After months of uncertainty, the Los Angeles Dodgers have scheduled their White House visit for July 23 to celebrate winning the World Series for a second consecutive season in 2025.
However, superstar Mookie Betts will not attend the event. He revealed his reasoning behind the decision after attending last year’s visit.
Mookie Betts Explains Decision
Betts revealed that he simply wants to spend his off days with his family after he and his wife recently welcomed a child.
“I’m not trying to make this a whole big deal,” Betts said. “We just had a baby. You don’t get many days off. They’re coming [on the road trip]. And just want to hang out with the fam. That’s really kind of it. But people are gonna make it a whole bunch of other stuff.”
Mookie Betts said Saturday he is unlikely to join the team in Washington, D.C., and instead plans to spend the day with his family after the birth of his third child, per Jack Harris of the California Post.
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Betts is a four-time World Series champion, so this isn’t a rare experience for him. However, he did decide to skip the White House visit with the Red Sox during President Trump’s first term, later admitting he felt like it became a distraction for the team and regretted the decision.
It’s Not About Politics, Betts Said
Betts attended the visit in 2021 after the Dodgers won during the shortened COVID-19 season. After being noncommittal about attending last year, he ultimately decided to go, emphasizing that his decision had nothing to do with politics.
“This is not about me. This is not about politics,” Betts said last year. “This is about the Dodgers. It’s about my loyalty to these boys, this clubhouse. And that’s all it is for me.”
Mookie Betts Reveals Why He Isn’t Attending Dodgers’ White House Visit