ESPN host reveals burner account to defend former MLB player husband Josh Rutledge's detractors

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When former MLB player Josh Rutledge became the target of criticism, his wife, ESPN reporter Laura Rutledge, decided to take matters into her own hands.

Instead of directly addressing the naysayers, Rutledge acknowledged taking a less conspicuous approach. She created a fake social media profile to confront her husband's critics.

The negative commentary Rutledge addressed likely surfaced between 2012 and 2017, when Josh competed in the major leagues. He made his MLB debut with the Colorado Rockies and later played for the Boston Red Sox. 

He also had a stint with the San Francisco Giants in 2018.

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Laura Rutledge of ESPN and baseball player Josh Rutledge attend the Party At The Playoff at The GlassHouse Jan. 5, 2019, in San Jose, Calif.   (Steve Jennings/Getty Images for ESPN)

"When he was with the Angels, I made a fake Twitter — I’m admitting this, OK? I know this was wrong. I’m not doing it ever since," Rutledge said during an appearance on the "Marchand Sports Media" podcast. 

"But this was a one-time thing, and the name was BillyHalo76 or something. And BillyHalo only tweeted positive things about Josh Rutledge and then the occasional Mike Trout tweet, because I was like, ‘Shoot, someone’s gonna figure this out.'

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"So, 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. I don’t think Josh knows this. If he watches this, he’s going to be really mad at me."

Josh Rutledge of the San Francisco Giants bats in a spring