The Red Sox have done it again. They traded away Mookie Betts, the team’s most popular and charismatic player, to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
It was always exciting when Mookie was at bat and chants of “Mookie! Mookie!” went up around Fenway Park. Team owners cited business factors as the reason for letting Mookie go. Don’t they value team spirit and fan loyalty at all?
In 2018, Mookie was the American League’s Most Valuable Player as he led the Red Sox to the World Series championship. It’s true that last year was a disappointment, but erratic pitching was the reason. If the Red Sox could have landed Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, then this deal might have made sense. But right now it just looks like the owners don’t owe any allegiance to their players and fans, caring only about the team’s bottom line.
The Red Sox have done this before. Remember shortstop Nomar Garciaparra and his trade to the Chicago Cubs? The Red Sox’s primary rival, the New York Yankees, ended up with a panoply of Red Sox stars: Wade Boggs, Johnny Damon and Jacoby Ellsbury.
This is the same team that stupidly gave away the great Babe Ruth in 1918 to the Yankees for cash the owner wanted to mount a theater production called “No, No Nanette!” That blunder led to the Curse of the Bambino, the 86-year Red Sox title drought.
Let’s hope the Mookie Betts trade doesn’t lead to similar woes for New England’s team.
John Hale
North Monmouth
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