Free Republic

Longstanding U.S. tradition sees champions in many sports visit the White House as a celebratory honor. But in this bitterly polarized era, meeting the president is no longer a routine practice. Many star athletes have opted out of the experience based on their political and philosophical perspectives. Yamiche Alcindor talks to Kevin Blackistone of The Washington Post and ESPN about the divide.

David Price appeared to call out his white teammates for their decision to go through with the Red Sox's White House visit on Thursday.

CHICAGO — Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora will not attend the ceremony at the White House on Thursday honoring the 2018 World Series champions. Cora cited the Trump administration's response to Hurricane Maria in his native Puerto Rico as the reason for his decision.

According to Mut & Callahan, the Patriots have informed the Red Sox that Robert Kraft, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick will not be in attendance at Fenway Park Tuesday.

Do blame me, I’m from Massachusetts. The commonwealth ranks as the most intolerant state in the U.S. Don’t blame me too much, though. I live in Worcester County, tied for the most tolerant county in Massachusetts. Sure, nationwide it’s in the 99th percentile, “which means,” according to the PredictWise survey, “that 1 out of every 100 counties is more prejudiced against the political ‘other.’” But at least I don’t live in Suffolk (home to the Boston Globe), Middlesex (home to Harvard and MIT), or the six other Bay State counties that rank in the 100th percentile. You see, my county,...

The wild thing about this particular Super Bowl matchup, though, is that the phenomenon of teams from the same cities facing off in two consecutive title games is very rare. By virtue of having Red Sox-Dodgers and Patriots-Rams both taking place in the 2018 (or 2018-2019 season), it marks the first time since Super Bowl III in 1969 that this has happened: Super Bowl III: Jets-Colts in January 1969, and then in October 1969 Mets-Orioles. Different seasons. Same calendar year.

Leave it to a Red Sox scribe to rain on Mariano Rivera’s historic quest. Bill Ballou, of the Worcester, Mass., Telegram, spent about 1,500 words Saturday arguing that the Yankees legend shouldn’t receive a bid into the Hall. We checked the calendar. April Fools’ is months away. “...The Save — the baseball kind — is the lowest-hanging fruit on the game’s statistical tree,” Ballou writes. “Closers are its naked emperors.” Ballou continuously bashes the role of the closer, and even brings up Craig Kimbrel for sake of argument.

The Boston Red Sox have accepted an invitation to the White House to celebrate their World Series championship. “We’ve accepted and we’re going to see if there’s a date that works,” team President Sam Kennedy said Monday night before the premiere of the ballclub’s 2018 highlight video. Once a standard, non-partisan perk of winning it all, the traditional champions’ visit to Washington has become more politicized. Some teams have declined invitations from President Donald Trump; in other cases, individual players stayed home.

1 Nov 20181,555 BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Red Sox say they haven’t decided whether they will visit the White House if invited by President Donald Trump. Manager Alex Cora said Thursday he wants to use the platform he has as a World Series champion in the right way. A native Puerto Rican, Cora has been outspoken about the need for help on the island since it was devastated by Hurricane Maria. The traditional White House visit has become increasingly partisan, with some players declining to make the trip because of their political views.

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Game 3 was the 12th World Series game to go 12 innings and the fourth World Series Game to go 14 innings. It is the only World Series game to go 18 innings. Here are the longest World Series games in history by innings played: 2018 Game 3: Red Sox vs. Dodgers still playing in the 18th inning. 1916 Game 2: (Brooklyn) Dodgers beat Red Sox 2-1 in 14 innings. 2005 Game 3: White Sox beat Astros 7-5 in 14 innings. 2015 Game 1: Royals beat Mets 5-4 in 14 innings. Furthermore, Game 3 is also the longest World Series...

It is 3 am and the Red Sox Dodgers World Series Game Three is going into the 17th inning, a record for length by time and innings. Score 2 to 2.

World Series All games on FOX. All times Eastern Tue., Oct. 23 8:09 p.m. @Boston Kershaw v. Sale Wed., Oct. 24 8:09 p.m. @Boston Ryu v. Price Fri., Oct. 26 8:09 p.m. @Los Angeles TPD v. Buehler Sat., Oct. 27 8:09 p.m. @Los Angeles TPD v. Hill Sun., Oct. 28* 8:15 p.m. @Los Angeles Tue., Oct. 30* 8:09 p.m. @ Boston Wed., Oct. 31* 8:09 p.m. @Boston *- if necessary

HOUSTON – David Price picked the perfect time to book his first career playoff win as a starting pitcher. It sent the Boston Red Sox to the World Series. Arguably the worst postseason starter in baseball history, Price shut out a flat Houston Astros team for six innings Thursday night en route to a 4-1 victory in a pennant-clinching Game 5 of the American League Championship Series. The Red Sox, who won a franchise-record 108 games during the regular season, will host the winner of the Los Angeles Dodgers-Milwaukee Brewers National League Championship Series in Game 1 of the World...

HOUSTON -- Jackie Bradley Jr. didn't let his demeanor change this season, even as fans begged Boston to trade him during a miserable first-half slump. Stayed steady after the biggest swing of his career, too.

There was no debating the better team all year, and there was no debating the better team in this series. The 108-win Red Sox entered the postseason with more questions than the SATs while the Wild Card Yankees looked like a team nobody wanted to face this October. And yet it was the Sox who looked like juggernauts by the time the American League Division Series was over at Yankee Stadium late Tuesday night. Rick Porcello earned his first win in a playoff start, Christian Vazquez hit his first home run since June 26 and Chris Sale pitched out of...

I actually don't care so much myself as I can't remember the last time I actually watched a ballgame. I've been to a few ballgames over the past few years as my company has luxury boxes at multiple stadiums in which we entertain important clients. But all we do at those games is drink heavily, eat lots of food and talk to each other without paying all that much attention to the game on the field. I used to be a fan. Back in the 1970s, as a boy, I used to go to Fenway Park all the time. I...

Boston Red Sox star J.D. Martinez stood by his controversial Instagram post showing Adolf Hitler, saying Tuesday he was defending the Second Amendment. Martinez, a perennial American League MVP candidate, posted the photo in 2013. The picture featured Hitler along with the quote, “To conquer a nation, first disarm it’s (sic) citizens.” Martinez captioned the post, “This is why I always stay strapped! #thetruth” He was 25 at the time.

With the Yankees reportedly having "increased interest" in trading for Orioles All-Star Manny Machado as the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline nears, the Red Sox have also been in contact with Baltimore about the slugging shortstop, according to the Baltimore Sun. Machado, a free agent this offseason, is in the midst of his best season in the Majors, entering Tuesday hitting .309/.379/.555 before belting two home runs against the Yankees at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Per the Baltimore Sun report, a Red Sox scout was in attendance.

Donald Trump was wanted by two pro Baseball teams. Not only does Trump know how to play hardball in the business world and as president of the United States, but it turns out he could play with the best of them in the baseball world. President Donald Trump was heavily scouted and wanted by two pro teams when coming out of his high school military prep academy to be a pro prospect. The Boston Red Sox and the Philadelphia Phillies were keen to sign up the first basemen from NY Military Academy before he went off to college at Fordham...