Red Sox radio voice Will Flemming apologizes after urging team to 'drill' Yankees, say they should 'fight' Chí

The flare-up came in the eighth inning while New York was already leading comfortably. Chisholm drew a walk, then stole second and third; the attack continued into a nine-run eighth that included multirun homers by Austin Wells and others. It was a routine-sounding baseball moment for the Yankees but, in the Red Sox broadcast booth, it triggered a raw reaction that many listeners found beyond the bounds of acceptable commentary.

Local radio announcers are allowed a fan’s edge, especially in heated rivalries. But urging a pitcher to 'drill' a player and suggesting a fight crosses a line from partisan color into advocating intentional harm. That crossing has immediate consequences today: Flemming says he received nonstop calls and threats after the broadcast, and his public apology was clearly calibrated to tamp down backlash.

The incident raises practical questions for employers and the league. Broadcasters are not players, but their words can escalate tensions on the field, endanger individuals, and attract legal and reputational risk for their stations and teams. How WEEI, the Red Sox organization and MLB respond will signal how culpability is apportioned between an individual broadcaster and their employer.

As of the latest reports, Flemming has apologized on X but neither his employer nor Major League Baseball has announced discipline. It’s unknown whether he’ll be pulled from upcoming broadcasts while the situation is reviewed, or whether WEEI will issue its own statement. Past incidents involving on-air comments have led to suspensions or firings in other sports-media contexts, so further action is possible.

For fans and media observers, the episode is a reminder that the rivalry’s heat doesn’t excuse language that advocates violence or targets individuals — and that modern scrutiny makes immediate reputational damage a near-certainty.