Dodgers fan purchases Mookie Betts billboard outside Fenway Park
The Red Sox are, objectively, back on the upswing. They’ve got Alex Cora back at the helm, key players returning to form, and encouraging prospects on the verge or ready to break into the majors.
Still, that doesn’t mean the pain and frustration from the last few seasons of roster purging and poor play is gone. In fact, one Dodgers fan is doing the best he can to make it linger a little longer.
On Monday, a new message appeared on the billboard atop Sal’s Pizza at the corner of Brookline Avenue and Lansdowne Street, right across from Fenway Park’s Gate E. It reads…
“Dear Boston, Thank you for Mookie Betts
Sincerely, Dodgers Fans & @pantone294”
For those unfamiliar, ‘Pantone 294’ is a Dodgers fan group, named after the team’s primary color. The group apparently has enough cash lying around to purchase advertising space in Boston and torment Red Sox fans. Their ‘CEO’ Alex Soto even flew to Boston to take a picture with his purchase.
I’m a fool. Someone take my credit card away 😂 pic.twitter.com/7qQV2Gm01P
— aLex (@alexuur) March 22, 2021
Look, we all know real estate in Boston isn’t exactly cheap. That includes ad space. Was whatever gaudy price Soto paid worth the laughs? Probably not. So who is the joke really on here?
There’s still a lot to be written in the Mookie Betts trade saga. It’s very L.A. to take this kind of victory lap one year into what will be a decade-plus narrative. It’s almost sad to see the second-biggest media market in the country succumb to acting like The Bills Mafia won the NFL on Fox Ultimate Fan Bracket.
The prize was a billboard located anywhere in the world, and they chose Foxborough, Massachusetts ahead of tonight's Monday Night Football matchup with the Patriots. pic.twitter.com/BP2lvQPRpg
Betts himself still has 11 years left on his contract. Alex Verdugo is coming off a promising season and seems to be just scratching the surface. As painful as it was, and still is, the majority of the story of the Betts trade is still yet to be written.
Yes, the Dodgers got the better player for the immediate future. However, if the tables turn, and Verdugo and Jeter Downs win a couple of rings while the Dodgers are stuck in Luxury Tax hell, don’t expect to see them on any billboards in Hollywood. Boston knows how to win better than that.
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Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at abarth@985TheSportsHub.com.
