Dodgers’ Mookie Betts will make White House visit after skipping previous celebration under Trump

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts said he will attend next week’s World Series championship celebration at the White House after he declined to attend a previous ceremony during President Donald Trump’s first term.

The Dodgers are set to visit the White House on April 7 before opening a series at the Washington Nationals. Members of the team plan to visit Capitol Hill on April 8.

Betts, the star outfielder at the time for the 2018 champion Boston Red Sox, did not make that team’s trip to the White House the next year. Betts was on the Dodgers when they won the World Series in 2020 and attended the celebration the following year under President Joe Biden.

The 32-year-old Betts is the lone Black player on the Dodgers who returned from last season’s World Series team.

“Nobody else in this clubhouse has to go through a decision like this except me,” Betts said ahead of Friday’s game in Philadelphia. “That’s what makes it tough. But it is what it is. I’m not trying to make this political by any means at all. All it is is just me being with my team to celebrate something. It’s a privilege to get an invitation like this. I just want to be there with them.”

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The Dodgers confirmed in a social media post lasts month that “in keeping with long-standing baseball tradition,” Trump invited them and they accepted.

Betts was the 2018 AL MVP with Boston and is an eight-time All-Star over a 12-year career. He said he felt some regret in hindsight about not attending the Red Sox celebration under Trump’s first term.

“Me not being there for them at that time was very selfish. Very selfish,” Betts said. “I would not make that mistake again.”

Manager Dave Roberts called it a huge honor that each World Series champion gets to experience. Roberts said deciding to go to the White House was not a formal conversation he and players had.

Roberts said Friday he expected 100% participation at the ceremony and that it was “good we have full representation.”

“I’m happy he’s going,” Roberts said. “I’m happy we’re all going to go together just to celebrate our ’24 championship.”

Betts said visiting the White House as an entire team played a role in his decision.

“It’s important for me to be there with them, to be able to look in the mirror at night and know I did what I felt was best for the Dodgers,” Betts said.

The NHL’s reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers became the first team to visit Trump in his second term when they were honored during a ceremony in the East Room in early February.

The White House also said recently the NFL’s Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles accepted their invitation for April 28.

“It’s a baseball thing for us,” Roberts said. “It’s tradition and we’re doing it unified. So I’m excited about it.”

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