Letters to Sports: Dodgers continue to be agents of controversy

Kudos to Dylan Hernández for his column “Dodgers are no longer agents of change,” noting the absurdity of a Dodger team going to the White House to meet Donald Trump. If anything, he was too gentle in pointing out the irony.

It was the Trump administration that removed mention of Jackie Robinson from a Department of Defense website as part of its effort to cancel anything that hints at diversity, equity or inclusion. They claimed later that it was a mistake and restored the Jackie Robinson article, but their only “mistake” was not realizing it would create an outcry. An Air Force webpage honoring Gen.Colin Powell, who was the first Black U.S. Secretary of State, and first Black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was removed, and replaced with the word DEI. It was not restored. The difference between the two groundbreakers is that Robinson is more visible and beloved. Deleting Colin Powell occurred without many people noticing.

Not to mention Trump’s efforts to destroy lots of “mom and apple pie” things like the Department of Education, the Post Office, Social Security, Medicaid, the Centers for Disease Control, and the Constitution. I think the Dodgers meeting the president only helped to normalize the insanity.

I don’t think many Dodger fans would have objected to their beloved team passing on the Trump visit.

Paul Koretz
Los Angeles

The Dodgers, indeed, threw their fans a curveball. How hypocritical to visit Trump one week and then turn around and celebrate Jackie Robinson Day the next. Baseball is not immune to racial prejudice and, unfortunately, neither is this particular White House. We’ve just seen it up close and personal. Very disappointing!

Marty Zweben
Palos Verdes Estates

Fueled by an intense hatred for Donald Trump, Dylan Hernández puts forth a feeble and biased argument against the Dodgers’ visit to the White House. His personal animosity toward Trump appears to cloud his already questionable judgment.

Visiting the White House is a time-honored tradition — a sign of respect for the institution of the presidency, not a blanket endorsement of any president’s politics. It’s about recognizing excellence, not playing politics.

Jackie Robinson, a man of immense grace, integrity, and principle, would have undoubtedly recognized the importance of the office and accepted the invitation with class. To suggest otherwise is to ignore the very values Robinson stood for.

Sam Chaidez
Mission Hills

Please give Dylan Hernández the transfer out of the Sports department, he’s obviously very unhappy and wants to be in the political editorial division.

Rand Elkins
Camarillo

First there was “The Curse of The Bambino.” Now it seems we have “The Curse of The Trump White House Visit.” So be it, I say.

William P. Bekkala
West Hollywood

16-0! Love it! It’s the curse of the White House visit. Didn’t you ever read “Everything Trump touches dies?”

Rico Gardner
San Diego

The Dodgers should think twice about scoring seven runs in the first inning since it’s missed by three-fourths of the fans who are either on the freeway, in the parking lot or in line at the concession stands. Same results goes for scoring after the seventh inning.

Jeff Hershow
Woodland Hills

Having been a Lakers fan for more than 50 years, I don’t recall seeing anything like this. Luka Doncic is the scoring machine. Can you imagine what Chick Hearn would have screamed every time Doncic scored? We’re living in historic times.

Patrick Kelley
Los Angeles

Like all sports commissioners, Rob Manfred’s main job is to be a positive advocate for his game. But to insist that baseball doesn’t have an “affordability problem” simply because attendance is rising ignores the reality that this is true only when grading on a curve against the staggering cost of attending other professional sporting events that have fewer games per season (NFL, NBA, etc.) or concerts if you want to compare baseball against all live entertainment. He’s also ignoring the fact that many sports fans — and American consumers in general — simply solve “affordability problems” by charging everything and worrying about paying for it later.

John Merryman
Redondo Beach

Rory! Rory! Rory! There may not be crying in baseball, but there is crying in golf.

Vaughn Hardenberg
Westwood

I enjoy reading Bill Plaschke’s columns because he’s never afraid to share his opinions — whether they’re complimentary or critical. His takes are often interesting, sometimes entertaining, and usually correct. But what I truly respect is his willingness to admit when he gets it wrong.

In his recent column, “They Hit Power Switch with Redick,” he did just that, acknowledging that his earlier criticism of the Lakers’ hiring of JJ Redick was misplaced. Similarly, he previously admitted he was wrong to criticize the drafting of Bronny James. I agreed with both of those decisions by the Lakers, and I appreciated seeing Bill come around and own up to his initial doubts.

It’s refreshing to see a sports columnist “man up” and admit when he’s off the mark. Credit to Bill for that.

Al Swedelson
Woodland Hills

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