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Red Sox broadcaster Will Flemming apologizes for suggesting Yankees' Austin Wells be hit by pitch

Red Sox broadcaster Will Flemming apologized on Monday for suggesting during Sunday's broadcast that Boston pitcher Jovani Moran should hit Yankees' Austin Wells and fight Jazz Chisholm Jr. after Chisholm stole bases with a big lead. Flemming acknowledged his comments crossed a line accordng to the post on X, where he said he meant no disrespect to the Yankees. The comments drew criticism from Knicks guard Josh Hart and others.

By Tertius News AI Desk 3 distinct · 3 mastheads · 3 articles Version 2 Coverage Aug 31 – Sep 1, 2026 Published 1d ago

Radio broadcaster apologizes after suggesting Red Sox hit Yankees player

Will Flemming, the Red Sox radio broadcaster, issued an apology Monday after during Sunday's game he suggested that a Boston pitcher hit a Yankees batter in retaliation for Jazz Chisholm Jr. stealing bases in a blowout loss.

"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 wrote in a post on X on Monday afternoon. "I meant no disrespect to the Yankees players or organization. I could and should have used different words. These rivalry games get me fired up; I apologize for letting the emotion of the moment get the best of me."

The comments came during the eighth inning of the Red Sox's 16-1 loss to the Yankees on Sunday at Yankee Stadium. With New York leading 7-1, Chisholm stole second and third base. Color commentator Will Middlebrooks said that with the game out of reach and the Yankees not holding the runner on, the steal was poor form. Flemming then suggested that Red Sox reliever Jovani Moran should hit Yankees hitter Austin Wells in response.

"Wouldn't you sort of like to see Moran drill Wells right here?" Flemming said, before calling Chisholm a "bush league player." Wells subsequently hit a two-run home run, and Flemming continued, "And Moran should fight Chisholm, he's walking towards the third base line staring at him there... Chisholm, I'm going to say it, he's a bush league player."

The comments came early in the eighth inning after Chisholm stole second and third base with the Yankees ahead 7-1. Red Sox color commentator Will Middlebrooks, a former major league third baseman, noted that when a team is not holding a runner on with a large lead, attempting a steal is generally considered against baseball etiquette. Flemming's subsequent remarks drew sharp criticism, including from New York Knicks guard Josh Hart, who posted on social media that the comments were unbecoming of a broadcaster.

How each outlet told it

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The Boston Herald

Framing: Apology and acknowledgment of crossing a line — Measured and apologetic

as of Aug 31, 2026, 8:16 PM UTC

Facts Included:

Will Flemming apologized for suggesting the Red Sox should start a fight with the Yankees over Jazz Chisholm's stolen base.
Flemming's comments came during the eighth inning of a 16-1 loss.
Flemming posted an apology on Twitter/X on Monday afternoon.
Flemming said his comments crossed a line and that he is emotional and a fan at heart.
Chisholm stole second and third with the Yankees ahead 7-1.
Color commentator Will Middlebrooks said stealing when the game is out of reach is considered bad form.
Flemming suggested reliever Jovani Moran should hit Austin Wells in retaliation.
Wells hit a two-run home run during the same inning.
Flemming called Chisholm a 'bush league player' and said he plays the game the wrong way.
The Yankees scored nine runs in the eighth inning to win 16-1.
The win clinched the weekend series and the playoff tiebreaker.
Flemming called a replay decision 'ridiculous' regarding Ceddanne Rafaela's no-catch call in the fifth inning.

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Essentially Sports

Framing: The headline emphasizes Flemming's apology in the context of receiving calls and threats, and the role of an NBA pro (Josh Hart) in calling out the comments. — Measured, with a focus on reporting the sequence of events and reactions.

as of Sep 1, 2026, 3:16 AM UTC

Facts Included:

Red Sox broadcaster Will Flemming apologized after suggesting Yankees' Austin Wells be hit by a pitch from Jovani Morán and that Morán should fight Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Flemming posted on X: '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.'
The Yankees won 16-1 and clinched the series 3-1 against Boston.
Knicks guard Josh Hart posted, 'Only the losers talk like this 🤷🏽.'
Hart also posted, 'Yo @RedSox your idiotic announcer got to go.'
Flemming's apology included: 'I meant no disrespect to the Yankees players or organization.'
Flemming added: 'These rivalry games get me fired up; I apologize for letting the emotion of the moment get the best of me.'

