I just read Bill Shaikin’s excellent column contrasting the Dodgers’ option to visit the White House with Jackie Robinson’s legendary civil rights stands throughout his life.
As a lifetime Dodger fan who has tried to stay as apolitical as possible, I would be absolutely ashamed of my Dodgers if they were to attend this photo op. I was ashamed last year, too. But nowhere near as much as this year.
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Please don’t go.
Eric Monson
Temecula
Just to let Dave Roberts know, there is something bigger than baseball. On the wall in my den are my father’s medals: a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star from when the United States sent my father, Marcelo Villanueva, and others like him, to fight Adolf Hitler.
When our freedoms are being taken away, it’s not OK if you go to the White House and visit the man who is taking them away. Which means my father fought for nothing. You should be ashamed of yourself. You don’t deserve to wear the same uniform Jackie Robinson did.
Ed Villanueva
Chino Hills
I agree with Bill Shaikin that for the world champion Dodgers to visit the fascist friendly White House would be an implicit contradiction of Jackie Robinson’s legacy. Most of the players probably don’t care, but you wish a manager like Dave Roberts (in L.A.!) were as smart and sensible as Steve Kerr. Apparently he is not.
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Sean Mitchell
Dallas
I couldn’t disagree more with Bill Shaikin and his stance that the Dodgers should decline the opportunity to visit the White House. In a world of increasing stresses and dangers, sports is, or should be, a reprieve from the news reported on the front pages. After 9/11, for example, we celebrated the return of baseball as a valued respite from the tragedies we were dealing with. Allow baseball to continue to be this respite, Bill, and stop trying to drag sports into the fray.
Steve Kaye
Oro Valley, Ariz.
Bad look, Dave. It doesn’t help to invoke Jackie Robinson, then in the next breath, “I am (just) a baseball manager.”
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Can’t have it both ways. Shaikin is right. Decline.
Joel Soffer
Long Beach
If Roberts feels he needs to go, he should. But the rest of the team should not. Dodger management should support them. Roberts conveniently thinks that going is not a political statement. It is. Roberts’ going supports Trump. The man who raised him and served this country did not do so to see it under the thumb of a corrupt man who attacks all that it has stood for. Today we are all politically identified by the choices we make. There’s no avoiding it.
Eric Nelson
Encinitas
Bill Shaikin nailed it when he talked about and quoted Jackie Robinson and compared him to Dave Roberts’ spineless decision to take the Dodgers to the White House. It’s “only” sports? A team of this renown, in a city terrorized by ICE, in a state directly harmed by Trump? Thank you, Mr. Shaikin, for calling Roberts out.
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Ellen Butler
Long Beach
Thank you, Dave Roberts, for making the decision to go to the White House and celebrate our Dodgers’ victory in the World Series. It’s a thing called respect for the office of the president no matter what political party is involved. I don’t care about the L.A. Times sports writers’ politics, so keep your political opinions out of the Sports pages.
Lance Oedekerk
Upland
No defense for Lakers
With the return of Austin Reaves, the Lakers are back to their three scoring leaders, who can’t play defense, which doesn’t bode well for the Lakers’ playoff chances.
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Vaughn Hardenberg
Westwood
By trading for Luke Kennard, who is an excellent shooter but inadequate defender, it seems as though the Lakers will disregard defense in the hopes of outscoring opponents. What’s the Lakers’ next move, rehiring Mike D’Antoni?
Richard Raffalow
Valley Glen
Curses! Clippers fans say
The Bill Plaschke curse is alive and well as described last week. The other one in L.A. is the Clipper curse. With the trade of James Harden to Cleveland for Darius Garland, the curse will be Harden finally winning an NBA championship and Garland continuing to be injury prone and not playing comparable to his past.
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Wayne Muramatsu
Cerritos
We pause this 17-4 sprint by the Clippers, who are passing teams and headed for playoff contention, for this message from Steve Ballmer and Lawrence Frank: “This is fool’s gold. We’re trading away our top players. The season is officially over.”
These trades would have been available at season’s end, maybe even with a better return not under the gun of the trade deadline. Instead, the best of James Harden, Ivica Zubac and a finally healthy Kawhi Leonard has been flushed. Unless there is more to the Leonard story indicating an impending punishment from the NBA, this is an absolute disservice to Clippers fans this year and in immediate years to come.
Robert Goldstone
Corona del Mar
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High scores for this pair
Your piece on Tai Babilonia and Randy Gardner was heartwarming and most enjoyable. My favorite part of their story is simply that, through everything, they’re still good friends.
Anthony Moretti
Lomita
Speaking of curses
Since Bill Plaschke is picking the Patriots, I’ll select the Seahawks and Sam Darnold to win Super Bowl LX.
Vaughn Hardenberg
Westwood
The Los Angeles Times welcomes expressions of all views. Letters should be brief and become the property of The Times. They may be edited and republished in any format. Each must include a valid mailing address and telephone number. Pseudonyms will not be used.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.