![\"President](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP26204770502312-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers traveled to Washington on an off day. (Alex Brandon \/ Associated Press)<\/p>\n
Veteran utility player Kik\u00e9 Hern\u00e1ndez also missed the event while rehabbing an injury, though he said earlier this month he would \u201cprobably not\u201d go even if healthy.<\/p>\n
Reliever Edgardo Henriquez was the lone active Dodger who did not appear without prior notice. A Dodgers spokesman declined comment when asked for an explanation.<\/p>\n
Before Trump read from a script, with the Dodgers standing behind him, he boasted about the changes he\u2019d made to the Rose Garden. They included white stone in place of grass, which \u201cwas always wet,\u201d Trump said. \u201cYou know, the White House is built on a wetland, and when you build on a wetland, the grass is always wet.\u201d He pointed out newly installed gold letters spelling out \u201cThe Rose Garden\u201d on an awning.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think Biden would do that?\u201d Trump asked. \u201cI don\u2019t think so.\u201d<\/p>\n
During his roughly 20-minute speech, Trump outlined the Dodgers\u2019 2025 season and singled out significant contributors. He started with Shohei Ohtani, whom he credited with the greatest game ever played for his six shutout innings and three homers in the National League Championship Series clincher.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you would have told me you could be the best pitcher and the best hitter at the same time \u2014 you know, Babe Ruth was pretty close to that,\u201d Trump said. \u201cThey drafted Babe Ruth. He was 19 years old. I know something about baseball. They consider it the worst trade in the history of sports. He was 19, and they got a 36-year-old third baseman and $100,000.\u201d<\/p>\n
(Ruth was 24 when the Boston Red Sox traded him. Major League Baseball implemented a draft in 1965, after Ruth\u2019s death in 1948.)<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2287373741-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n President Donald Trump congratulated manager Dave Roberts and praised Shohei Ohtani\u2019s two-way talent. (Kevin Dietsch \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Trump shook Max Muncy\u2019s hand and noted he\u2019d broken the Dodgers\u2019 franchise record for postseason home runs. He paused to recognize the \u201clegend\u201d Clayton Kershaw, whose presence in the season after his retirement led to confusion.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou talk about a winner, look at that guy,\u201d Trump said before turning to Roberts. \u201cAnd he\u2019s still pitching well, I\u2019ll bet, right?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, he\u2019s spending time with family now, sir,\u201d Roberts said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, but it is called ultimately talent, right? Wouldn\u2019t you say?\u201d Trump replied. \u201cTalent is the whole ballgame. You could pitch right now? If they needed you, you\u2019d be out there, right?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, sir,\u201d Kershaw said, laughing along with the crowd.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd he\u2019s smart!\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n
Trump shook reliever Will Klein\u2019s hand and saluted his role in the Dodgers\u2019 18-inning Game 3 marathon victory. He teased the Atlanta Braves for letting Freddie Freeman leave in free agency.<\/p>\n
\u201cShohei, is he doing a good job?\u201d Trump said, turning around. Ohtani smiled and nodded.<\/p>\n
Trump applauded Miguel Rojas and Andy Pages for their heroics in Game 7.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was truly a great World Series, right?\u201d Trump said, again turning to Roberts.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe the best in history,\u201d Roberts said.<\/p>\n
![\"Dodgers](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP26204757265258-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n Dave Roberts and the Dodgers will next head to New York to meet the Mets. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson \/ Associated Press)<\/p>\n
Trump hailed the Dodgers while carrying a fraught recent history with their home city. Last year, Trump deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles after protests over ICE raids spread across the city, which Trump described as a \u201ctrash heap.\u201d A federal court ruled the use of troops illegal after state authorities sued, and Trump withdrew the Guard in December.<\/p>\n
Thursday\u2019s ceremony betrayed no tension. Roberts and Walter both gave brief remarks before giving Trump his jersey and his ring.<\/p>\n
Trump returned to the podium and told the crowd he hoped they liked the cushions they were sitting on, \u201cbecause they are 4 inches as opposed to 1, like a little pad.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI just want to say we\u2019re steps away from the most powerful office in the world, the Oval Office, where everything begins and ends and begins,\u201d Trump said. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing like it. The most important people in the world go in there. \u2026 People walk into the Oval Office, and no matter who they are, they just sort of feel sort of different.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump pointed out the helipad and ballroom that are under construction on the White House grounds. He then invited \u201cthis unbelievable team\u201d to join him. A jazzy version of \u201cWe Are The Champions\u201d played, and the Dodgers followed the president into the Oval Office.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"WASHINGTON \u2014 At a ceremony growing familiar to them, the Los Angeles Dodgers walked past the Presidential Walk…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":780866,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[65],"tags":[2323,363,99],"class_list":["post-780865","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mlb","tag-los-angeles-dodgers","tag-mlb","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/780865","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=780865"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/780865\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/780866"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=780865"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=780865"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=780865"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}