Staff Reports
President Donald Trump is welcoming the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Rose Garden this week to celebrate their 2025 World Series title. What began as a routine honor for a championship team has become a small circus of choice — who shows up, who skips, and who turns a trophy photo into front-page politics. The game on the field should be the star. Instead, the sidelines are putting on a show.
Tradition, not theater
White House visits for World Series champions are an old American tradition. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts summed it up plainly: he hopes teams get the invitation because that’s the goal — win and be honored. The White House spokeswoman said President Trump is “excited to welcome the Los Angeles Dodgers BACK to the White House to celebrate their World Series championship.” This is about an exceptional season and that extra-innings Game 7 heroics from catcher Will Smith, not about breaking news or partisan theater.
Who shows up — and who declines
Attendance is the subplot everyone latches onto. A few notable Dodgers — including Mookie Betts and Kiké Hernández — have said they likely won’t attend. Betts says he wants to spend a day off with family after a birth. Hernández cited a rehab assignment and said he probably wouldn’t have come anyway. That’s fair. Families and health matter. But when star players skip a traditional celebration, it invites commentary. Fans wonder if the clubhouse is turning into a political litmus test instead of a place that simply enjoys baseball.
Politics will follow the trophy
Make no mistake: a presidential honor will draw political heat. Local advocacy groups have already signaled criticism, and national media will brand whatever happens as proof of one side or the other. Conservatives should call that out when it’s parade-style grandstanding, but also remember to defend the simple civic act of congratulating champions. The Dodgers won on the field. A Rose Garden hand-shake doesn’t change that, and neither does a no-show make the title less real.
At the end of the day, the Dodgers deserve applause for closing out a dramatic World Series. Will Smith’s game-winning homer in extra innings is what fans will remember, not the political noise that surrounds a photo op. If some players choose family time or rehab days over a Rose Garden visit, respect their choice. But let’s also stop pretending that every baseball celebration must be a referendum. Celebrate the team, enjoy the tradition, and save the politics for the campaign trail.
