The Los Angeles Dodgers are scheduled to visit the White House on July 23 as seemingly the final public celebration of their 2025 World Series title.
An invitation extended by President Donald Trump was accepted earlier this year, but the Dodgers did not align it with their road series against the Washington Nationals like in 2021 and last year.
Dodgers roster expected to go to White House
Given the political climate under President Trump, the Dodgers’ going to the White House last season and now their upcoming visit has been accompanied by external criticism and questions over player attendance.
“I’m sure a lot of guys are going to participate and be there,” manager Dave Roberts said. “This is an individual choice, but I do expect a lot of our guys to be there.”
Nearly the entire Dodgers roster was present in the East Room last year. The only exceptions were Freddie Freeman and Brusdar Graterol, both of whom were on the injured list at the time. That could become a factor this year as Kiké Hernández may be in the midst of a rehab assignment. Though, Hernández allowed for the probability that he likely would not have gone with the Dodgers to the White House anyhow.
In 2018, Hernández said he wasn’t sure if he would’ve gone with the Dodgers to the White House had they defeated the Houston Astros in the World Series the year prior.
The Dodgers again are taking the stance of their trip not being a political matter but merely following in a longstanding tradition. Teams have visited the White House since President Andrew Johnson welcomed two amateur baseball clubs in 1865. The 1924 Washington Senators were MLB’s first World Series champion to participate.
“This took a long time to get both sides together, and honestly, like I’ve always said, my company line, my personal line is: I hope that we get this invitation every year, because that’s the goal – to win a championship, to get this invitation to the White House,” Roberts reiterated.
“I’m not a politician, and I’m doing something that teams have done for decades. So that’s where I stand, really. I’m a baseball coach. That’s what I do.”
Mookie Betts initially was reluctant to commit to joining the Dodgers last year and spoke with his family before ultimately deciding to attend in order to avoid becoming a distraction. That was different from when Betts declined to accompany the Boston Red Sox for their White House visit in 2019 during President Trump’s first term.
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