Earlier this week, Roy Halladay took out a full-page newspaper ad thanking Philadelphia Phillies fans after he announced his retirement from baseball. Jacoby Ellsbury did the same thing for Boston Red Sox fans on Friday, though his gesture may not be as well-received.
While it was a classy move from Ellsbury, who was part of two World Series championships in Boston, he has chosen to sign with the New York Yankees. That will make him the equivalent of Judas in the eyes of most Red Sox fans, and he is sure to hear plenty of boos when he returns to Fenway Park in pinstripes next season.
See Jacoby Ellsbury's thank-you note to Red Sox fans, which appears in today's Globe. http://t.co/k4L3tettPu
— Red Sox News (@GlobeSox) December 13, 2013
That said, the Red Sox had no interest in bringing Ellsbury back. In that sense, you could argue they had no loyalty to him. A free agent is a free agent, and New York offered the most money.
