Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images
Toronto Blue Jays’ rookie pitcher Trey Yesavage had one of the greatest days of his life when he struck out 11 batters and allowed zero hits in 5-1/3 scoreless innings against the New York Yankees in Game 2 of the American League Division Series. It was just the fourth start the 22-year-old had made in the Major Leagues and should have been a positive memory he could carry with him forever.
Instead, prior to Game 1 of the American League Championship Series on Sunday, he felt the need to address the “hate” his family and those close to him have received.
“Living in a world where there’s so many different opinions and feelings which result in a lot of hate, it’s sad to see that people close to me are being attacked for my performance on the field,” Yesavage told the media. “These people have done nothing to warrant this negativity from my actions. Whether that’s my parents, my brothers, my girlfriend, my family, it’s just really sad.
“I know I have the platform to address it, so I am. I hope that people can realize those people have nothing to do with what happens on the field. And if you have a problem, I’m a man. I can take whatever opinions anybody has about me and my life. So I just wanted to get that out there.”
Trey Yesavage, who will be starting Game 2 on Monday against the Seattle Mariners, didn’t state specifically which fanbase has been harassing his family.
“I give him a ton of credit for a guy that is 22 and just arrived in the big leagues and understands he has a really, really good support system around him and has a platform to talk about it,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider told the media after Yesavage spoke. “It adds to him and his maturity level, I think.”
Baseball players are threatened all the time by fans
Unfortunately, Trey Yesavage is only the latest pro athlete to have publicly addressed fans crossing the line. For some reason, baseball players have especially been the targets of vile, borderline criminal behavior by fans this year.
Minnesota Twins director of security Charles Adams said earlier this year that dealing with threats made to players and their families has become “pretty common.” It has gotten so bad he said, that “sadly, it is a postgame routine.”
Seattle Mariners pitcher Tayler Saucedo, New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor, Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte, Yankees starting pitcher Carlos Rodon, Boston Red Sox reliever Liam Hendricks, and Houston Astros starter Lance McCullers, Jr. have all seen themselves and their families fall victim to harassment by fans, and all have received death threats.
Many of the threats and negative remarks have also been related to gambling. A poll of Major League Baseball players conducted this summer revealed that 78.2 percent of them feel that legalized sports betting has negatively affected how fans treat them, their teammates, and their families.