A sportswriter took to Twitter on Monday to point out that not a single white player on the Boston Red Sox was willing to “stand in solidarity” with “players of color.” Almost all of whom declined to attend the team’s upcoming White House visit.
Bleacher Report’s Britni de la Cretaz didn’t hold back when it came to the Red Sox organization either. Saying that the “franchise should never have let this happen by accepting the WH invite in the first place.”
The tweet comes one day after Red Sox manager Alex Cora announced that he “did not feel comfortable” attending his team’s scheduled White House visit to celebrate their 2018 World Series championship.
Cora made that decision out of a sense of displeasure with the Trump Administration’s handling of relief efforts to his native Puerto Rico.
Red Sox President and CEO Sam Kennedy, who is planning on attending the ceremony, made it clear that he supports his manager’s decision.
“We fully support Alex and respect his decision,” Kennedy told the Boston Herald via text. “He and I have discussed this issue frequently since last November, and I know it was a hard decision for him. I am grateful to (principal owner) John (Henry) and (chairman) Tom (Werner) for creating a culture where we discuss these issues openly, and encourage individual decision-making. I appreciate Alex for talking openly with our team and supporting those who are looking forward to being honored on Thursday.”
As the Hill reports, “In April, the University of Virginia men’s basketball team declined an invitation to celebrate their NCAA tournament victory at the White House, citing scheduling conflicts. The North Carolina Tar Heels cited similar scheduling issues after winning the 2017 tournament.”
The Red Sox will visit the White House on Thursday.
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn