When Red Sox celebrate World Series title at the White House their MVP won’t be there
When the Boston Red Sox visit the White House to celebrate winning the 2018 World Series, one of their best players won’t be there.
Star outfielder Mookie Betts indicated he would not make the trip to Washington D.C. with many of his teammates when they visit President Donald Trump.
“I won’t be going there,” Betts said Saturday after being presented with the award for being named American League MVP, the Boston Globe reported. “I decided not to.”
Betts did not explain why he has chosen to skip the Red Sox’s celebration at the White House. But he is not the first Boston player to decline the invitation.
Third baseman Rafael Devers previously said he was not going to the White House, according to a tweet from NBC Boston sports reporter Evan Drellich. But Devers’ reason for skipping was not political, according to the post on Twitter, which said he wants to “focus on his spring training and baseball.”
That was when the Red Sox were supposed to visit the White House on Feb. 15, Mass Live reported.
Those plans were changed last week when team president Sam Kennedy said it was not “appropriate to attend the White House during a government shutdown,” according to the website.
The Red Sox are now scheduled to visit on May 9, per the Chicago Sun-Times.
The MLB schedule shows that comes after a series in Baltimore against the Orioles, and well after spring training, but there is no word that Devers has changed his mind.
Two other Red Sox players, Xander Bogaerts and Eduardo Nunez, “were undecided as of last week,” according to the Boston Globe, which reported nine other Boston players “have said they would attend.”
That list includes University of South Carolina alum Steve Pearce, per the newspaper. The first baseman was the MVP of the World Series, where he hit three home runs, The State reported.
Another player with ties to the Gamecocks who has already said he plans to visit the White House with the team is relief pitcher Heath Hembree, according to The State. Although Hembree was not among the players the Boston Globe reported were committed to making the trip, shortly after Boston won the World Series Hembree used profanities to declare his desire to see the president.
“Hell yeah! I f--- with Trump,” a video shows the pitcher saying. Hembree played college baseball at the University of South Carolina and Spartanburg Methodist College before finishing at the College of Charleston
There is no word if Jackie Bradley Jr. is planning to visit the White House.
Currently the Red Sox center fielder, Bradley helped USC win back-to-back College World Series titles and was the MVP of the American League Championship Series, The State reported.
Other Red Sox who will visit the president are Matt Barnes, Ryan Brasier, Brock Holt, Brian Johnson, Mitch Moreland, Rick Porcello, Chris Sale, and Blake Swihart, according to the Boston Globe.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora has not made a decision if he will attend the celebration or not, the Boston Herald reported.
Not every championship team has been invited since Trump became president. The 2017 NBA champions Golden State Warriors and the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, winners of Super Bowl LII, did not visit, per the Chicago Sun-Times.
After winning the 2017 NCAA Tournament, the South Carolina women’s basketball team did not visit the White House, The State reported.
One of the most recent champions, the Clemson University football team, just visited the White House where the president served the Tigers fast food from McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King and more, The State reported.
