Trump Honors Red Sox, Several Skip White House Event On Racial Lines

The Boston Red Sox, the 2018 MLB World Series champions, were honored at the White House on Thursday with President Donald Trump labeling the team “champions” who never gave up at any point in the season. But the visit highlighted the racial disharmony between Trump and athletes of color as roughly a third of the Red Sox team skipped the event.

"Each Red Sox player is a shining example of excellence living out an American sporting tradition that goes back many generations," Trump said, as quoted by Fox News. "Through every pitch, inning, game, and series, the 2018 Red Sox never gave up and never backed down, always played like champions."

Almost every player of color on the World Series-winning Red Sox team decided to skip the event including team manager Alex Cora, while all the white players were in attendance highlighting the racial divide. The other players who missed the event were 2018 American League Most Valuable Player Mookie Betts, pitcher Davis Price, Jackie Bradley Jr., Rafael Devers, Hector Velazquez, Xander Bogaerts, Sandy Leon and Christian Vazquez, according to the Boston Globe.

Cora, who is a Puerto Rico native, confirmed the Trump administration’s position with regard to aid relief for his region in the wake of Hurricane Maria was the reason he stayed away from celebrating with the rest of the team.

"Unfortunately, we are still struggling, still fighting. Some people still lack basic necessities, others remain without electricity and many homes and schools are in pretty bad shape almost a year and a half after Hurricane Maria struck," Cora told Puerto Rican Spanish-language newspaper El Nuevo Día.

"Even though the United States Government has helped, there's still a long road ahead and that is OUR reality. I've used my voice on many occasions so that Puerto Ricans are not forgotten and my absence (from the White House) is no different. As such, at this moment, I don't feel comfortable celebrating in the White House," Cora said.

However, it is not the first time that players of color have skipped or turned down a chance to visit the White House during Trump’s presidency. The Philadelphia Eagles’ visit after winning the Super Bowl in 2018 was canceled after it became clear that there will be just a handful of players attending.

In 2018, the Golden State Warriors’ invitation to attend the White House after winning the NBA championship was rescinded after Stephen Curry criticized Trump for railing against NFL players who kneeled during the American national anthem in protest of perceived racial injustice and police brutality.