Donovan Mitchell is in a tough situation. As a Mets fan, he needs to choose between rooting for the crosstown rival New York Yankees or the hated Boston Red Sox. Mitchell — a native of Connecticut — is right in the battleground between the Yankees and Red Sox. Connecticut is split down the middle with some baseball fans choosing the Yankees and the tri-state area while others choose the Red Sox and New England.
He struggled with the decision, but he's choosing the Yanks because he can't root for a team from Boston. He makes sure to shout out his Utah Jazz teammate Georges Niang — a Massachusetts native.
I decided to go with the yanks New York can’t root for Boston 😂😂😂 @GeorgesNiang20 wassup? https://t.co/8CFb3Jg7Ms
— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) October 4, 2018
Mitchell's connection to the Mets is deeper than one would imagine. Mitchell's father, Donovan Sr., is the Mets' director of player relations and community engagement.
Donovan Mitchell Jr.'s dad has been the Mets' director of player relations and community engagement for quite a few years now. Always loved going to see his son play for Louisville when his work schedule cooperated, and now obviously with the Jazz as well. A neat moment for them.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) February 18, 2018
That explains Mitchell's interest in the Mets, but with that in mind, it's strange to hear he's choosing the Yankees over the Red Sox. Mets and Red Sox fans usually bond over their mutual hatred for the Bronx Bombers. So much so that in an interleague series between the two resulted in unified chants of “Yankees Suck!” when they played a September series.
The Yankees and the Red Sox will play in a postseason series for the first time since 2004. It's been 14 years since the Red Sox made history by overcoming a 3-0 deficit in the ALCS and going on to win their first World Series in 86 years. Yankee fans remember that series all too well and this ALDS is setting up to be a classic.