The Dodgers may have won the World Series, but they’ve lost the trust of their fans.

By Andrea Cacciuttolo

Image source: LA Times

Winning a World Series is the goal every team sets to accomplish at the beginning of their season. For contenders, to play in October is not only praised: it’s expected. But for the Los Angeles Dodgers, winning their ninth World Series comes with more mixed emotions than euphoria due to the recent controversies with ICE raids in Los Angeles. 

Dating all the way back to August, there have been protests throughout the LA area about the lack of action from the Dodgers organization about ICE raids affecting the region. After eight weeks of protest, it seemed that the Dodgers committed $1 million to “help families affected” after having their hair and teeth pulled. Only after these protests did they begin to deny ICE parking access to the stadium. 

But the controversy continued. 

After it came to light that the Dodgers are owned by Guggenheim Partners and Mark Walters respectively who own a stake in a private prison corporation that operates ICE detention centers, many have looked back on team president Stan Katsen’s statements about “wanting to stay away from politics” as hypocritical and disappointing for a franchise that has historically been progressive in the face of sociopolitical issues dating all the way back to integration. 

And so the question for 40% of the Dodgers fan base (Source: LA Times) becomes this : “Is it okay to root for the Dodgers?” 

Yes, Mark Walter committed almost a billion dollars to retain star pitcher Shohei Ohtani and he was a major reason the Dodgers won back to back titles but some argue that if you won’t stand up for the community that fills the seats night in and night out, and remain silent when ICE agents make sure they unjustly cannot come back to those seats; Titles become meaningless. 

It is a common understanding in the modern socioeconomic state of the United States that corporations “Do not care about you”. And for many Latine fans of the Dodgers, it’s fair to say that the little to no action of the Dodgers is a stark reminder of this fact. 

Sports have always been interlinked with politics. Despite what certain groups may insist, sports and politics intersect at multiple avenues. Why? Because fan bases are made up of a myriad of people from all economic and regional backgrounds, and when certain policies unjustly target and oppress a large group of that fan base, it becomes something you cannot ignore. The argument being, if you ignore it, you are complicit in its oppression.

For many Latine people, sports have followed us all throughout our lives. Rooting for your team in the World Cup with your tios and tias screaming at the top of their lungs with you are cherished memories. In baseball it’s no different. 

So, is it ok to root for the Dodgers? 

Short answer: Yes. But just like the relationship between this team and their Latine fan base, it’s more complicated than that. Corporations respond to one thing and one thing only: Money. The Dodgers are no different, and even with the protests they saw no dips in attendance. So, with questions surrounding the Dodger’s upcoming visit to the very White House that’s putting hardworking citizens in internment camps there’s only one course left. Action. If there’s less attendance, less engagement, less money lining the pockets of Mark Walter and the Dodgers front office, they might be forced to break away from their compliance with Trump’s administration. 

No fan should have to worry about being taken away from their family, have that family be torn apart because they went together to enjoy a baseball game. Until it’s clear that the Dodgers will protect their fans only then will the long road to healing begin.