Mookie Betts Quietly Delivered Food To Homeless After Game 2 World Series Win
BOSTON (CBS) – Red Sox star Mookie Betts has received plenty of praise for his play on the field this season. But his action off the field is what's gaining notoriety this time.
Mike Winter, a VIP host for clubs in the city, said he was coming out of a bar at about 1:45 a.m. Thursday, hours after the Red Sox earned a win over the Dodgers in Game 2 of the World Series. Winter saw two men in hooded sweatshirts who had a shopping cart with trays of food they were handing out to homeless people outside Boston Public Library.
It turns out the Good Samaritans were Betts and another man. Winter said the act of kindness was done without fanfare – no cameras were in the area, and Betts walked off into the night once people began leaving the nearby club.
"It's funny because none of the homeless guys knew who he was," Winter said. "He deserves the credit. Most people do it because it's fake and they want to just put it on Instagram, whatever else. When it's a genuine gift, he wasn't looking for a pat on the back. He was in a hoodie just looking like someone from the Pine Street Inn dropping off food."
Anto Avedissian posted a photo of the food delivery to Instagram and Winter shared it on Facebook. A screenshot of the photo was shared by former Red Sox player Lou Merloni and it went viral.
"The guy is just an MVP off and on the field," said Avedissian. "He's unbelievable. He doesn't want the praise. I'm sure he's probably going to be upset hearing all this stuff going around now. He really didn't want to be in the spotlight."
Before Game 3, Betts said it wasn't supposed to get the attention that it got.
Lauren Stokes is homeless and lives on the street in the area Betts delivered the food too. The 22-year-old was there when Betts arrived, but had no idea it was the Red Sox star.
"That's so heartwarming. He didn't have to do that. He could be celebrating. He is on his way to win the World Series. For his first thought to come out here and help people, that's just so incredible to me," Stokes said.
Avedissian said Betts' gesture should serve as an example to others.
"If he has time during the World Series, probably the most important week of his life, to go out at 2 a.m. and help out some of the homeless people in Boston, no one has any excuse not to do it," Avedissian said.