Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts didn’t receive the warmest welcome at the 2021 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
In a video from Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe, it sounds like the crowd at Coors Field booed the star during introductions Tuesday night.
Take a listen:
Perhaps Rockies fans are still mad about the 2007 World Series, when Boston spoiled the franchise’s first-ever championship appearance by sweeping them in four games. But at that point, Bogaerts was just 15 years old.
A more likely explanation is that Rockies fans are sticking up for one of their own — shortstop Trevor Story. The two-time All-Star didn’t make the cut for the Midsummer Classic, finishing the first half of the year with a .249 batting average, 17 stolen bases, 11 home runs and 42 RBIs.
Comparatively, Bogaerts was hitting .321 with an American League-best 27 doubles, 15 home runs and 51 RBIs through his first 85 appearances.
Not only is he deserving, but he’s happy to have made the trip to Denver. He told reporters Monday that he thought his third All-Star appearance was “definitely an honor.”
Behind Bogaerts is Bo Bichette of the Toronto Blue Jays and Tim Anderson of the Chicago White Sox. Carlos Correa of the Houston Astros was originally selected to the reserves list, but opted out.
On the National League side, Fernando Tatis Jr. got the start at short, with San Francisco’s Brandon Crawford and Washington’s Trea Turner earning reserve nods over Story.
Story did end up participating in All-Star Game festivities, anyway. He dropped out in the second round of the Home Run Derby on Monday, falling to Trey Mancini after defeated Joey Gallo in the opening round.
Bogaerts will just have to prove Rockies fans wrong on the field Tuesday night.
