ESPN reporter Laura Rutledge has revealed she once created a secret Twitter account to defend her husband, former MLB player Josh Rutledge, from online critics during his playing career.
Appearing on the “Marchand Sports Media” podcast, Rutledge confessed to operating the anonymous account while Josh was with the Los Angeles Angels. “I’m admitting this, OK? I know this was wrong,” she said. “The name was BillyHalo76 or something. And BillyHalo only tweeted positive things about Josh Rutledge.”
To avoid suspicion, she occasionally mixed in posts about Angels star Mike Trout. “If anyone had said something negative about him, I would find them and then BillyHalo would be like, ‘you’re wrong,’ and back it up with stats,” Rutledge explained. “I don’t think Josh knows this. If he watches this, he’s gonna be really mad at me.”
Rutledge admitted she struggled with the criticism her husband faced, especially during his time with the Boston Red Sox. She recalled a game at Fenway Park where he was booed after making errors while playing third base, a position he was unfamiliar with. “He hadn’t played third base since middle school… and I’m like, ‘shut up!'”
Josh Rutledge, a middle infielder, played six MLB seasons from 2012 to 2017. His career began with the Colorado Rockies, followed by stints with the Angels and Red Sox organizations. He retired in 2018 after a brief period with the San Francisco Giants.
Laura Rutledge has become a rising star at ESPN, recently being promoted to the primary “Monday Night Football” broadcast as a sideline reporter. She also hosts the weekday program “NFL Live” and “SEC Nation” on Saturdays. The couple married in 2013 and have two children.
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