Pink Sox
Betts obtained a loud standing ovation from followers at Fenway Park Friday night time.
BOSTON (AP) — Mookie Betts was surrounded by his previous when he stepped onto the Fenway Park area on Friday night time for the primary time since he was traded by the Boston Pink Sox in 2020.
The Los Angeles Dodgers slugger was greeted by an enormous ovation as he walked towards the batters’ field main off the sport, prompting him to pause and tip his helmet. He then stepped in to face pitcher Kutter Crawford, who was sporting the identical No. 50 Betts wore for six seasons in Boston.
Alex Verdugo, one of many gamers Boston acquired for the 2018 AL MVP, led off the batting half with a house run.
Time has helped him discover closure about his six-year tenure with the Pink Sox.
“I believe as a result of it took so lengthy earlier than I got here again that I didn’t actually have a lot of a selection,” Betts stated Friday earlier than his first go to to Fenway Park since his February 2020 commerce.
Betts was 26 after the 2019 season, a yr faraway from a World Collection title.
He went into that winter a yr away from the possibility to check the free agent market, however in negotiations to stay with the Boston franchise that drafted him in 2011. The Pink Sox packed Betts with left-hander David Worth in a wage dump designed to avoid wasting the workforce tens of tens of millions of {dollars} and assist them dip under the luxurious tax threshold.
Then Betts’ world went into overdrive.
Following the commerce, the coronavirus pandemic hit. As he adjusted to that actuality, the Dodgers gained the 2020 World Collection title. He and spouse have since had a second baby, and he’s began a manufacturing firm and podcast.
“I believe it slowly sort of went into the again of my thoughts,” Betts stated. “4 years later, I’m glad to be right here.”
He additionally insists he doesn’t carry is any onerous emotions in regards to the determination the Pink Sox made to commerce him.
“It’s enterprise. And either side have gotten to deal with themselves. Generally it is probably not in one of the best curiosity for each,” Betts stated. “That’s not the place we are actually. We’re in an LA jersey. … I’m tremendous glad the place I’m at.”
Betts isn’t excited about is rehashing whether or not he was supplied a $300 million deal by the Pink Sox. He in the end signed a $365 million, 12-year settlement with the Dodgers in July 2020.
“I’ll let Chaim and people guys clarify that. Or John Henry,” he stated of Boston chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and the Pink Sox proprietor. “In the event that they ever wish to clarify it, I’ll allow them to clarify it. We’re not even there, so it doesn’t even actually matter. We’re in LA. These issues, they’re previously and doubtless simply must go forward and go away them alone.”
No acrimony was on show.
As rain fell on Fenway previous to the scheduled begin of the sport, Betts and Bloom have been seen speaking and exchanging some smiles.
Betts additionally stated 30-40 relations and pals shall be within the stands in the course of the collection.
Whereas they may add some acquainted faces to Fenway faces, solely supervisor Alex Cora, third baseman Rafael Devers and pitcher Chris Sale stay from the 2018 World Collection workforce.
“It’s simply the way in which the cookie sort of crumbled. Priorities modified. Issues modified. Gamers change. No one actually retains a workforce collectively perpetually, proper?” Betts stated. “We had our run.”
Cora exchanges texts with Betts about twice a month.
“The factor that I’m actually having fun with now could be that he’s in a position to sort of present individuals who he’s,” Cora stated. “It’s not about Boston or LA, I believe it’s mature child who has two children, the spouse and the household and is sort of like, ‘You understand, what I’m comfy now.’”
One instance Cora gave of how their friendship stays tight is how Betts was certainly one of gamers to first reached out to him after Cora was given a yearlong suspension by MLB in 2020 for his function within the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal.
“He was one of many few to say involved to ensure Alex was doing effectively,” Cora stated.
Although he solely could have about 72 hours on the town, Betts does plan to soak in as a lot of Boston as he can.
“I believe all of the circumstances allowed me to have closure a bit of simpler. So far as questioning if I used to be going to be with the Pink Sox, yeah, I assumed that was going to be the case,” Betts stated. “Nevertheless it didn’t occur. And that’s OK. That’s a part of life. So it’s OK. Turned out to sort of be a blessing. And, like I stated, I’m tremendous glad.”
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