The former Boston Red Sox hitter, David Ortiz, sits on the side of manager Alex Cora, saying that he would also avoid a visit to the White House because President Trump has "split" the people".

"You do not want to shake hands with a guy who treats immigrants as an insult because I am an immigrant," said Monday at WEEI Boston radio station, Ortiz, from the Dominican Republic. "Once you see what is happening in this country as an immigrant or black, it's something that goes beyond just going to the White House and shaking hands with the president, just because ".

Ortiz added, "I'm not saying that everything Donald Trump does is bad, but I guess he started on the wrong foot."

Ortiz visited the White House in 2004, 2007 and 2013 after the Red Sox World Series win, meeting with former Presidents George Bush and Barack Obama.

The former designated Red Sox hitter, David Ortiz (left), handed a shirt to former President Barack Obama (right) in 2013. (Photo: Geoff Burke, USA TODAY Sports)

"You can not wait to see the president," Ortiz said. "But nowadays, with all the controversy that reigns with the president and the sports teams who do not want to go, it's more of a challenge."

The Red Sox have has opened the door to conflict and criticism in recent days for allowing individual players to decide whether to participate in the White House event on Thursday afternoon. More than a dozen players and team leaders, most of them Caucasian, plan to celebrate their White House win at the World Series, while a Long list of African American and Latino players is committed to giving up his visit.

ASSET: Cora expresses at the White House: no division in the clubs

COLUMN: White Sox should have avoided the White House

Cora, director of Boston for the second year, is among those who will not be at the White House on Thursday. Originally from Puerto Rico, he made himself the US territory's attorney in the wake of Hurricane Maria, who devastated the island in 2017 and continues to recover.

"Alex is in a difficult situation right now, going there and acting like nothing is happening," said Ortiz, sympathetic to the manager's position. "It's like you're going to shake hands with the enemy." "Think about it, everything that's been going on since (Trump) took office, people are angry, people are crazy." divided people, that's how it is.

contributingTom Schad

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