Dave Roberts isn’t dodging the question. The Dodgers manager made it clear this week that when his team heads to the White House on July 23 to celebrate their 2025 World Series win, he’ll be there as a baseball guy, not a political one.
“I hope that we get this invitation every year because that’s the goal, to win a championship, to get this invitation to the White House,” Roberts said during a press conference. “I’m not a politician. I’m doing something that teams have done for decades. That’s where I stand, really. I’m a baseball coach, that’s what I do.”
It’s a visit that’s almost become routine for Los Angeles under Roberts. The team went to the Biden White House in 2021 and made another trip last year for their 2024 title, a decision that drew criticism from some fans and advocacy groups.
Not everyone is on board this time. Utility player Kike Hernandez, who is from Puerto Rico and has been outspoken about Trump in the past, said on social media he won’t be attending. Hernandez has called these visits a “lose-lose situation” for him personally. The team hasn’t confirmed exactly which players will make the trip, but Roberts has been consistent about respecting the office since February, when he said he was raised to honor the position regardless of who holds it.
The tradition of championship teams visiting the White House goes back decades, and Roberts isn’t trying to reinvent it. He’s not making a statement about politics or policy. He’s just managing a baseball team that keeps winning. And that’s exactly what he said.
For a Dodgers squad chasing a third straight championship, the White House stop closes out last season’s celebration. But it also opens up a familiar conversation about sports, politics, and where one ends and the other begins. For Roberts, it’s pretty straightforward. He’s not a politician. He’s a baseball coach. And that’s what he does.
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