Padres' Xander Bogaerts Reveals How He Deals With Losing Bets on Other Sports

The San Diego Padres are focussed solely on a deep October run and some unfinished business from 2024, but All-Star shortstop Xander Bogaerts recently opened up on off the field distractions that are unfortunately a part of being a professional athlete in today's world.

With sports betting growing in popularity by the minute, angry bettors have reached out to Bogaerts with disgusting messages when he underperforms while a part of the stranger's bet that day.

“’I hope you die in a car accident,’ you name it, I’ve seen it all,” Bogaerts said.  “Obviously, when you’re not playing the way they want, I get (the messages), but I think a lot has to do with the betting. Like, ‘Oh, you lost the parlay for me.’ I mean, I know. I bet parlays, too. Sometimes I’m like, ‘Oh, you missed my free throw.’”

The San Diego Union-Tribune's Annie Heilbrunn noted to Bogaerts that he probably doesn’t message that athlete who missed the free throw and send threats.

“Hell no,” he said. “But I’m in a little different position. Maybe (the gambler) is counting on that for rent. I don’t know. But still, it’s no place for them to do that.”

Bogaerts, rightfully, deals with losing a bet in a more humane way, but with the accessibility of sports betting nowadays, paired with the access that the public has to high-profile athletes through social media, it has created a troubling environment for the members of the sports community.

Superstar teammate Fernando Tatis Jr. unfortunately relates to getting hate messages from gamblers with no sense of humanity.

“You really don’t try to pay attention to it,” Tatis said. “But at the same time, in the back of your head, you’re like, ‘Wow. People are really wishing death to yourself and to your family.’ And it’s pretty (messed) up. It’s not fun. It’s not fun at all.”

Reliever Jason Adam brought a little comedy to the situation, bringing up the jokes made about it in the clubhouse.

“It’s 100% the norm,” said Adam. “It’s kind of the running joke. If we have a bad game, it’s like, ‘Well, gonna get some interesting ones tonight.’”

The kind of access that fans have with players in today's digital age can be alarming, and paired with money being on the line, the fetid comments will unfortunately continue towards the game's best.

Latest Padres News

For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.