‘Something has to be done’
Texas school shooting was a tragedy that hit home for Sox reliever Barnes
CHICAGO — Red Sox reliever Matt Barnes lives in Newtown, not farfromwheresandyhookelementary School once stood.
His wife, Chelsea, is a physical therapist who has treated people in town who were in the school on Dec. 14, 2012, when 26 people were murdered, 20 of them children,
So the subject of school-age children again falling victim to senseless gun violence resonates with Barnes personally.
When the latest school shooting claimed 21 victims in Texas on Tuesday, Barnes turned to Instagram and reposted passionate comments made by Sen. Chris Murphy, D-conn., and Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr calling for stricter gun control.
“Something has to be done,” Barnes said Wednesday before the Red Sox played the White Sox. “At what level that is, I don’t have the answer to that. But whether it’s at the federal, state, or local level, something has to be done.”
Barnes feels schools should have better security and that background checks be more thorough for gun buyers.
“That the people who own guns are law-abiding citizens who are mentally stable is very important,” he said. “What Connecticut did after Sandy Hook drastically changed the landscape of gun ownership. There’s a way to protect the Second Amendment in an appropriate and safe manner.”
Barnes was 22 when the Sandy Hook massacre occurred in 2012. He was at Uconn visiting his brother when the terrible news broke.
“I knew a lot of the people involved,” Barnes said. “The house I grew up in was 15 minutes away from there.”
Within baseball, it’s rare when a player, manager or coach speaks out about a politically charged issue. But Barnes felt he needed to give his opinion.
“This one hit really close to home for me,” he said. “It’s terrifying what is happening. It’s sad. There have to be bipartisan steps everyone can agree on.
“I told my wife that this time it seems like a lot more people are being vocal about this.”
Rotation news: It’s not official, but Cora acknowledged the Sox have lined up right-hander Josh Winckowski to start the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader against Baltimore at Fenway Park.
“Most likely it’s going to be him,” Cora said.
Winckowski, 23, has a 3.13 ERA in seven starts for Triple A Worcester. He was one of the five players the Red Sox received in the threeteam trade that sent Andrew Benintendi to the Royals in 2021.
“Stuff is really good. Stuff is a lot better than last year,” Cora said. “He’s aggressive; he’s not afraid. He has a lot of confidence.”
Winckowski is part of a group of promising starters in the organization that also includes 23-year-old Brayan Bello, 23-year-old Bryan Mata, 25-year-old lefthander Brandon Walter and 20-year-old Wikelman Gonzalez.
“I think we’re deeper in that aspect,” Cora said. “If you look around, that’s something I noticed last year in spring training and this year of course with the guys that we have ... stuff-wise we’re way more ahead than ’18 and ’19 to be honest with you.”