Braves legend John Smoltz reveals how his family stayed clear of fan altercations that Anthony Volpe’s father endured

Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe has been under fire for subpar showings on defense and offense. During the Subway Series finale last Sunday, Volpe's father, Michael, couldn't take more criticism of his son.

Volpe's father and mother were at Citi Field to watch the game when Michael engaged in a heated altercation with a fan, possibly supporting the Mets. The incident became a topic of discussion during Wednesday's episode of Flipping Bats with Ben Verlander, featuring Braves legend John Smoltz.

Verlander wanted to know whether Smoltz's family had faced a similar situation, as he had played 21 seasons in MLB.

"Luckily, never really remember hearing anything," Smoltz replied (at 3:36). "I remember telling my family whenever we went to New York or LA in the playoffs, do not wear any Braves paraphernalia."

"I mean, you'd think the family section would be safe. It's actually one of the worst sections. So, luckily my family never really promoted themselves or the team and just, you know, minded their own business."

Ben, the younger brother of three-time Cy Young winner Justin Verlander, had earlier shared that he faced harsh comments from fans opposing his eldest brother.

"I've seen a lot go down in the family section from my perspective and being in there. We got trash cans dumped on us at Yankee Stadium. Hateful things have been yelled to some of the players' wives," Ben Verlander said (at 3:15).

The podcast host noted that the situation gets dicey, particularly during the playoffs, as families of away teams are placed near a plethora of opposing fans, giving rise to such situations.

---

What happened between Anthony Volpe's dad and the Mets fan?

Before the finale, the New York Yankees had lost the Subway Series to their crosstown rivals Mets. After a close 6-5 loss in the first game, the Yankees were thrashed in the second, losing 12-6.

The incident between the fan and Anthony Volpe's father happened before the seventh inning as Citi Field prepared for the US national anthem. Volpe's father was fed up with a Mets fan trash-talking his son.

While Volpe's father was angry, his mother tried to calm him down. The heated altercations stopped when the national anthem started.

"Bad mouthing my son. Fu** you. F**k you. F*c* you. Bad mouthing my son, you scum bag. You f**king scumbag," Anthony Volpe's father shouted.

Anthony Volpe's father, Michael, is a urologist. Raised in New York City, Volpe's dad and family are of Italian descent. The Volpe family has been lifelong fans of the Yankees. Volpe's dad and grandad, a World War II veteran, bonded by listening to a Yankees game on radio.