Ashley Landis/AP
After giving up ten runs in the first inning to the Cincinnati Reds on May 10, Astros pitcher Lance McCullers, Jr. received death threats against him and his family.
There’s a reason the word “fan” is short for “fanatic.” While most sports fans show their appreciation and disappointment with their favorite players and teams in generally appropriate ways, sometimes, some of them go too far.
An example occurred this past weekend, when Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers, Jr. struggled in just his second pitching appearance in more than 900 days.
McCullers has been recovering from major injuries and does not yet have full command of his pitches. After navigating his way through one shortened but scoreless appearance last week, he took the mound Saturday against the Cincinnati Reds and promptly surrendered seven runs in just one-third of an inning.
It was a disappointing but understandable outing for a pitcher trying to resurrect his game — and something most fans understood.
But one fan allegedly took things too far, sending death threats on social media not just to McCullers but also to his wife and children. The Astros reported the threat to the Houston Police Department, and an investigation has been launched.
Lance McCullers Jr. received online threats to his children’s lives after his tough start Saturday. This is sickening and should never happen. pic.twitter.com/1qSjxWVjcR
— Kristie Rieken (@kristieAP) May 11, 2025
Speaking about the incident after Saturday’s game, Astros Manager Joe Espada called it “unfortunate…that there are people who are threatening his life, and the life of his kids, because of his performance tonight. It’s very unfortunate that we have to deal with this, after all he’s done for this city, for this team.”
Espada continued: “I’ve got kids, too. And it really drives me nuts that we have to deal with this. Very sad. Very, very sad.”
Just what would motivate someone to do such a thing? There have always been some who have violently threatened celebrities, including athletes. But other modern factors may be at play, too. Among them: the anonymity and access of social media, the growth of gambling in professional sports (including parlays and other bets built on individual players’ performances), and a general societal anger that permeates our public discourse.
Houston Matters host Craig Cohen discusses those factors and this incident with Jeff Balke, co-host of the Bleav in Astros podcast, in their weekly conversation about developments in sports.