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LA Dodgers bound for the White House to celebrate World Series championship
<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en"> <head> <title>LA Dodgers bound for the White House to celebrate World Series championship</title> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width"> <link id="favicon" rel="shortcut icon" type="image/png" href="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAQCAYAAAAf8/9hAAAAAXNSR0IArs4c6QAAAHlJREFUOBFjYBgFFIcA48cYpf/opvAv+YouxODXshZDbFONDSMLSJRv8V245KdYZTD7//8XcDFGRgkwe2O1NVzMv/UomA02AMQCaUQ2CCQG0ohsEEgMphHEBgEmCIWdRNeMTRXYBTBnw2iYQpjTYXx022Hio/RAhwAAjXEfJrIXnj4AAAAASUVORK5CYII="> <style> body { display: block; padding: 0px 20px; max-width: 550px; margin: 0 auto; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; } .full-version-link { margin-left: 15px; } .slug-line { font-size: 1.1rem; margin-bottom: 15px; } .hr-line { position: relative; height: 4px; } .hr-line:after { background: linear-gradient(to right, #e60000 0%, #e60000 33.33%, #000000 33.33%, #000000 66.66%, #3366CC 66.66%); position: absolute; content: ''; height: 4px; right: 0; left: 0; top: 0; } hr.gray { border: .5px solid gray; } .story-title { line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.5rem; margin: 0; } .topic-heading { line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.5rem; } .topic-container>ul { padding: 0; line-height: 1.4rem; } .topic-container li { display: block; padding-bottom: 15px; } .topic-container { margin-top: 20px; } .topic-date { margin: 20px 0; font-style: italic; } .paragraphs-container { line-height: 1.5rem; } .button:link, .button:visited { background-color: white; color: black; border: 2px solid black; padding: 4px 8px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; display: inline-block; } .button:hover, .button:active { background-color: black; color: white; } .lower-nav-container { margin-top: 40px; } .lower-nav-container li { margin-left: 0; display: inline; padding-right: 20px; } h6 { text-transform: uppercase; } </style> </head> <body> <header> <p>Text-Only Version <a class="full-version-link button" href="https://www.npr.org/nx-s1-5351641">Go To Full Site</a></p> </header> <main> <article> <div class="story-container"> <p class="slug-line"> <a class="slug-link" href="/">NPR</a> > <a class="slug-link" href="/1003">National</a> </p> <div class="story-head"> <h1 class="story-title">LA Dodgers bound for the White House to celebrate World Series championship</h1> <p>By Steve Futterman</p> <p>Friday, April 4, 2025 • 10:28 PM EDT</p> <p>Heard on <a href="/nx-s1-5314953/2025-04-05">Weekend Edition Saturday</a> </div> <div class="hr-line"></div> <div class="paragraphs-container"> <p>The LA Dodgers are headed to the White House Monday for a celebration of their World Series triumph, and for some players it's been a difficult decision. Shortstop Mookie Betts announced Friday that he would attend, but he said it was especially challenging for him.</p><p>"Being Black in America in a situation like this, it's a tough spot to be in," he said.</p><p>Betts declined to visit the White House during President Trump's first term in 2019, when Betts was with the Boston Red Sox. On Friday, he said he regretted that, though he was one of several players who boycotted the White House that year.</p><p>"No matter what I choose, somebody is going to be pissed. This is not about me. This is not about politics. This is about the Dodgers and my loyalty to these boys in the clubhouse."</p><p>The team's planned visit has roiled some fans who take issue with the Trump administration. <em>Los Angeles Times</em> sports columnist Dylan Hernández <a href="https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/story/2025-03-30/dodgers-trump-white-house-visit-jackie-robinson" target="_blank"><u>wrote </u></a>that a trip to the White House would go against everything the Dodgers stand for.</p><p>"The Dodgers try to go out of their way to remind you that they are more than just a baseball team, that they are part of American history, that they are an agent of social change," Hernández said. "To this day the Dodgers try to wrap themselves in the flag of Jackie Robinson."</p><p>Robinson broke baseball's color barrier when he joined the Dodgers in 1947. The Department of Defense last month briefly <a href="/2025/03/20/nx-s1-5334461/pentagon-black-veterans-navajo-code-talkers-website-diversity" target="_blank"><u>took down a web page</u></a> spotlighting Robinson's military service amid a push to remove references to diversity, equity and inclusion and <a href="/2025/01/28/nx-s1-5276839/trump-executive-order-dei-military" target="_blank"><u>end such policies</u></a> in the military.