NEW YORK — New York Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler remains undeterred about making his first appearance at Fenway Park Thursday night, despite disclosing that Red Sox supporters have sent threatening messages to him and his family.
The right-handed pitcher has previously handled similar hostile situations and delivered strong performances against Boston in high-pressure playoff scenarios, giving him confidence heading into his Fenway debut.
Born and raised in Walpole, Massachusetts, Schlittler originally cheered for the Red Sox during his childhood. However, he revealed to the New York Post that he and his relatives have been targeted with death threats in anticipation of Thursday’s matchup. The 25-year-old athlete characterized these messages as typical fan harassment and indicated he doesn’t believe police intervention is necessary.
“Most normal fans could care less, right?” Schlittler told the newspaper. “It’s just those diehards that just have nothing else in their lives other than baseball or sports that really care about this, and the fact that I play for the Yankees makes it worse for them.”
When his family faced similar online harassment during last year’s AL Wild Card Series against Boston, Schlittler delivered a masterful response on the mound. He made history as the first playoff pitcher to throw at least eight shutout innings while recording 12 strikeouts and issuing zero walks, leading the Yankees to a 4-0 series-clinching victory at home.
The towering 6-foot-6 hurler has continued his impressive form this year. Through five appearances, he holds a 2-1 record with an outstanding 1.95 ERA, striking out 36 batters across 27 2/3 innings pitched.
Schlittler acknowledges that his early-season success will likely intensify the hostile reception from Boston faithful.
“It’s gonna be bad, it’s gonna be bad,” Schlittler told the Post. “I’m not nervous about it, but it’s gonna be loud. … They’re gonna probably have dudes that are my age or a little bit younger, sitting right outside the bullpen, yelling whatever, probably throwing stuff at me, trying to grab me.
“That’s kind of what I expect. So I know the guys are excited for it and I’m excited for it.”
