President Donald Trump welcomed the 2024 World Series-winning Los Angeles Dodgers to the White House on Monday, hosting the team for a special ceremony in the East Room.
Although their championship win came several months ago in a decisive five-game series against the New York Yankees, the Dodgers arrived in Washington to be honored for their remarkable season.
“Over the course of this amazing season, the members of this team gave us some of the most incredible performances ever seen on the baseball diamond,” Trump said.
Trump reserved particular acclaim for National League MVP Shohei Ohtani, who made baseball history by becoming the first player to rack up over 50 home runs and steal more than 50 bases in a single season, launching the exclusive “50-50 club.”
“Even more incredibly, Shohei clinched that achievement in what some have called the greatest game ever,” Trump noted.
“On September 19, 2024, he did the unthinkable by going six for six… against the Marlins with three homers, ten RBIs and a pair of stolen bases. Other than that, it was not a great game,” Trump joked.
Trump also took time to highlight Dodgers stars Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, while teasing the Boston Red Sox for parting ways with Betts, who’s now a key part of the Dodgers’ powerhouse roster alongside Freeman.
Veteran pitcher and likely Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw represented the team on the podium and handed the president a Dodgers jersey as a token of appreciation.
“This is an incredible honor for me to stand here today representing the Los Angeles Dodgers and this group of staff and players behind me today,” Kershaw said.
He paid tribute to the determination and unselfishness of his teammates during their championship run.
“The selflessness and humility that each one of these players and staff have shown over the last year is truly an inspiration,” Kershaw said. “They have constantly played hurt, switched positions, and taken the ball to put the team first.”
Following the ceremony, the team accompanied President Trump to the Oval Office for a more private visit.
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