Here’s one that will surprise absolutely no one: Adrian Gonzalez will be rooting for the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Boston Red Sox in the World Series.
The first baseman is currently a free agent, but he played for both teams over the course of his career, famously going from the Red Sox to the Dodgers in a blockbuster 2012 trade.
When the two teams battle in the Fall Classic, though, the California native will bleed Dodger blue.
“You always want cheer for your friends. And I live in L.A. I definitely feel like more a part of that team than I do the Red Sox at this point,” Gonzalez explained in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. “So going into the World Series here, I will definitely cheer for the Dodgers.”
However, a diplomatic Gonzalez wanted to make it clear he wasn’t rooting against the Red Sox.
“I don’t want to be heard the wrong way. I still love the Red Sox and the Red Sox organization, but I spent five years (in Los Angeles) and have so many friends on the Dodgers.”
Gonzalez did, however, rave about the Dodgers’ ownership group.
“It’s definitely, by far, not even close, the best owners I’ve played for,” Gonzalez said. “I think all the credit should always be directed to the group of owners. You can credit the players, you can credit the coaches at the time, the front office at the time, but that has changed. That has not been consistent. The one thing that has been consistent has been the ownership and their commitment to making sure the team is in the best position possible.”
All of that makes sense, too. Gonzalez played with the Dodgers for five-plus seasons and was on last year’s team that was one of the best in baseball. Gonzalez didn’t play in the playoffs, but he would have certainly received a ring after playing 71 games for L.A. last season, but the Dodgers fell short in Game 7 of the World Series against the Houston Astros.
So despite any ill will Red Sox fans might feel toward their former slugger, it’s at least understandable why Gonzalez would like to see his former teammates finish the job this year.
