BOSTON, MA – OCTOBER 31: Boston Red Sox Manager Alex Cora holds the World Series trophy during the 2018 World Series victory parade on October 31, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
Red Sox manager Alex Cora has joined a growing list of Red Sox players and personnel that will not attend the team’s White House celebration with President Donald Trump, the second-year manager confirmed on Sunday.
For Cora, the decision to skip out on a meet-and-greet with President Trump comes back to the struggles Cora’s native Puerto Rico has gone through since Hurricane Maria devastated the country in Sept. 2017, and the relief efforts that have followed.
“The government has done some things back home that are great, but we still have a long ways to go,” Cora said following his team’s 9-2 win over the White Sox, their third straight and sixth in last seven games overall. “That’s our reality. It’s pretty tough to go celebrate when we’re where we’re at. I’d rather not go and be consistent with everything.”
Cora had remained on the fence about the White House visit for some time now — it was initially believed that Cora would go and try to discuss some potential improvements on the relief front with the Trump administration — but ultimately it appears as if Cora is intent siting this one out given the circumstances of the celebration.
“We talked about it and decided [not going] was the best way to do it,” said Cora.
Cora joins a long list of Red Sox talents who have already declined the invitation, including 2018 American League MVP Mookie Betts, 2018 ALCS MVP Jackie Bradley Jr., and shortstop Xander Bogaerts.