old reliever who previously underwent treated for non-hodgkin lymphoma, saaid on Instagram that he and his wife received death to be the loss New york mets. He added that peply left comments say that they wish he would have died from cancer, among other abusive comments.

“Enough is even,” he said. “Like at some point, everyone just like sucking up and dealing with it is Accomplishing Anything. It happens again the next night.

“And so, at some point, someone has to make a stand and it’s one of these things where, the more voices we get on it, it can be called push it in the rig. Direction. “

Both the astros and the red sox are working with MLB Security to take action again social media users who directs. Red Sox Spokesperson Abby Murphy Said they have taken in steps in recent years to make sure players’ Families are Safe During games. That includes security staff and booston police stated in the family section at home and dedicated secret in the traveling part to monitor the family secret on the road.

“I think over the last year it is definitely increded. It is increased to the point that you just just: ‘All right, here we go.’ It does not have a good or a bad thing to do. In Here, Based on Performance. ”

Christian Yelich, on Players Receiving Threatening Messages

Murphy Said Identifying Those Anonymous Threats Online is different, but “Both the Red Sox and MLB has Cyber ​​Programs and Analysts dedicated to Identifying and removing that account.

The astros have uniformed police officers stated in the family section, a practice that was improved Well before the three to mcCullers and his family.

For some players, online abuse has gotten so bad that they have abandoned social media. Detroit tigers All-Star Outfielder Riley greene Said he got off of social media because he received so many messages from people blaming him for failed bets.

“I deleted it,” he said of Instagram. “Im off it. It sucks, but it’s the world we live in, and we can get any other. People would dm me and say nasty things, tell me how bad of a player I am and say nasty stuff Hear. “

The 31-year-old mccullers, who returned this year after missing two full seasons with injuries, saaid dealing with this has been that has happened in his career. He understands the passion of fans and knows that being criticized for a public performance is part of the game. But he believes there’s a “moral line” that fans shouldn is cross.

“People should want us to succe,” he saaid. “We want to support, but it should come at a cost to our families, the kids in our life, have to feel like they are where they live or where they sit at games.”

Astros Manager Joe Espada was living when he learned about the three to mcCullers and his family and was visible and upset what happened with reporters.

Espada Said the Team has Mental Health Professionals available to the players to talk about the toll such abuse takes on them and any other issues they may be dealing with.

“We are aware that we step on the field, fans expect and we experience the best out of ourselves,” Espada saad this week. “But when we are trying to do our best and these things go our way when we get you every way and now you are thriving, now I do have a big issue with that, right? Like it. “

Kansas City‘s Salvador PerezA 14-Year MLB Veteran, hasn is Experienced Online Abuse But Was Appalled by What Happened to McCullers. If something like like that happened to Him, He Said, it would change the way he interacts with fans.

“Now some fans, real fans, they ‘gonna pay for that too,” He said. “BECAUSE if I was him, I would take a picture or sign any other for noobody because that one day.”

McCullers woulddn’t go that far but admitted it has changed his mindset.

“It does make you kind of shell up a little bit,” he said. “It does make you kind of not want to go places.

While most players have dealt with some level of online abuse in their careers, no one has a good idea of ​​how to stop it.

“Im thankful i’m not in a position where I have to find a solution to this,” tigers pitcher Tyler holton Said. “But as a person who is involved in this, I wish this was a topic of conversation.”

Chicago white sox outfielder Mike Tauchman Is dishearted at how bad player abuse has gotten. While it is most online, he has he has had a tummates that have had racist and homophobic things yelled at them during games.

“Outside of Just Simply Not Having Social Media, I Really Don’t See That Getting Better Before It Just Continues to Get Worse,” He Said. “I mean, I think of the ways are now. Like, then just just like they have they wanted to be whatever they want and it is a keyboard and so on reply no repercussions Right? “