The Los Angeles Dodgers are in the midst of some heated division rivalry matchups, facing the San Francisco Giants after winning their series with the San Diego Padres and with another Padres series looming next.
But as the team battles its regional foes, the City of Los Angeles is dealing with some notable turmoil as well. The city has seen a wave of protests against federal immigration raids and some have called on the Dodgers to become more directly supportive as other sports franchises speak out.
“Demonstrations against the federal raids have been staged in downtown for more than a week, but the Dodgers have remained silent,” Dylan Hernandez wrote in a column for the Los Angeles Times. “Angel City FC and LAFC released statements sympathizing with the residents experiencing ‘fear and uncertainty,’ but the Dodgers have remained silent.”
Hernandez pressed the issue with Dodgers official Lon Rosen, who serves as the team’s executive vice president and chief marketing officer. But when asked about the ongoing protests, Rosen made the team’s stance very clear.
“We’re not going to comment,” he told Hernandez.
The columnist also asked Rosen if the team regrets celebrating their latest World Series championship at the White House with President Donald Trump, and Rosen doubled down on the team’s evasive stance.
“We’re not going to comment on anything,” Rosen told Hernandez.
Even as the Dodgers’ primary marketing executive makes it clear that the team won’t be weighing in on the political controversy, others from within the organization have responded in more detail.
Manager Dave Roberts noted that he hopes the games can be a “positive distraction for what people are going through in Los Angeles right now,” per Hernandez. And utility player Kike Hernandez recently spoke out directly against the immigration crackdown.
“This is my second home, and I cannot stand to see our community being violated, profiled, abused and ripped apart,” Hernandez wrote in an Instagram post. “All people deserve to be treated with respect, dignity and human rights.”
But even as many of the city’s residents make their feelings known through ongoing protests, it seems the Dodgers as a franchise won’t be offering specific commentary.
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