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New York Post

Framing: The headline emphasizes that Flemming 'crossed a line' with his comments.

as of Sep 1, 2026, 12:17 AM UTC

Facts Included:

Will Flemming apologized for calling Jazz Chisholm 'bush league' and suggesting Boston pitchers should bean Austin Wells.
Flemming made the comments during a WEEI broadcast on Sunday, during a 16-1 Yankees win.
Flemming wrote on X: '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.'
Flemming also wrote: 'I’m emotional and a fan at heart and that bled into the broadcast.'
Chisholm stole second and third base with the Yankees leading 7-1 in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Flemming said: 'Chisholm is doing it again, and this is what he does.'
Flemming asked: 'Wouldn’t you like to see [Jovani] Moran drill Wells here?'
Analyst Will Middlebrooks said: 'Look, you’re up six; it’s the eighth. The team is electing not to hold you on. That’s the white flag, right?'
Middlebrooks said: 'Normally in that situation you don’t run. That’s just a selfish play. That’s just padding your stats.'
Flemming continued: 'Well, he’s a bush league player.'
Chisholm’s stolen bases were followed by Wells’ two-run homer in a nine-run inning.
Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler responded to an Instagram post of Flemming’s apology with a clown emoji.
CC Sabathia responded with a middle finger.
Knicks star Josh Hart wrote on X: 'Yo @RedSox, your idiotic announcer go to go.'

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What was claimed, and who backed it

AI-extracted; can misattribute a claim — see Methodology.

Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status is Contested when two claims on this page negate each other; otherwise it counts the distinct outlets we found asserting that specific claim — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.

Claim	Confidence	Status
ClaimRed Sox broadcaster Will Flemming apologized for calling Jazz Chisholm 'bush league' and suggesting Boston pitchers should hit Austin Wells.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets · 2 distinct) via New York Post as of Sep 1, 2026, 12:17 AM UTC, The Boston Herald as of Aug 31, 2026, 8:16 PM UTC
ClaimWill Flemming made the comments during a 16-1 Yankees win over the Red Sox on Sunday.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets · 2 distinct) via New York Post as of Sep 1, 2026, 12:17 AM UTC, The Boston Herald as of Aug 31, 2026, 8:16 PM UTC
ClaimFlemming wrote on X that he received nonstop calls and threats following his comments.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via New York Post as of Sep 1, 2026, 12:17 AM UTC
ClaimWill Flemming wrote on X that his comments 'crossed a line' and that he is 'emotional and a fan at heart'.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets · 2 distinct) via New York Post as of Sep 1, 2026, 12:17 AM UTC, The Boston Herald as of Aug 31, 2026, 8:16 PM UTC
ClaimWill Flemming wrote on X: 'I meant no disrespect to the Yankees players or organization. These rivalry games get me fired up; I apologize for letting the emotion of the moment get the best of me.'	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets · 2 distinct) via New York Post as of Sep 1, 2026, 12:17 AM UTC, The Boston Herald as of Aug 31, 2026, 8:16 PM UTC
ClaimDuring the eighth inning with the Yankees leading 7-1, Jazz Chisholm Jr. stole second and third base.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via New York Post as of Sep 1, 2026, 12:17 AM UTC
ClaimWill Flemming said, 'Wouldn’t you like to see [Jovani] Moran drill Wells here?'	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets · 2 distinct) via New York Post as of Sep 1, 2026, 12:17 AM UTC, The Boston Herald as of Aug 31, 2026, 8:16 PM UTC
ClaimWill Flemming said, 'Chisholm is doing it again, and this is what he does.'	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via New York Post as of Sep 1, 2026, 12:17 AM UTC
ClaimWill Flemming called Chisholm a 'bush league player.'	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets · 2 distinct) via New York Post as of Sep 1, 2026, 12:17 AM UTC, The Boston Herald as of Aug 31, 2026, 8:16 PM UTC
ClaimWill Middlebrooks said, 'Normally in that situation you don’t run. That’s just a selfish play. That’s just padding your stats.'	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via New York Post as of Sep 1, 2026, 12:17 AM UTC
ClaimAustin Wells hit a two-run home run during the eighth inning.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets · 2 distinct) via New York Post as of Sep 1, 2026, 12:17 AM UTC, The Boston Herald as of Aug 31, 2026, 8:16 PM UTC
ClaimThe Yankees scored nine runs in the eighth inning and won 16-1.	ConfidenceMedium	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets · 2 distinct) via The Boston Herald as of Aug 31, 2026, 8:16 PM UTC, New York Post as of Sep 1, 2026, 12:17 AM UTC
ClaimFlemming wrote on X: '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.'	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets · 2 distinct) via New York Post as of Sep 1, 2026, 12:17 AM UTC, The Boston Herald as of Aug 31, 2026, 8:16 PM UTC
ClaimFlemming wrote: 'I’m emotional and a fan at heart and that bled into the broadcast.'	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets · 2 distinct) via New York Post as of Sep 1, 2026, 12:17 AM UTC, The Boston Herald as of Aug 31, 2026, 8:16 PM UTC
ClaimFlemming called a replay decision 'ridiculous' regarding Ceddanne Rafaela in the fifth inning.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via The Boston Herald as of Aug 31, 2026, 8:16 PM UTC
ClaimThe Red Sox broadcast team believed the Yankees' win clinched the division and the playoff berth.	ConfidenceMedium	StatusSingle-source via The Boston Herald as of Aug 31, 2026, 8:16 PM UTC

Transparency & Audit Trail

3 distinct · 3 mastheads · 3 articles consulted: The Boston Herald, Essentially Sports, New York Post 16 claims extracted Version 2 Written 2026-09-01