Mookie Betts Returns to Fenway Park for the First Time Since Trade to LA
Former Red Sox Star Faces Emotional Reunion in MLB Showdown
For the initial time since his 2020 trade to Los Angeles, Mookie Betts is all set to make a remarkable return to Fenway Park, where he once donned the jersey of the Boston Red Sox.
Betts, amidst a season that’s seen him shine like an MVP, had clinched both a World Series victory and the American League MVP title back in 2018 while playing for the Red Sox. Those glory days marked the first six years of his professional baseball journey. Talking about his transition, Betts mentioned that even though it’s been nearly four years since he headed west, it feels like a distant memory. He expressed contentment with his choice to trade Boston for the vibrant West Coast. As he gears up for this emotional return, he admitted uncertainty about the wave of feelings that revisiting Fenway might stir. However, he drew a parallel between his situation and that of Freddie Freeman, the first baseman.
In a storyline reminiscent of Freeman’s, the Atlanta Braves’ longtime player had shared mutual interest in a contract extension, yet it didn’t materialize, ultimately leading him to the Dodgers. Freeman had displayed his sentiments during the Dodgers’ visit to Atlanta last season. Now, it’s Betts who’s stepping into his past during a scorching phase of his career. His bat has been on fire in the last 21 games, boasting impressive stats of .463/.516/.817 alongside seven home runs and 21 RBIs. Such a display has caused his odds for the NL MVP to be slashed in half over the past days.
“I feel like I’ve been a Dodger for a long time, even though I haven’t,” Betts said. “So yeah, it does feel like that was a different chapter. I mean, it actually was. I was 21 to 28, didn’t have kids, all those things. So now I’m a completely different person.”
(Via The Orange County Register)
“Me and Freddie’s situation is different,” Betts said. “I don’t necessarily need closure. It’s just cool to go back and see my roots.”
(Via The Orange County Register)
Betts acknowledged that the passage of multiple years signifies significant changes in the Red Sox roster. With fewer familiar faces awaiting him, he prepares to take on the Red Sox as the Dodgers kick off their series on a Friday afternoon at 4:10 p.m. PDT.
“It’s gonna be cool. Going right back would have been cool too,” Betts said. “I think either one. Just going back in general will be cool. If I had gone right back, it would have been different because I would have known more people. But now, I know very few people on the team. I don’t know what changes have been made in the organization, as far as simple stuff like clubbies and stuff like that, the people I came in contact the most with. I don’t know where those people are.”
(Via The Orange County Register)
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