Billboard Outside Fenway Park Gives Thanks To Boston For Mookie Betts

BOSTON (CBS) -- Say what you will about Los Angeles sports fans, but you can't say that they're impolite.

That much is clear by the latest investment from Alex Soto, a Dodgers fan who owns the fan site "Pantone 294." The entrepreneur ponied up the cash necessary to buy some ad space on a billboard across the street from Fenway Park, and he used the space to offer up a sincere thank you to the city of Boston.

"Dear Boston," the sign reads. "THANK YOU FOR MOOKIE BETTS. Sincerely, Dodger Fans & @pantone294"

Ouch. That one might sting.

Betts, of course, was drafted and developed by the Red Sox, with whom he won a World Series in 2018 -- over the Dodgers. After Betts earned four straight All-Star appearances, four straight Gold Glove Awards, three Silver Sluggers, and an AL MVP Award, the Red Sox opted to trade him away before the 2020 season instead of committing to him in the long term. Betts went to Los Angeles, where he earned another Gold Glove and another Silver Slugger, finishing second in the NL MVP race before helping the Dodgers to their first World Series win since 1988.

The billboard sits atop the Sal's Pizza (in the building that was formerly a souvenir store) on Brookline Ave., hanging over Lansdowne Street and the Green Monster. As Fenway Park welcomes fans back for games in April, they're sure to be a little bothered by the not-so-subtle reminder that the generational talent is no longer a member of the Red Sox.

In:
• MLB
• Fenway Park
• Los Angeles Dodgers
• Boston Red Sox