Ex-Red Sox pitcher Joe Kelly recalls scary encounter with rabid Yankees fans who threatened to kill him

After four and a half seasons pitching for the Boston Red Sox, Joe Kelly knows firsthand how brutal New York Yankees fans can be.

Kelly, who now pitches with the Chicago Cubs, recently recounted one of the more tense situations that he has found himself in his 10-year career. Like most negative fan interactions, it took place at Yankee Stadium.

Yankees fans are known for their unwavering support of their team, which can often translate into a shameless denigrating of opposing players. This was evidenced by the brutal treatment received by Jose Altuve and the Houston Astros in the wake of their sign-stealing scandal.

Speaking on the ITM podcast, Kelly alluded to a 2018 game between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. Just weeks earlier, Kelly had hit Yankees DH Tyler Austin in a sequence that spawned a bench-clearing brawl.

"Yankee fans threatened to kill Joe Kelly after a game in 2018" - @ ITM Podcast

The next time Kelly made an appearance at Yankee Stadium, the fans were ready. On the podcast, Joe Kelly spoke about how three "real bangers" decked out in facial tattoos were threatening to kill him as he warmed up in the bullpen at Yankee Stadium.

Although shaken by the terse language directed at him from the stands, Kelly kept a cool head. He made the threats known to an NYPD officer who was in the bullpen. The gnarly trio was apparently escorted outside and Kelly entered the game to a cacophony of boos from the Yankees faithful.

Prior to the 2019 season, Kelly joined the Los Angeles Dodgers, winning a World Series with them in 2020. Before the 2022 season, Kelly signed a 2-year deal with the Chicago White Sox worth $17 million.

"Joe Kelly is struggling with location right now in the B game. Can’t seem to get his breaking pitches where he wants them as he’s walked two Dodgers already this inning. The stuff looks as good as usual tho." - @ Elijah Evans

Joe Kelly's story reveals a scary side to the glamorous MLB lifestyle

Although Kelly's personal safety was not literally in danger, it can be traumatic for a pitcher to receive open death threats moments before they take the mound. Thankfully for Kelly, he was able to drown out the noise and go on to pitch for several more years in the MLB.