Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora announced yesterday that he will not attend the White House ceremony honoring the 2018 World Series champions this Thursday citing his opposition to the Trump Administration's lack of response to Hurricane Maria which ravaged Puerto Rico in September and October 2017.
I'm not surprised Cora made this decision. He was critical of Trump's tweets on Hurricane Maria's death toll last September. Several Red Sox players have also indicated they will not attend. The list includes AL MVP Mookie Betts, pitchers David Price and Hector Velazquez, third baseman Rafael Devers, outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. and catcher Sandy Leon. However,there are a number of Red Sox players who will be in attendance. They include pitchers Chris Sale, Rick Porcello, Matt Barnes and Brandon Workman, outfielder J.D. Martinez, infielders Mitch Moreland and Steve Pearce as well as utility man Brock Holt. I'm sure it hasn't escaped anyone's notice that Cora and the players who are skipping the ceremony are Hispanic or African-American while all those attending are Caucasian save for Martinez. The fact there is such a significant split makes me wonder if this contributed to their slow start this season. After winning 108 games last year, the Red Sox got off to a 6-13 start. However, the team has won 11 of its last 16 games and is only a game under .500. Still, I'm not sure anyone was expecting the Red Sox to be five games back of the Tampa Bay Rays at the start of May.
Of course, this racial split among the players and coaches attending or not attending could change in the coming days. Who knows? President Trump might very well cancel the ceremony as he did with the Philadelphia Eagles last year over the national anthem even none of the team had kneeled during its playing.
I do not have a problem with Cora or anyone else skipping the ceremony. Nor do I have a problem with Martinez or anyone else attending the ceremony even if they can look forward to a spread of hamberders. I also didn't object when Tim Thomas skipped the White House ceremony when the Boston Bruins won the Stanley Cup in 2011. Of course, Barack Obama was in office and Thomas' move was condemned on the pages of Bleacher Report, ESPN and SI. I suspect the sports media will have a similar reaction if players and coaches from a championship team snub a White House ceremony involving a future Democratic President. This is what I find objectionable. If you respect a player or coach's right to skip a White House ceremony involving a Republican President then you must do the same with a Democratic President.
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