Despite reports the partial government shutdown might be nearing an end, the Boston Red Sox plan on postponing their trip to the White House, The Boston Globe reported Friday.
The Globe, citing two major league sources, reported Friday afternoon that the previously scheduled Feb. 15 trip to celebrate the club’s World Series championship will be moved to May.
The visit now will happen May 9, an off day after a three-game series with the Baltimore Orioles, per MLB.com’s Ian Browne.
“We wanted to set it up earlier rather than later,” Red Sox president Sam Kennedy told WEEI last week. “Some years in the past, we went during April or May when we’ve played down in Baltimore. Those always seemed a little bit stale. There was quite some time between the championship and the visit. So we wanted to do it during the winter. We looked at the possibility of doing it after Winter Weekend, which is this weekend, but this is the date everyone will be in Fort Myers. We’re going to do a charter from Fort Myers up to Washington D.C. and back in the same day. It’s actually most convenient to players and their spouses. The Major League staff will also be joining us if all of this comes together.”
Coincidentally, the Globe story came right around the same time CBS’ Major Garrett reported President Donald Trump is expected to endorse a short-term funding bill that would reopen the government. That’s not to say, however, another shutdown could follow after a two- or three-week window.
Regardless of when the trip actually happens, it’s hard to say at this point how many Red Sox players, coaches and staff will make the trip, and manager Alex Cora recently said he’s on the fence about making the trip to see the president.
