When the Boston Red Sox visit the White House on Thursday to celebrate their 2018 World Series championship, their manager will not be joining along.
The Sox manager confirmed Sunday he wouldn’t attend the ceremony, saying he made the decision after speaking to loved ones and family members. Cora, a native of Puerto Rico, has been vocal about his displeasure with President Donald Trump’s lack of relief efforts for his homeland.
The skipper originally planned to go, but was indecisive until Sunday. And during his weekly appearance on WEEI’s “Ordway, Merloni and Fauria,” Cora opened up a bit more as to why he won’t be making the trip to Pennsylvania Avenue.
“… For me, just being around the island and knowing what is going on, how people are, it doesn’t feel right,” Cora said, as transcribed by WEEI. “The government has helped, but we have a long way to go. I put it in capital letters, this is our reality. I am the guy that has lived it. I am down there in the offseason and understand how it is. I just don’t feel right going to celebrate while people are struggling back home.”
Cora joins David Price, Rafael Devers, Christian Vazquez, Hector Velazquez and Sandy Leon, to name a few, who won’t be at the White House. But just because some players have decided to attend while others decided against it, the skipper noted it hasn’t — and won’t — cause any sort of divide in the clubhouse.
“I talked to some players. They understand my reasoning,” Cora said. “I understand why they wanna go and I understand why some of the guys don’t wanna go. … They let us make a decision … so I think we did it the right way. Tomorrow is gonna be a great day for the organization.”
Once the Sox conclude their visit at the Oval Office, they’ll get right back to work with a three-game set against the Seattle Mariners beginning Friday at Fenway Park.
