Mookie Betts won’t go to White House with champion Red Sox

'I decided not to,' said the AL MVP in declaring last season over at the New York baseball writers’ dinner

Mookie Betts poses with his 2018 American League MVP trophy, which he received on Saturday night in New York. Courtesy Boston Red Sox

By Peter Abraham, The Boston Globe

January 27, 2019

1 minute to read

NEW YORK — Mookie Betts closed the book on the best season of his career on Saturday night when he accepted his Most Valuable Player award at the 96th annual New York Baseball Writers’ Association of America dinner.

While Betts has turned the page on 2018, the Sox will not get their World Series rings until April and there’s a visit to the White House scheduled for May 9.

“I won’t be going there,’’ Betts said. “I decided not to.’’

Rafael Devers also has said he will not attend with Eduardo Rodriguez saying it was unlikely. Xander Bogaerts and Eduardo Nunez are undecided.

Other Red Sox polled — including Matt Barnes, Ryan Brasier, Brock Holt, Mitch Moreland, Steve Pearce, Rick Porcello, and Chris Sale — have said they would attend.