Dodgers President Says ‘Everyone Wanted to Go’ to White House to Celebrate World Series
The Los Angeles Dodgers have accepted an invitation from President Donald Trump to visit the White House next week.
It has sparked some controversy, but team president Stan Kasten said to Dylan Hernández of the Los Angeles Times that the team was unified in their decision.
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“This was something we discussed with all the players, all of whom wanted to go,” Kasten said. “Remember, everyone in here grew up wanting to be a world champion and all the things that come with it, and it comes with a champagne toast, silliness in the locker room, a parade, rings, an invitation to the White House. It’s what they all come to associate with being world champions. Everyone wanted to go, and so we did.”
The long-standing tradition of the World Series winner visiting the White House upon a championship has been in effect since 1924 with the Washington Senators being invited by known baseball fan President Calvin Coolidge.
The tradition still took place, although delayed, through the COVID-19 pandemic. The Dodgers won the 2020 World Series and made their way to the White House in July of 2021.
The team president also wanted to stress that despite the political nature of the Nation’s Capital, this was not a politically charged decision.
“This [has] nothing to do with politics,” said Kasten. “For everyone in this room, this is about what they get as their reward for being world champions, getting to the White House. I think there are probably people in this room who have different points of view on politics. No one thought this trip is about politics, it’s about celebrating their world championship.”
The team will also visit Capitol Hill a day after the visit on April 8 as they continue their World Series celebrations during their trip to take on the Washington Nationals for three games.
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Photo Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
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I respect Stan Kasten for his long, successful career and his leadership in the Dodger decision. I do NOT respect his decision to visit the White House. His rationalization that this is not about politics rings hollow. The White House is all about politics, and this current dictator wanna-be in the White House is as political as it gets. Kasten and Dave Roberts and proclaim all day long this is about celebrating the Dodgers’ World Series victory. I guarantee that Trump doesn’t see it that way, and neither do millions of people who are watching this travesty. By visiting the White House, the Dodgers are offering legitimacy to the most destructive political figure in American history. Jackie Robinson is crying in his grave. I’m just outraged.
Stan Kasten is either delusional, MAGA or both. There is no kid that stands in his backyard pretending it’s game 7, bottom of the 9th, 2 outs and bases load and things….gee, if I can win this, I’ll get to go to the white house.
I very much doubt the entire wants wants to go or will go.
As a Dodger fan I am very disappointed in the team. This isn’t your normal White House invitation & it’s not about politics. It’s about visiting an unAmerican so called President who has no regard for the American people. As the Philadelphia Eagles did, the Dodgers should have declined.
Thanks, guys, for all your “insightful” TDS-riddled comments. If we want to keep politics out of sports, why do you have to say anything like this? And where you when teams visited the Biden White House? No problem with that POTUS, right? I almost gave up on the Dodgers when all that DEI, WOKE, and LGBQT stuff was being forced upon us by the team hiearchy. I won’t give up on this team because they are being honored by a President that more than half the country voted for.
If you want to go to the White House take with you Trevor Bauer and Julio Urias. They did nothing as horrible as Trump.
No, sorry but this is very political, it is for trump anyway. You can bet that many, probably the majority of that team does not want to meet that racist, fascist, traitorous jerk. Baseball has long been known as Americas sport, baseball, hotdogs, apple pie, and all that. This president is not about any of that! If trump was just a republican, conservative president I wouldn’t object to their visit at all. However he is not that. He is a fascist wanna be dictator. He is trying at this very minute to do away with democracy and become a dictator right here in the United States of America! Yeah a very few more than the majority of voters (As opposed to all the citizens of this country!) voted for him….If you held that vote today he would be defeated in a landslide!…..Yeah I’m sorry to have to talk about this crap on this forum but I myself and I think many Dodger fans feel as I do or at least similarly. I’ll get over it but I really wish they were not going there. OK, end of rant.
Man, a lot of hatred from Dodger fans. Sorry guys. DJT is the president and is doing a phenomenal job. As soon as I see “racist, fascist, etc,” it’s obvious you don’t have any facts and only get what Rachael tells you to think.
I bet you were all ok with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence fiasco, right? As a Dodgers fan since 1961 and a Christian that bothered me but you know what, I’m mature enough to get over it, forgive it and still love the Dodgers.
You lost, we won, get over it.
They’re going to the White House and apparently are going to love every minute of it!!
I am a lifetime conservative who is a cousin of a former Republican Governor and has a grandson who works for State Senators. If you think that Trump is doing such a great job then you have no credibility. Trump does not have an ounce of conservative values. Only cowards cower to dictators.
Haters need to get over yourselves, move on and NO politics were not involved in baseball decisions!! Nothing is gonna change, go Dodgers!!