The Los Angeles Dodgers announced they have accepted an invitation to visit the White House to celebrate their World Series victory.
The team will make the trip on April 7, a Monday, before playing the first game of a three-game series against the Washington Nationals. On April 8, members of the Dodgers will also visit Capitol Hill, the team confirmed.
“It wasn’t a formal conversation that we had as a ballclub,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts before Tuesday’s exhibition game against the Los Angeles Angels. “It’s certainly a huge honor to get the invitation to the White House. It allows us to celebrate our 2024 championship. To my understanding, every World Series champion gets that honor, so it’s a great honor for all of us.”
The Dodgers’ White House visit is particularly significant because of a controversy surrounding a story about Jackie Robinson’s military service. The story was temporarily removed from the Department of Defense’s website last week as part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to remove references to diversity, equity, and inclusion through a “digital content refresh.”
Robinson served as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army during World War II and then broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier when he debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. A statue honoring him stands in Dodger Stadium’s center-field plaza.
Even though the story about Robinson’s service does not mention DEI, it was among many others removed from government websites recently.
Roberts, who has often spoken about the importance of diversity in major league coaching and front office positions, said he was unaware of what happened with the Robinson story. After being informed by a reporter, he responded, “I think I’m happy that the page went back up. I have my strong opinions on DEI and all that stuff, but that’s another scrum.”
In 2019, near the end of Trump’s first presidency, Roberts mentioned in a Los Angeles Times profile that he would not visit the White House if the Dodgers won the World Series that year. When reminded of this on Tuesday, Roberts smiled and said, “Did I?”
“I’m going,” he added. “I respect the position. It’s the highest office in our country, certainly in the world, so, looking forward to it.”
Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate after the winThe Dodgers visited the White House under Joe Biden’s presidency after winning the championship in the shortened 2020 season due to COVID-19. Four years later, on October 30, 2024, they secured their first full-season title since 1988 by beating the New York Yankees in Game 5 of the World Series.
Trump was elected president about a week later. A couple of months after that, he clashed with local politicians and California Governor Gavin Newsom following wildfires that impacted parts of L.A. At one point, he threatened to withhold federal aid over disagreements about the region’s water management.
The Trump administration later passed an executive order to address water shortages and regulatory obstacles affecting disaster response in Southern California.
Dodgers chairman Mark Walter and part-owner Earvin “Magic” Johnson were chosen by Newsom to lead a project focused on supporting wildfire recovery and rebuilding efforts in L.A., pledging up to $100 million to help with the initiative.
Johnson has spoken out against Trump in recent years, but the Dodgers, through their X account, said on Tuesday they “look forward to visiting the White House and celebrating our title.”
