The long-standing tradition of World Series champions visiting the White House is getting murkier this time. The 2024 champion Los Angeles Dodgers, received an invitation from the President of the United States and are set to visit on April 7. However, due to recent controversial political decisions and differing ideologies, some fans are criticizing the Dodgers for accepting the invitation. Shohei Ohtani, the face of the team, is at the center of attention. So, will Ohtani join his team at the White House, or will he decline?
The official statement of the Dodgers reads, “In keeping with long-standing baseball tradition, President Trump has invited the 2024 World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers to the White House when they play in Washington D.C. on April 7. The Dodgers look forward to visiting the White House and celebrating our title.”
The tradition of inviting the champions to the White House started when President Andrew Johnson first called the Brooklyn Atlantics and Washington Nationals amateur baseball clubs in 1865. So, what is the reason for the current controversy now? The Dodgers fanbase reportedly has 45% people of color, which denotes that the club is popular among a diverse population. Now, Donald Trump’s far-right ideologies are not sitting well with the fans, making them call out the players for accepting the invite.
While the team is going to the White House, as confirmed by the Dodgers manager, Dave Roberts. What will Shohei Ohtani do? Being the most popular face currently, Ohtani is sitting on a two-way sword. However, the recent update from the MLB insider Dylan Hernandez has put all the speculations to rest. “Ohtani said he would go,” Hernández said. Hence, a full squad team is expected to visit the White House on April 7.
Well, there are instances when the team or individuals rejected the White House invitation. The Eagles declined to visit the White House after they won the 2017 Super Bowl due to the anthem controversy back then. Coincidentally, Donald Trump was the president then. However, it still depends on the individual choices about accepting or declining the invite. America is a free country, and respecting individual choice is more important.
While Ohtani is going to the White House, any other player in the Dodgers’ clubhouse can decline the invitation. From the team’s perspective, it’s more important how they are going to get the ring again this year.
The Dodgers’ contention for the second consecutive ring
The Dodgers earned their White House invitation by winning the 2024 World Series, but can they do it again in 2025?
So far, they’ve picked up right where they left off. Their already stacked roster has gotten even stronger with the additions of Roki Sasaki, Blake Snell, Tanner Scott, and Kirby Yates. Notably, no other MLB team has a Japanese trio projected for 150+ strikeouts, but the Dodgers boast Sasaki, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Ohtani.
Sasaki, who racked up 505 strikeouts in NPB, won’t even be in the Dodgers’ starting rotation initially—a testament to their depth. With this level of dominance, some analysts project the Dodgers could match the 116-win record set by the 1906 Cubs.
While all the 29 teams, other than the Dodgers, have a 13-man pitching rotation, the latter has one player extra. Shohei Ohtani, the two-way player. Hence, even with the Dodgers fielding a 6-man rotation including Ohtani, they will still have 8 players in the bullpen. Hence, it will be a miracle if the Dodgers cannot get back the ring this year. The Yankees were the last team to have won consecutive World Series (1998-2000). The recently concluded Tokyo and Freeway Series proved the dominance they have over their rivals. The regular season also started with a bang for the Dodgers. Let’s see how it goes down the line.
The Dodgers will visit the White House, keeping the tradition alive. It is to be seen if a full squad is visiting or not. Rest, going by their current form, the White House for 2026 is just around the corner.
Do you think Ohtani should visit the White House? Let us know in the comments below.
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