Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers was shocked to be killed online after Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers started against the Cincinnati Reds on May 10.
McCullers, who missed 2.5 years later, recovered from a major arm surgery and performed poorly. He gave up seven games in the first inning. The Astronauts eventually lost the game, 13-9.
McCullers claimed he received the information after the game, threatening to "find (his) children and murder them."
"I know people are very enthusiastic, people love astronauts, love sports, but it's a little difficult to threaten to find my children and murder them," McCullers told reporters. The Astronaut granted McCullers and his family 24 hours of safety and finally found the person behind the threat.
ESPN reports that the Houston Police Department has identified the person behind the threat. The man is still not named and is described as a sports shot overseas. A spokesman for the department claimed the man admitted to sending the messages after gambling in the Astros game and losing money. The man claimed he was intoxicated.
The spokesman did add that the man apologized to McCarles and his family since then. The charges are still being considered and the case remains open.
"I think over the last few years, it will certainly increase," said Christian Yelich of Milwaukee via ESPN. "It increases you just, 'Okay, we're gone.' I'm not signing up on your radar anymore.
Just last month, Boston Red Sox reliefist Liam Hendriks revealed that he also received the threat. “The threat to my life and my wife’s life is terrible and cruel,” Hendrix said. “The comments tell me about suicide and how you want me to die from cancer are disgusting and evil. Maybe you should take a step back, reevaluate your purpose in life, and then hide behind the players and their families who are attacking the screen.”
In an interview with Integrity Services of MLB partner Sportradar and ESPN, head of athlete welfare, the information has been communicated to athletes since gambling became so widely.
"It's not just sports betting," Brown said. "Yes, sports betting is a factor, but we see it in all forms, whether racism, phobia, stimulant, geopolitical, misogyny. Abuse is crazy."
Sports gambling is currently legal in 38 states in the United States, with 30 states gambling from one person’s mobile phone. Remember that the person who sent the threat to McCullers is located overseas.