Ex-Red Sox Pitcher Received Death Threats From Yankee Fans After Brawl

Boston almost lost a relief pitcher on their way out of Yankee Stadium

Former Boston Red Sox flamethrower Joe Kelly has frequently found himself in the center of some intense big-league drama over the years.

Early in the storied 2018 season Kelly famously sparked a brawl between the Red Sox and New York Yankees after plunking utility man Tyler Austin with a 98-mph heater in the back.

This seemed to be in retaliation to an earlier incident in the game where Austin slid high into former Red Sox fan-favorite utility man Brock Holt at second base attempting to break up a double play.

Kelly received a six-game suspension from Major League Baseball for his role in this brawl with the Bronx Bombers but some fans weren't quite ready to let him off the hook when he returned to action. 

Boston made their first trip to Yankee Stadium one month after the brawl and the New York faithful still weren’t too pleased with the Red Sox reliever.

Appearing on our very own ITM Podcast with myself (Steve Perrault) and Joey Copponi, Kelly revealed a stunning story about warming up in the bullpen before his first appearance in the Bronx since the fight.

After fans threw empty cans and water bottles toward Kelly during his warm-up tosses, an intimidating-looking fan proceeded to yell at him “I’m gonna (expletive) kill you!”

The fan doubled down saying, “Hey, for real! I’m gonna be at your bus! I’m gonna (expletive) kill you!”

Kelly said the police officer in the Red Sox bullpen, who was supposed to be protecting them from issues with fans, did nothing initially during the incident.

In response to these threats that fans would meet him at the team bus after the game, Kelly yelled “be there!”

Yankee fans threatened to kill Joe Kelly after a game in 2018 😳 pic.twitter.com/gZpBWnNDrV

— ITM Podcast (@ITM_pod) March 7, 2023

Kelly proceeded to explain that his response was an impulsive reaction and that these fans wouldn't have been able to get to the team bus due to increased security for that series. But as the Red Sox drove away from Yankee Stadium, he could see these same characters that threatened him were in fact waiting for him on the sidewalk.

He later explained this whole story to teammates Matt Barnes and Heath Hembree, who rightfully were in utter shock at what could have actually gone down that night in New York.

Check out Joe Kelly and Rob Bradford's new book "A Damn Near Perfect Game: Reclaiming America's Pastime" for more stories from Kelly's career. 

Red Sox and Yankees players have certainly heard some crazy things yelled their way during the history of the rivalry, but repeatedly howling out death threats is absurd.

There’s absolutely no need to be that much of a lunatic in the stands. Critique these guys all you want, but the line needs to be drawn somewhere.

To Kelly’s credit, he was very calm explaining this story to us on the podcast. But I can only imagine when the adrenaline settled down from this situation, he may have had a worrisome moment or two realizing how serious that night could have actually gotten in the Bronx.

Listen to the full conversation with Joe Kelly. Click the share button to listen on Apple or Spotify, and don't forget to follow the feed to get notified when the latest episodes drop.

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