Four-time World Series champion and Dodgers star Mookie Betts explained why he likely won’t join his teammates for this year’s White House visit. He said his family comes first, especially since he and his wife, Brianna Hammonds, welcomed their third child in mid-April.
Explaining his potential decision, Betts told the California Post on Saturday that his family will join him on the East Coast road trip, during which the Dodgers will meet President Trump on an off day (July 23) between their regular-season series against the Yankees and the Phillies.
“I’m not trying to make this a whole big deal. 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 going to make it a whole bunch of other stuff… If I do [go], people are going to hate me. If I don’t, people are going to hate me. So instead of trying to make everyone else happy, I’m going to think about myself and my family,” Betts said.
Betts and his wife welcomed their second daughter, Khari, in April, growing their family to five. Their eldest, Kynlee Ivory, was born in November 2018, and their only son, Kaj Lynn, arrived in April 2023.
Mookie Betts Reiterated His Decision is Not Politically Motivated
Expanding on his reason for possibly not joining his teammates at the White House, Betts explained that, like last year, his decision was not driven by politics. However, he also admitted that people would still try to involve him in political discussions.
“People are going to try to drag me into politics, just because I am who I am. That’s just the cards I’m dealt with. So it is what it is,” Betts said.
The eight-time All-Star will not be headlining the Midsummer Classic this year. Betts’ offensive production has been subpar this season, with a .238 batting average, 11 home runs, 30 RBIs, and 55 hits in 59 games.
The incumbent World Champions are 61-34 on the season, sitting comfortably atop the NL West, 13.5 games ahead of the second-place Arizona Diamondbacks.
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