The Boston Red Sox were not having a great day on the field this Sunday. As the New York Yankees piled up runs inning after inning, the frustration was apparent, so much so that even the broadcast booth could not contain its disappointment. That frustration led announcer Will Flemming to make comments that were certainly not well-received. He now regrets those remarks.

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.

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. 

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.

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 after his comments. 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.