Dodgers' White House Visit Sparks Fun Moments and Jokes

WHO:

Yahoo Sports - Three notable Dodgers absent from the White House visit were Mookie Betts, Kiké Hernandez, and reliever Edgardo Henriquez. Betts revealed he likely wouldn’t join his teammates at the Oval Office for family reasons.

US Magazine - The Los Angeles Dodgers, President Donald Trump, Mookie Betts, Kiké Hernandez, Edgardo Henriquez, Mark Walter, Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto

WHAT:

Defector - Trump boasted about the changes made to the Rose Garden, including replacing grass with white stone, stating, "the White House is built on a wetland, and when you build on a wetland, the grass is always wet."

Defector - Trump mentioned, "We're building a beautiful helipad, after many years, you know the helicopters were landing on the grass," during the ceremony.

Defector - Trump incorrectly stated, "If you would have told me you could be the best pitcher and the best hitter at the same time—you know, Babe Ruth was pretty close to that," while paying tribute to Shohei Ohtani.

Defector - Trump claimed, "They consider it the worst trade in the history of sports," referring to Babe Ruth's trade, while providing an incorrect account of the details.

Yahoo Sports - There was uncertainty surrounding the Dodgers’ visit this year after scheduling conflicts prevented the team from making a stop at the White House during their opening road trip to kick off the season, which began with a three-game series against the Nationals.

US Magazine - The Dodgers visited the White House to commemorate their 2025 World Series victory.

Yahoo Sports - President Trump made jokes during the ceremony, including asking Ohtani and Yamamoto, “Who’s the better pitcher?”

Yahoo Sports - Trump praised the Dodgers for nearly 20 minutes during the ceremony.

Yahoo Sports - Dodgers owner Mark Walter presented Trump with a No. 47 jersey and a World Series ring.

WHERE:

US Magazine - The event took place at the White House in Washington D.C.

Yahoo Sports - The ceremony was held in the Rose Garden.

WHEN:

US Magazine - The Dodgers are back-to-back World Series champions, having won the 2025 title.

US Magazine - The visit occurred on July 23, 2026.

WHY:

Yahoo Sports - The visit was to celebrate the Dodgers' success in winning the 2025 World Series against the Blue Jays.

HOW:

Yahoo Sports - The Dodgers traveled to Washington on their off-day during a nine-game road trip.

Trump recently showcased the changes made to the Rose Garden, highlighting the replacement of grass with white stone and explaining that the White House is built on a wetland, which keeps the grass perpetually wet. During the ceremony, he also announced the construction of a new helipad, noting that helicopters had previously been landing on the grass for many years. Additionally, while paying tribute to Shohei Ohtani, Trump mistakenly claimed that Babe Ruth was the best pitcher and hitter at the same time, referring to Ruth's trade as "the worst trade in the history of sports" but providing an inaccurate account of the details.