The Los Angeles Dodgers are planning to visit the White House tomorrow to meet with the ancient catcher's mitt some people recognize as our president.
For so many in Los Angeles, watching their hometown team play nice with a racist authoritarian who this year alone has attacked another country, continued helping to arm a genocide, tried to take your tax dollars for personal gain, ruled over an immigration enforcement operation that has shattered tens of thousands of lives and killed multiple people and . . . we could go on.
Because it's that last point that especially pisses off L.A. Dodger fans, who have watched the team watching the team ignore its legacy of forced removal in Chavez Ravine, to instead market itself and pump up the hometown pride of Mexican and Central American communities in this city for decades, all the while charging us all bazillions of dollars for parking and domestic beer.
Seeing Freddy Freeman, Shohei Ohtani, Max Muncy, Andy Pages, Kyle Tucker, and the rest of those blue-and-gray bums accept the honors of a President who has so cruely targeted, bullied, insulted, slandered, damaged, and unbuckled our immigrant communities and families is not too far off from off from seeing Charles Lindbergh get strapped with the Service Cross of the German Eagle by a cigar-chomping Hermann Goring.
To some fans, it's Complicity with those bent on ravaging our country, our relations, and our lives.
If you want to raise your own objections, there's a new petition that will let the team know how you feel. And it's a lot more polite than how we just put it.
The document comes from PICO CA, a Latino, faith-based organization pushing for social, racial, and economic justice.
Jared Rivera, PICO California Chief of Staff, explained why stopping the visit matters:
“The Dodgers are part of the civic fabric of Los Angeles. The immigrant and Latino families living through raids, fear, and separation are the same families who fill Dodger Stadium, wear the team’s colors, and have supported the organization across generations. A White House visit carries public meaning, especially in this moment.”
“Our message is simple: choose us, choose Los Angeles, and choose families. We want the Dodgers to spend that day close to the people who are hurting, meet with immigrant families and community leaders, and demonstrate that their loyalty to this city extends beyond baseball. Families are sacred, and an institution with this much cultural influence should stand visibly with the people who made it beloved.”
The petition grew out of earlier successful advocacy. As Rivera noted:
“Last year, PICO California joined clergy, labor, immigrant-rights organizations, and Angelenos in asking the Dodgers to respond to raids and family separation. The team listened and provided $1.1 million in support for affected families. That showed us the Dodgers can hear their community and act when people speak together.”
“When the White House trip was announced while families across Los Angeles were still living with fear and uncertainty, Dodgers fans and faith leaders wanted a direct way to reach the organization. The petition grew from that concern and from a basic conviction: Los Angeles has always shown up for the Dodgers. This is a moment for the Dodgers to show up for Los Angeles.”
No. They're actually super positive about the whole thing like that kid who ran Young Life in your high school.
The petition simply states to The Dodgers:
Dear Dodgers Players, Coaches, and Management: Choose Los Angeles.
We know you’ve committed to visiting the White House on July 23rd to celebrate your World Series championship. We respectfully ask you to reconsider.We’re not asking you to make a partisan statement. We’re asking you to stand with the city that has stood with you.
Instead of celebrating in Washington, spend that day in LA. Meet with immigrant families, community organizations, youth baseball programs, and the people who need hope right now. Show the country what leadership looks like.
Los Angeles has always shown up for you.
Now we’re asking you to show up for Los Angeles.Choose your city.
Choose your fans.
Choose Los Angeles.Signed,
Dodgers fans
Will it be enough for hardcore Dodger fans who are fed up with the big blue?
Currently, the petition has over 2,000 signatures, with a first goal of reaching 2,200. That's 1/28th the amount of people that can fit into Dodger Stadium.
So if you don't want to see your champions bear the eternal shame of getting down with the bad guys, which is a bad look now and shall ever remain a stain on their bright white home game uniforms, sign it and send it.
