Dodgers Accept White House Invitation to Celebrate Their Win

The defending World Series champion, Los Angeles Dodgers, have accepted an invitation to visit the White House on April 7. Members of the Dodgers are also set to visit Capital Hill on April 8, while the team is in town to play the Washington Nationals. 

On Tuesday, the Dodgers announced via X, “In keeping with long-standing baseball tradition, President Trump has invited the 2024 World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers to the White House when they play in Washington D.C. on April 7. The Dodgers look forward to visiting the White House and celebrating our title.” 

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is set to attend the White House visit, despite previously suggesting to the Los Angeles Times that he would have declined the invitation had the Dodgers won the World Series during Donald Trump’s presidency in 2019.

This suggestion may have been due to Trump’s public criticism of Roberts in 2018, for taking out starting pitcher Rich Hill in the seventh inning of Game 4 in the World Series. 

Honoring their victory

After the team’s World Series win in 2020, Roberts attended the White House visit in 2021 while Joe Biden was in office. Shortly after the Dodgers’ announcement on Tuesday, the manager  expressed how it’s a ‘huge honor’ to be invited to the White House, and allows the team a celebration of their 2024 championship. 

“I’m going,” Roberts said before Tuesday’s exhibition game against the Angels. “I think that, I respect the position. It’s the highest office in our country, certainly in the world. So looking forward to it.” 

The team’s statement about accepting the invitation to maintain a long-standing baseball tradition serves as a disclaimer, likely aimed at reducing any backlash or criticism they might face for attending while Donald Trump is in office.

Unsure about attending 

Shortstop Mookie Betts told reporters that he was undecided if he will be joining his team on April 7, as he needs to discuss it with his family first. 

Following the Boston Red Sox White House visit after their World Series win in 2019, Betts did not accompany the rest of his prior team. However, the superstar shortstop did join the Dodgers in 2021 when Joe Biden was in office. 

The NHL’s reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers were the first team to visit the White House and Donald Trump while in his second term. The team was honored for their victory during a ceremony in the East Room in early February. 

The White House has also announced that the NFL Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, ‘enthusiastically accepted’ their invitation and will be attending on April 28, following the Dodgers’ visit. 

Visit comes amid controversy 

The team’s invite appears amid the controversy of Jackie Robinson, Dodgers’ legend who won a championship in 1955 and served in the US military in World War II. Robinson’s page on the Department of Defense’s website was recently restored after being temporarily taken down amongst the order “for all diversity, equity, and inclusion-related content to be removed from the Pentagon websites,” as reported from CNN.

Acknowledging the restoration, Roberts told reporters, “I’m happy that the page went back up.. I can’t go too much into the – I have my strong opinions on DEI and all that stuff, but that’s another scrum.” 

The team will visit the White House April 7 before Capital Hill on April 8, during their three-game series against the Nationals from April 7 – April 9.

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