Beltran won't attend White House ceremony, decision not Trump-related
When the Houston Astros attend a ceremony at the White House later this year to honor the first World Series title in franchise history, there will be a notable absence.
Carlos Beltran told reporters Tuesday that he will not head to Washington for the ceremony, but says his decision is not politically motivated.
"No," Beltran responded when asked if President Donald Trump was the reason he wouldn't be attending, per NJ.com's Brendan Kuty. "I mean, he's the President of the United States. Sometimes we don't like the things that he does, or if we like the things that he does, at the end of the day, he's the president. So it has nothing to do with that."
Beltran, who announced his retirement in November, maintains his decision is instead based on his desire to spend more time with his family.
"I'm retired," he said. "I feel like I don't belong to any team. I feel like I belong to the only team, and that's my family. That's the team that I belong (to) right now and I wish those guys the best over there and I hope they have a great time and they enjoy their day over there with what it comes to visit the White House."
Beltran did, however, voice his displeasure with how the United States government has handled aid to his native Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria.
"There's no doubt that I'm disappointed and I'm not the only one," said Beltran. "There's a lot of people disappointed."
After their World Series win, several Astros players said they would only agree to go to the White House if Beltran was in attendance. Team president of business operations Reid Ryan asserted last month that the team fully intends on meeting with the president, though a date has yet to be decided upon.
"This is a tradition and an honor. For many people, this might be their only time to ever be invited to the White House," Ryan said in January. "And as the representatives of baseball and the World Series champs, when the White House calls and invites you to come up, it's something that as an organization we felt both a responsibility and an obligation to be part of."