After handing out the trays, Betts and the other man, later identified as a cousin, walked around the block to make sure other people in the area knew there was food, according to Mike Winter, who saw the scene after leaving an area nightclub and described it to sports radio station WEEI.

“I didn’t know who they were at first. They had hoodies on,” Winter told the station. “Next thing I know they are laying out trays of food. Then they’re walking around all of Boston library where there are tons of homeless and telling people there is food around the corner. I walked up and I said, ‘Hello,’ because we have a mutual friend, and then all the people from the club came out and [Betts] just walked away. No pictures. No nothing. None of the homeless even knew who he was, but they were just grateful for what he was doing.”

Betts has a history of helping feed the homeless. In 2015, he and utility man Blake Swihart credited buying pizza for the homeless in New York City with providing them good karma at the plate. Both players homered twice in back-to-back games in the series against the Yankees.

AD

AD

“Me and Blake, yesterday, we got to eat, and had [a piece of pizza] left and he said the night before, he had given it to a homeless guy and he hit two home runs,” Betts said at the time, via ESPN. “So I had a pizza. So I gave it to a homeless guy and hit two home runs, so maybe, pass it on to the next person.”

The Red Sox franchise has some history with food donations, as well. The club grows organic produce for sale in the stadium in a rooftop garden at Fenway Park called Fenway Farms. The excess harvest goes to local nonprofit Lovin' Spoonfuls, which distributes it to food insecure communities around Boston.

Betts’s generosity is endearing him to Boston faithful already tickled by his 3-for-4 performance at the plate and Gold Glove play in the outfield in Game 2. Winter said he was most impressed that Betts didn’t care about getting any attention for his good deed.

AD

AD

“You see a lot of celebrities do stuff for recognition, but the fact was he was trying to stay totally on the down-low. He wasn’t out looking for any recognition all,” Winter told WEEI. A lot of people are looking for a pat on the back and he wasn’t looking for that whatsoever. He was incognito just trying to do good.”