Red Sox manager Alex Cora will not be attending the team's visit to the White House this Thursday.
In a statement to Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevo Dia that published Sunday, Cora said he does not feel comfortable visiting when his home of Puerto Rico is still reeling from Hurricane Maria.
“Puerto Rico is very important to me. During the winter I spent a lot of time at home visiting family and friends. Unfortunately, we are still struggling,” said Cora, who is the first Puerto Rican manager to win a World Series. “Some are absent from basic needs, others without electricity, and many houses and schools are still in poor condition, a year and a half after Hurricane Maria.
“Although the government of the United States has helped, there is still a long way to go. That is our reality," he said. "I have continually used my voice so that we Puerto Ricans are not forgotten and my absence is not different. Therefore, at this moment, I do not feel comfortable celebrating in the White House.”
Cora will be joining several Red Sox players, including Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr., David Price and Christian Vasquez in not attending.
Speaking to reporters after Boston's 9-2 win over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday, Cora said it's tough to celebrate when the island is still struggling a year and a half after Hurricane Maria.
"I'd just rather not go and just be consistent with everything," he said.
Cora said he made the decision after talking to those close to him and that he's not worried about how people will react to his decision.
"One thing for me, you know, I do things with conviction," he said. "You know, that's who I am. You know, I talked to a lot of people, but I think at the end, the closest ones to me, they understand where I'm coming from and it's what I decide."
What is left to see is how President Donald Trump will react to Cora's decision.
In the past, the president has had strong reactions to championship teams and players not enthusiastically coming to the White House. He lashed out at Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry and withdrew the team's invitation to the White House in 2017 after Curry said he didn't want the Warriors to visit after winning the NBA title that year.
Trump reacted similarly when the Philadelphia Eagles sent a small delegation to visit the White House last year after several players declined to go because they disagreed with the president's policies.
