U.S. President Donald Trump hosted an event at the White House on Monday to honor the World Series champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, including players Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts. Trump praised the team for their victory over the New York Yankees and highlighted individual players’ achievements from the past season.
During the ceremony, Trump recognized Ohtani for his historic accomplishment of being the first player in baseball to achieve 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season. He also commended Japanese pitcher Yoshi Yamamoto and National League Championship Series MVP Tommy Edman.
Betts, who was previously with the Boston Red Sox before being traded to the Dodgers, received praise for his performance. Despite not attending the White House visit with the Red Sox in the past, Betts joined the Dodgers’ celebration under President Joe Biden after their 2020 World Series win.
Betts, the only Black player on the Dodgers from the previous championship team, expressed that his decision to attend was not political but a desire to celebrate with his teammates.
The Dodgers’ manager, Dave Roberts, considered the invitation to the White House a significant honor that every championship-winning team should experience. The visit occurred shortly after the Department of Defense restored a webpage honoring Jackie Robinson’s military service.
While Trump briefly mentioned former New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and joked about his managerial style, he did not acknowledge previous Dodgers greats during the ceremony. Dodgers co-owner Mark Walter and pitcher Clayton Kershaw also made remarks and presented Trump with a team jersey.
Trump hinted at the Dodgers’ potential success in the current season and expressed hope for their return to the White House the following year. The Florida Panthers of the NHL were the first team to visit Trump during his second term, and the Philadelphia Eagles were reported to have accepted an invitation to the White House.
