"I'll cut off your fingers!" Scandal erupts as wife of LAD starting pitcher reveals 'murder threat' messages following NLCS defeat

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The wife of Blake Snell (34), the Los Angeles Dodgers' left-handed starting pitcher, has disclosed that she received excessive threats of bodily harm and murder immediately after a postseason game loss, sending shockwaves through the baseball world.

According to reports from the UK's Daily Mail and the US New York Post, Hayley Snell, Blake Snell's wife, abruptly released screenshots of direct messages (DMs) she received from an anonymous user via her Instagram Story immediately after the Dodgers suffered a 2-6 comeback loss in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series (NLCS) against the Milwaukee Brewers on the 15th (Korean time).

The revealed message went beyond simple online abuse, constituting a clear threat of violent crime. The threatener stated, "It's simple. Tell that bastard [presumed to refer to Snell] to back down by October 20," and threatened, "If he doesn't, I'll cut off your fingers one by one. I don't even care about spending $40,000 (approximately 50 million won) to find you." The message continued with the chilling words, "He has until October 20. Consider this a warning."

In response, Hayley left a pointed comment on the screenshot, stating, "Instead of saying they lost money in sports betting, they proved it to me," directly accusing the threatener's motive of being driven by frustration over gambling losses.

The controversy stemmed from the aforementioned Game 3. Snell took the mound in the top of the seventh inning while the Dodgers held a slim 2-1 lead, but he struggled, allowing back-to-back home runs and accounting for four of the team's six runs allowed. The batting lineup also fell silent, going hitless in five at-bats with runners in scoring position and leaving seven runners on base, resulting in a loss in Game 3. Subsequently, in Game 4 of the NLCS held on the 16th (Korean time), the Dodgers failed to mount a comeback and lost, finalizing their elimination from the championship series with a record of four losses.

Since sports betting was legalized, malicious attacks targeting not only players themselves but also innocent family members have emerged as a serious social issue. Previously, the five major North American professional sports leagues—including MLB, NFL (American football), NBA (professional basketball), NHL (ice hockey), and MLS (Major League Soccer)—submitted a joint statement urging "permanent bans on entry and betting" for participants who threaten or harass players and related personnel. Outrage is growing both inside and outside the baseball community over these excessive behaviors that threaten family safety amidst the disappointment of being eliminated from the postseason.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original