More than eight months removed from winning the 2025 World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers are poised to have a final celebration of sorts with their visit to the White House.
The Dodgers, having accepted an invitation from President Donald Trump before Spring Training started, are scheduled to be at the White House on July 23. It’s going to come on an off day between concluding a series against the Philadelphia Phillies and starting a weekend set against the New York Mets.
Dodgers explain White House decision
Shortly after it was reported the Dodgers would again go the White House, the team reiterated their stance of merely following a tradition for professional North American sports.
“As was the case one year ago, the Dodgers’ upcoming visits to the White House and Capitol Hill follow the longtime tradition of visits by other World Series champions,” the Dodgers said in a statement. “We appreciate these tributes in recognition of our back-to-back championships.”
The Dodgers’ explanation aside, there’s been recent examples of teams deciding to skip a championship celebration with the Trump administration. The 2017 Golden State Warriors, 2018 Philadelphia Eagles and 2025 Oklahoma City Thunder all did not take a trip to the White House after winning their respective championships.
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.
The Dodgers faced some public backlash for their decision last year and in planning on a return this season, partly because of federal immigration raids that were carried out in Southern California.
Mookie Betts had some pause over accompanying the Dodgers in 2025 and spoke with his family before ultimately deciding to attend in order to avoid becoming a distraction. That was different from Betts not going with the Boston Red Sox for their White House visit in 2019 during President Trump’s first term.
Kiké Hernández said in 2018 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 effectively had full participation and attendance when they were celebrated at the White House for defeating the New York Yankees in the 2024 World Series.
Freddie Freeman was an exception because he was put on the injured list with a sprained right ankle and did not travel with the team on their road trip. Brusdar Graterol, who wasn’t on the active roster at all last year, also wasn’t with the Dodgers. Clayton Kershaw delivered a speech in Freeman’s place.
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