As the New York Yankees turned Sunday’s series finale into a rout, the frustration in the Boston Red Sox radio booth began to rival what was unfolding on the field. Will Flemming’s reaction to a late Yankees sequence quickly shifted attention away from the scoreboard, leaving the broadcaster to confront the fallout afterward.
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Flemming suggested that Austin Wells should be hit by a pitch from reliever Jovani Morán and that the pitcher should then start a fight with Jazz Chisholm Jr.
“Since I have been receiving nonstop calls and threats, I felt like it was important to hop back on here and say: My comments during yesterday’s broadcast crossed a line. I’m emotional and a fan at heart, and that bled into the broadcast,” Flemming posted on X.
For context, the four-game set at Yankee Stadium began on Friday, August 28, with New York grinding out a 1-0 victory. Paul Goldschmidt supplied the only run with a third-inning homer, while Cam Schlittler struck out eight over 5 2/3 scoreless innings against his hometown team. Boston had opportunities late, but Cody Bellinger threw out Ceddanne Rafaela at the plate to end the seventh and preserve the slim Yankees lead.
Boston responded in the first game of Saturday’s split doubleheader. Rookie Jake Bennett delivered six shutout innings, striking out seven, as the Red Sox beat the Yankees 6-0. Ceddanne Rafaela drove in a run during Boston’s four-run ninth, helping the visitors level the series heading into the nightcap.
The Yankees answered later that evening with a 9-2 win to split the doubleheader. Ben Rice drove in three runs, including a two-run single in New York’s five-run eighth inning, as the Yankees moved three games clear of Boston for the American League’s top wild-card position. Sunday’s 16-1 victory then gave New York a 3-1 series win.
Will Middlebrooks and Flemming were covering the final game of the four-game series between the two archrivals. The Yankees held a 7-1 lead entering the bottom of the eighth. Morán first allowed Chisholm to draw a walk, and while Wells was in the batter’s box, the Yankees’ second baseman stole third. The Red Sox announcer clearly wasn’t happy as the game was slipping out of their hands.
The late-game aggression was not solely Chisholm’s call. Yankees manager Aaron Boone later said he instructed the second baseman to run after noticing that Red Sox first baseman Andruw Monasterio was not holding him at first base.
Boone said he would not have sent Chisholm with New York holding a 7-1 lead had Boston “played it straight.” But with the runner left unattended, Boone made clear that he was not prepared to let the opportunity pass. Chisholm went on to steal second and third, setting the stage for the exchange that drew Flemming’s criticism.
That’s when he suddenly said, “Wouldn’t you sort of like to see Morán drill Wells right here?” and, right after Wells hit a two-run home run, he added, “And Moran should fight Chisholm.”
The comments were widely regarded as highly insensitive, and many fans had already criticized him for them. However, the harshest backlash came from Josh Hart. The New York Knicks guard took to social media, sharing a clip of the broadcast along with a brief caption.
The remarks became the defining talking point from a series that had already swung back and forth over the first three games.
It read, “Only the losers talk like this 🤷🏽.”
The post has nearly 500K views at the time of writing, and several people echoed the same sentiment as the NBA star. But Hart didn’t stop there. He went on to post another tweet, writing:
“Yo @RedSox your idiotic announcer got to go.”
The Yankees won 16-1 and clinched the series 3-1 against Boston, but long after the game ended, the debate and criticism continued, eventually reaching a point where Flemming was forced to apologize publicly.
“I meant no disrespect to the Yankees players or organization. I could and should have used different words,” he posted further. “These rivalry games get me fired up; I apologize for letting the emotion of the moment get the best of me.”
Unfortunately, the criticism didn’t stop there. A lot of people are still bashing him for his remarks, but there is some support as well. Some folks think that the New York Yankees fans are too soft.
Criticism is part of the sport, and it’s good to see that Flemming has acknowledged that he chose his words poorly. There are still debates surrounding his comments, but threatening someone? That definitely crosses a line.