President Donald Trump congratulated the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers on their World Series victory last season by welcoming Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and the team to the White House on Monday.
“That is a very good-looking group of people,” Trump said as he began his remarks. “I want to congratulate you on a legendary season.”
The president specifically took time to honor a number of members of the 2024 championship club, including league MVP Shohei Ohtani, shortstop Mookie Betts, who chose not to visit the White House after Boston won the 2018 World Series, World Series MVP Freddie Freeman, and National League Championship Series MVP Tommy Edman.
“In all of baseball history, only six players have ever hit 40 home runs and stolen 40 bases in a single season,” Trump said. “(Ohtani) shattered all of those records last year … and he did something even more because he became the first member of the 50-50 club. Hitting 54 home runs and 59 steals: an accomplishment unparallel in 149 years of Major League Baseball.”
Trump also highlighted Ohtani’s game against Miami on September 19, 2024, when he went 6 for 6 with three home runs and 10 runs batted in—what some people believe to be the best offensive performance ever.
The invitation was described as a great honor that every World Series winner receives by manager Dave Roberts. He and the players did not have a formal discussion about going to the White House, according to Roberts.
The journey took place over a month after a Department of Defense webpage detailing the military service of civil rights icon and Brooklyn Dodgers great Jackie Robinson was restored after it had been taken down.
In the midst of the department’s attempt to remove content that singles out the contributions of women and minority groups, which the Trump administration views as “DEI,” pages honoring a Black Medal of Honor recipient and Japanese American service members were removed, a move the Pentagon stated was a mistake.
Robinson was not mentioned at the ceremony, nor were any other former Dodgers greats.
Pitcher Clayton Kershaw and Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Mark Walter made brief remarks at the White House. Kershaw gave Trump a Dodgers jersey with the number 47 on the back.
Trump may have hinted that he thought the Dodgers, who were 9-2 going into their game at Washington on Monday night, would win the World Series again.
Trump said, “After seeing how successful you’ve begun the season, I can tell you that you can plan on being back here, I hope you can be back here, next year.”
Trump granted the team a tour of the West Wing, including a stop in the Oval Office, after the event.
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