A U.S. flag hangs from the ladders of a firetruck parked outside Dodger Stadium before the team’s home opener on Thursday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
When their moment came to show the world what they were about, they were served a fastball over the middle of the plate.
And the Dodgers whiffed.
Stupid me, thinking they’d overcome their penchant for choking when they won the World Series last season.
The Dodgers have accepted an invitation from President Trump to visit the White House on April 7, the franchise of Jackie Robinson bending the knee to hateful forces similar to the ones they challenged when breaking their sport’s color barrier.
How pathetic. How spineless. More than anything, how hypocritical.
Read more: Dodgers will visit President Trump and the White House to celebrate World Series title
Eight days after their White House visit, the Dodgers will celebrate Jackie Robinson Day. They will insinuate, if not outright say, they are more than a baseball team. They will portray themselves as leaders of social progress. They will be full of it.
The Dodgers are embarking on the path of least resistance, and that’s not what leaders do. Leaders don’t cower in fear of ignorant extremists, no matter how many of them there are. Leaders do what is right and deal with the consequences.
Before the Dodgers’ home opener on Thursday, team president Stan Kasten made an unconvincing effort to reframe the discussion about the upcoming trip to the White House.
“This was something we discussed with all the players, all of whom wanted to go,” Kasten said. “Remember, everyone in here grew up wanting to be a world champion and all the things that come with it, and it comes with a champagne toast, silliness in the locker room, a parade, rings, an invitation to the White House. It’s what they all come to associate with being world champions. Everyone wanted to go, and so we did.”
In other words, Kasten would like for the Dodgers to be treated like just a baseball team when it comes to the White House visit. How convenient.
Read more: Plaschke: Honoring past, dominating present, unbeaten Dodgers shine in home opener
Asked about the discrepancy in the values promoted by his franchise and the Trump administration, Kasten replied, “This [has] nothing to do with politics. For everyone in this room, this is about what they get as their reward for being world champions, getting to the White House. I think there are probably people in this room who have…