The Los Angeles Dodgers couldn’t hold an official World Series gathering or parade, but their title nevertheless was celebrated by fans in a variety of ways. The most recent of which was Pantone 294 founder Alex Soto placing a billboard across the street from Fenway Park.
It read: “Dear Boston, Thank you for Mookie Betts. Sincerely, Dodger Fans & @pantone294.”
Soto told DodgerBlue.com his intention was to thank the Boston Red Sox, not agitate them. “I tried sending Red Sox management thank you email but it kept getting bounced back,” he said. “I think I had the wrong emails, so figured a billboard outside the stadium would do the job.”
Soto’s message nonetheless was perceived by some as an unnecessary. For Betts, it was much ado about nothing.
“I just laughed,” he said before the Freeway Series finale on Tuesday. “I mean, obviously I had nothing to do with that. It’s just funny.”
As for the notion that the Red Sox could find motivation from the billboard, which will be up for the next three weeks, Betts felt that is unique to each individual player.
“I mean, it just depends on who you are. It’s obviously fan-driven, so if that’s what fuels, you, that’s what fuels you,” he said. “We still have a great L.A. team you have to go through, so we’ll be ready for whatever.”
When the Dodgers completed the trade to acquire Betts and David Price, the Red Sox were criticized for dealing away a generational talent.
Reports leading up to the trade were Boston had presented Betts with a contract extension that he declined. Rather than enter a bidding war and potentially lose Betts in free agency, the Red Sox elected to work out a trade with the Dodgers.
L.A. assumed the risk of Betts entering a contract year and possibly only being a rental, but that wound up being a non-factor as he signed a 12-year extension on the eve of Opening Day.
Betts embracing heightened pressure
When Betts was traded to the Dodgers, he joined a franchise that was starved for a championship. Now having helped end the drought, Betts and the Dodgers face increased pressure to repeat.
“Expectations are higher from the outside, and I think internally we expect ourselves to perform well, make it back and win again,” Betts said.
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