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After Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers received vitriol on social media, team owner Jim Grane gave him 24-hour security.
McCullers said he and his family recently received death threats following a rough outing from the 31-year-old.
McCullers said his five-year-old daughter overheard a conversation with his wife on the phone about the threats.
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Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (43) walks off the mound after a pitching change during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Daikin Park. (Troy Taormina-Imagn Images)
“She asked me when I came home: ‘Daddy, like, what is threats? Who wants to hurt us? Who wants to hurt me?’ So, those conversations are tough to deal with,” McCullers told the Associated Press this week.
McCullers, who has two young daughters, took immediate action after the threats and reached out to the team to inquire about what could be done to protect his family.
The Astros contacted MLB security and the Houston Police Department following the threats to McCullers. A police spokesperson said Thursday that it remains an ongoing investigation.
It was a move McCullers felt was necessary after what happened.
“You have to at that point,” he said.
The Astros have uniformed police officers stationed in the family section, a practice that was implemented well before the threats to McCullers and his family. The team also 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.
Lance McCullers Jr. #43 of the Houston Astros reacts to giving up three runs against the Philadelphia Phillies during the fifth inning in Game 3 of the 2022 World Series at Citizens Bank Park on Nov. 01, 2022, in Philadelphia, PA. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
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McCullers, who returned this year after missing two full seasons with injuries, said dealing with this has been the worst thing that’s happened in his career. He understands the passion of fans and knows that being criticized for a poor performance is part of the game. But he believes there’s a “moral line” that fans shouldn’t cross.
“People should want us to succeed,” he said. “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.”
“It does make you kind of shell up a little bit,” he said. “It does make you kind of not want to go places. I guess that’s just probably the human reaction to it.”
Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. throws during the first inning in Game 3 of baseball’s World Series between the Houston Astros and the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
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Boston Red Sox pitcher Liam Hendriks also said he received death threats earlier this month.
“Threats against my life and my wife’s life are horrible and cruel. You need help,” Hendriks wrote on his Instagram story last week.
“Leaving comments telling me to commit suicide and how you wish I died from cancer is disgusting and vile.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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