It’s going to be a tight schedule for the Dodgers in the next few days. Why? Apart from playing their regular season, they got invited to the White House as part of a long-standing tradition. While it serves as a huge honor for the team to get felicitated by POTUS, the Dodgers landed in controversy with the same.
It all started when their manager, Dave Roberts, accepted the invite. Fans soon flooded the official X handle of the Dodgers, sharing their frustration over the same. So, what’s the controversy all about? Why do only the Dodgers get to go to the White House?
“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. In addition, members of the Dodgers will visit Capitol Hill on April 8”, the Dodgers said in a statement.
The tradition of inviting champion teams across all sports dates back to August 30, 1865, when President Andrew Johnson hosted the Brooklyn Atlantics and Washington Nationals amateur baseball clubs at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. for the first time. So, why is the controversy erupting now?
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.
In…
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) March 25, 2025
Well, it’s nothing related to any on-field activities, but more of a political issue; the political ideology of the majority of fans of the Dodgers go against the current POTUS Donald Trump. In such conflicts before, there were instances when the teams declined to visit the White House previously, but this time it is different with the Dodgers. So, what are the issues with the fans with their team getting facilitated at the White House?
Fans are frustrated with the Dodgers
Fans are not frustrated about the Dodgers visiting the White House, rather it is about President Donald Trump. “45 % of your fan base is people of color. Yet you’re going to a commander and the chief is proactively trying to target those people. Insanely out of touch considering the circumstances.” The Dodgers have a significant and diverse fanbase, including a large number of non-white fans, particularly within the Black and Latino community. Donald Trump due to his far-right ideologies is not sitting well with these fans.
There are a few instances where the invited teams declined to visit the White House. The Dodgers’ fans are questioning why their team cannot decline when others have in the past. One such user referred to the Eagles declining their invitation in 2018: “This is disappointing as the majority of your fans are people of color, it’s a slap in the face for the people that supported you. If the Eagles can say no so can you.” For the unversed, a few players of the Eagles declined to visit the White House under Trump’s presidency after they won the Super Bowl, owing to the anthem protests that erupted then.
One user brought up Jackie Robinson, flatly stating, “They should all wear Jackie Robinson jerseys.” Well, Robinson was the first African-American to play in MLB, often credited for breaking the color barrier in the game. Other than that, he was also an active military veteran. The controversy erupted when his military service was temporarily deleted from the Defense Ministry’s website. The fans related it as a tool to break the DEI principle and asked the Dodgers to be their voice.
It seems like the Dodgers fanbase is now split between two political ideologies. It is no more about the team’s on-field achievement, rather it is about what the team stands for. “Every time I see this tweet come across my feed it puts a bad taste in my mouth,” a user remarked. This shows how deep the distaste runs in the fanbase. Sadly, the situation is a two-way sword for the Dodgers; accepting and declining the invite will instigate either fan group.
Should sports be kept above politics? A fan certainly thinks so! “Some things are Bigger than Politics. Dodgers go Represent us all“, they remarked. It is a well-earned invite for the Dodgers – an acknowledgment of their 2024 triumphs. Moreover, it is about visiting the White House and getting recognition for their success, and not about who the president is.
Well, a nuanced take on the importance of balancing tradition and political ideologies is key here. The Dodgers have already confirmed about visiting the White House, and it is unlikely to change. Time will now tell how they can take a neutral stance considering their diverse fanbase.
Do you think the Dodgers are right in accepting the White House invite? Share your views with us below.
The post “Insanely Out of Touch”: Dodgers’ Fans Erupt Over Controversial Trump Announcement After Jackie Robinson Drama appeared first on EssentiallySports.