</p><p>Dodger fan Melissa Morales wants the team to skip the White House visit over Trump's immigration crackdowns.</p><p>"I don't think they should go," she said wearing her Dodger jacket, "especially since a lot of the fans are Latino."</p><p>When the Dodgers won the series during the 2020 season, cut short by COVID, the team made the White House trip the following year for a celebration hosted by former President Joe Biden. Pitcher Blake Treinen, a vocal Trump supporter, sat out the White House festivities with the team that year. He's looking forward to Monday's visit.</p><p>"I'm pumped. The greatest president of my lifetime," Treinen said of Trump. "Excited to meet him, shake his hand, thank him for what he is doing."</p><p>As for anyone who might decide to not take part this year, he said "they can choose what they want to do. For me, I'm excited to go."</p><p>It's a no-brainer for Dodgers fan Patrick Tee that the team should be there.</p><p>"Everybody goes when they win," he said. "Why wouldn't they go?"</p><p>Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts was reluctant to get caught up in the controversy, as he faced questions from reporters.</p><p>"I'm not going to sit up here and make it political," he said after Wednesday night's game at Dodger Stadium. "I'm excited to recognize the 2024 World Series champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers."</p><p>The Dodgers clinched a Wednesday win against the Atlanta Braves on a Shohei Ohtani walk-off home run, bringing them to 8-0. They finally lost their first game Friday night against the Philadelphia Phillies.</p><p>Following Monday's White House visit, the Dodgers are set to kick off a season opener against the Washington Nationals.</p> <hr> <h3>Transcript</h3> <p>SCOTT SIMON, HOST: <p><p> The world champion Los Angeles Dodgers are off to a fabulous start, winning eight of their first nine games, but there is controversy over their planned visit at the White House Monday to celebrate last year's World Series triumph with President Trump. Steve Futterman reports.<p><p>STEVE FUTTERMAN: It has been about as good as it gets for the LA Dodgers, including a Wednesday win on a Shohei Ohtani walk-off home run.<p><p>UNIDENTIFIED ANNOUNCER: Ohtani. Inevitable.<p><p>FUTTERMAN: The controversy over Monday's White House trip burst wide open when the LA Times' Dylan Hernandez wrote a column saying a meeting with Trump would go against everything the Dodgers stand for.<p><p>DYLAN HERNANDEZ: The Dodgers really kind of go out of their way to remind you that they're an agent of social change. To this day, obviously, the Dodgers wrap themselves in the flag of Jackie Robinson.<p><p>FUTTERMAN: Robinson broke baseball's color barrier when he joined the Dodgers in 1947. The Department of Defense last month briefly took down a webpage spotlighting Robinson's military service amid a push to remove references to DEI. That has stuck with some Dodger fans. Melissa Morales (ph) wants the team to skip the White House trip due to Trump's immigration crackdowns.<p><p>MELISSA MORALES: I don't think they should go, especially considering that a lot of the fans are Latinos.<p><p>FUTTERMAN: Back in 2021, Dodger pitcher Blake Treinen, a vocal Trump supporter, stayed away from the Biden White House festivities with the Dodgers. On Monday, he will be there.<p><p>(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)<p><p>BLAKE TREINEN: I'm pumped. The greatest president of my lifetime. I'm excited to meet him, shake his hand.<p><p>FUTTERMAN: Last night, another prominent Dodger, Mookie Betts, who had been undecided, said he will take part.<p><p>(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)<p><p>MOOKIE BETTS: Being Black in America in a situation like this is - you know, it's a tough spot to be in. This is not about politics. This is about the Dodgers.<p><p>FUTTERMAN: That's a change from 2019 when Betts, then with the Boston Red Sox, opted not to go to the White House for the team celebration when Trump was first in office.<p><p>For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman.<p> </div> </div> </article> </main> <div class="hr-line"></div> <nav> <p>Topics</p> <ul> <li><a href="/1001">News</a></li> <li><a href="/1008">Culture</a></li> <li><a href="/1039">Music</a></li> </ul> </nav> <footer> <nav class="lower-nav-container"> <li><a href="/614470770">Contact Us</a></li> <li><a href="/179876898">Terms of Use</a></li> <li><a href="/179881519">Permissions</a></li> <li><a href="/179878450">Privacy Policy</a></li> </nav> <p>© NPR</p> </footer> </body> </html>