The Los Angeles Dodgers are set to celebrate their recent World Series victory by visiting the White House and Donald Trump this weekend.
One of the biggest questions heading into the event is whether Mookie Betts will attend. The 32-year-old won the World Series with the Boston Red Sox back in 2018, and he opted not to make the visit to the White House the following year.
However it doesn’t look as though history will repeat itself, as Betts has told the L.A.Times that he will be taking part in this year’s festivities.
“This is not about me; I don’t want anything to be about me. This is about the Dodgers. Because these boys were there for me,” said Betts.
Betts stated that he regretted skipping the trip to the White House in 2019, which manager Alex Cora and pitcher David Price also skipped, adding that he gelt he was being a distraction.
“No matter what I say or what I do, people are gonna take it as political. But that’s definitely not what it is. This is about what the Dodgers were able to accomplish last year,” he said.
White House visits remain a talking point
Cora stated that he skipped meeting with Trump because he wanted to focus on his home country of Puerto Rico, which was still recovering from Hurricane Maria at the time, and he wasn’t satisfied with the federal government’s response.
While other Dodgers have been asked whether they will visit the White House, Betts’ response was the one at the forefront of conversations.
“It is what it is. It comes with the territory, being Black in America in a situation like this. It’s a tough spot to be in,” said Betts.
“No matter what I choose, somebody is gonna be pissed. Somebody is gonna have their own opinion. But, again, this is not about me. This is not about politics. This is about the Dodgers. It’s about my loyalty to these boys, this clubhouse. And that’s all it is for me.”
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