Mookie Betts hasn’t been a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers for long, but he has seemingly fit in both on and off the field in the short time he has been around since being acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Boston Red Sox and then signing a 12-year contract extension.
Not only has been one of the top players in the league, propelling the Dodgers to the best record in baseball through the first half of the season, but Betts also has already begun making an impact in the local community. He and the L.A. Dodgers Foundation recently hosted an event in Compton to provide people in need with essential items and voter registration services.
Betts continued to inspire change on Wednesday when he was a driving force in Dodgers and San Francisco Giants players boycotting their game due to Jacob Blake being shot in Wisconsin.
The other Dodgers unanimously decided to support Betts and boycott the game as well, and the Giants players were also in agreement. Betts then was among those who spoke with media after the game was postponed.
“Hopefully it’s the first step to change,” he said. “I know for me, I was already tight with everybody in the clubhouse but now I know everybody has my back even more than I already thought, means a lot.
“I’ll always remember this day and this team just having my back. This organization has been nothing but amazing.”
Betts is only in Year 1 of what will be 13 total in his contract, but it is clear how respected he already is in the Dodgers clubhouse as a leader both on and off the field.
Dodgers and Giants scheduled to play doubleheader Thursday
With the Dodgers and Giants needing to make up Wednesday night’s game, the league announced that they are scheduled for a doubleheader beginning Thursday at 1:05 p.m. PT. Both games will be seven innings.
It remains to be seen if the Dodgers and Giants players will be ready to play, although Clayton Kershaw made it clear that they will again follow Betts’ lead.
“I believe if Mookie plans on playing, we’re going to play,” Kershaw said. “If it’s a doubleheader, we’ll figure that out as well. For right now I think the plan as a team is to play one game tomorrow.”
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