Mookie Betts Takes Veiled Shot at Red Sox

Mookie Betts praises Los Angeles Dodgers for “championship culture,” an indirect knock against his former team, the Boston Red Sox.

As if 2020 hasn’t already been difficult enough for Boston Red Sox fans, Mookie Betts added fuel to this fire during his postgame press conference on Sunday.

To set the scene, this postgame interview came on the heels of the Los Angeles Dodgers NLCS game seven victory over the Atlanta Braves. The Dodgers bounced back from a 3-1 series deficit to advance to the 2020 World Series.

Betts had his imprint all over this series. It was a relatively quiet offensive series by his own standards. The former AL MVP hit .269 with four runs scored, a double, an RBI, and one stolen base. Rather, Betts proved his MVP worth with his glove.

The speedy outfielder made three incredible defensive gems, including a home run robbery that defied gravity. With the Dodgers trailing 3-2 in the fifth inning of game seven, Betts robbed a Freddie Freeman home run before the Dodgers completed an epic comeback.

Following the Dodgers’ thrilling comeback victory, Betts was asked about his decision to sign a 12-year contract with Los Angeles before the season.

“Everything about the Dodgers is winning and that’s in my DNA. It’s why I chose to stay here.”

It’s easy to analyze these comments as an inherent dig against his former Red Sox team.

Betts was traded from Boston to Los Angeles in February of this year. At the time, this move was seen as more of a temporary loan. Boston was desperately seeking relief from MLB’s luxury tax and a quick rebuild of the franchise’s finances.

Of course, Betts won the AL MVP in 2018 leading the Red Sox to a World Series title that season. For this reason, Boston fans held closely the idea that Betts would return home after a short one-year loan to Los Angeles, a team in win-now mode.

These hopes were shattered in July when Betts re-signed with the Dodgers through the 2032 season.

Betts praised his new organization for its winning ways. Naturally, it was a veiled shot at the Red Sox. After all, Betts won his first-ever championship in Boston just two years prior.

These comments from Mookie Betts add insult to injury for Red Sox fans. Boston finished dead last in the AL East this season at 24-36. The team is in desperate need of starting pitching and may stay the doormat of the AL East for the next couple of years.