Pantone 294 placed a Mookie Betts billboard across the street from Fenway Park, thanking the Boston Red Sox for their trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers in February 2020. The billboard went up Monday morning and will be in place for 30 days.
The idea is the brainchild of Pantone 294 CEO Alex Soto, who was inspired by Betts’ home run in the World Series. “I recorded my live reaction as Mookie hit that home run in the eighth and I knew that was it,” Soto told DodgerBlue.com.
“I tried sending Red Sox management thank you email but it kept getting bounced back. I think I had the wrong emails, so figured a billboard outside the stadium would do the job.”
Getting a pro-Dodgers billboard in a high-profile section of Boston was no easy feat and required several steps. “It did have to get approved by several people but never did it seem impossible,” Soto said. “It wasn’t overnight though.
“This took months of negotiating before getting the final approval by a specific person.”
.@alexuur's favorite memory was @mookiebetts' home run in the 2020 World Series and in return, he wanted to show some love to Boston. #ThankYouBoston
This billboard can be found at 60–62 Brookline Ave Boston, MA 02215 RIGHT NEXT to Fenway Park. pic.twitter.com/WQSygsAxbn
— Pantone 294 (@Pantone294) March 22, 2021
When the Dodgers completed the trade to acquire Betts and David Price, the Red Sox were criticized and questioned for dealing away a generational talent.
Reports leading up to the trade were the Red Sox had provided 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 proved to be a moot point as he signed a 12-year contract extension on the eve of Opening Day, which had been delayed until July.
“I definitely know that I love being here, just everything about here. I’m super, super excited for what’s coming,” Betts said at the time. “It’s a long-term commitment but I wouldn’t want it with anybody else other than an organization like this.”
The trade of course immediately paid dividends for the Dodgers.
Betts focused on repeating
Betts had a modest assessment of his performance during the 2020 season and is confident the team’s focus is where it needs to be in order to repeat as champions.
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