The Boston Red Sox are getting set to visit the White House on Thursday to be recognized for winning the World Series, but they will be doing so without their manager and several key players.
On Sunday, Alex Cora announced that he will not be making the trip to Washington, D.C. Shortstop Xander Bogaerts later revealed that he will also stay home, though he did not say why.
Xander Bogaerts won’t be attending White House visit, either. He’s keeping his reasoning to himself.
— Michael Silverman (@MikeSilvermanBB) May 5, 2019
Cora explained in a statement that he is not joining the team at the White House because he disagrees with the way Donald Trump has handled the relief efforts from Hurricane Maria, which ripped through Cora’s home nation of Puerto Rico in September 2017. Bogaerts will join Cora and teammates Mookie Betts, David Price, Rafael Devers, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Christian Vazquez, among others. Like Bogaerts, Price didn’t go into detail about why he will not visit the White House, only offering a vague reason for his decision.
Athletes opting to pass on visiting the White House after winning championships is something that has been happening since Trump took office, and it will likely continue for as long as he remains president.
