Dodgers Opinion: In a Time of Crisis, the Dodgers Choose Unity Through Neutrality — And That’s Okay
LOS ANGELES — At a time when the city of Los Angeles is engulfed in turmoil — with federal immigration raids disrupting neighborhoods, protests spilling onto freeways, and trust in institutions shaken — the Los Angeles Dodgers find themselves at the center of a cultural moment whether they want to be or not.
Some fans and critics have demanded action. Others want silence. And in the middle, the Dodgers have chosen something much harder to pull off: neutrality.
No official statement. No teamwide campaign. Just baseball.
In an age where everything is political and silence is often interpreted as complicity, that stance has drawn criticism — especially when juxtaposed with emotional moments like singer Nezza’s decision to defy team instructions and sing the national anthem in Spanish at Dodger Stadium on Saturday night.
Wearing a Dominican Republic shirt, Nezza posted a TikTok explaining that a Dodgers employee told her the anthem was to be sung in English only. “So I did it anyway,” she said. In a follow-up video, she explained that the Spanish-language version she performed was originally commissioned by the U.S. State Department in 1945. “Today, out of all days, I just felt like I needed to do it. Para mi gente.”
Her quiet act of rebellion struck a chord with many in the crowd, especially as ICE raids have disproportionately targeted Latino communities across Los Angeles. But the Dodgers themselves — beyond allowing her to perform — stayed silent.
Some see cowardice. I see balance.
The Dodgers are not a political party. They are a baseball team, albeit one with a massive platform and deep roots in a city that has long seen sports as a mirror of identity, struggle, and pride. They have Latino legends like Fernando Valenzuela enshrined in their history, and they host one of the most diverse fanbases in all of Major League Baseball. But their mission, especially during crisis, is not to lead the protest march — it’s to provide the space to breathe.
Manager Dave Roberts, who remains the only team representative to publicly acknowledge the immigration raids, put it simply: “I just hope that we can be a positive distraction for what people are going through in Los Angeles right now.”
Critics have scoffed at this, with LA Times columnist Dylan Hernández calling it “cowardly” and accusing the team of abandoning its most loyal fans in a time of need. “How ungrateful. How disrespectful. How cowardly,” he wrote. But even as other local franchises like LAFC and Angel City FC issued statements of solidarity, the Dodgers have chosen to let the players and moments speak for themselves.
And some moments have spoken.
Veteran fan-favorite Kiké Hernández, in an emotional Instagram post, voiced his support for the community, writing, “I cannot stand to see our community being violated, profiled, abused and ripped apart. ALL people deserve to be treated with respect, dignity and human rights.” He closed with the hashtag #CityOfImmigrants — a quiet reminder of what this city really is. Chcek out the full post here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DK5t9AlPVfA
Kiké’s post didn’t come from a team PR directive. It came from the heart. That matters. It means more than a prewritten press release. It’s personal. It’s real.
Likewise, Nezza’s anthem wasn’t a PR stunt. It was a personal, deliberate choice to honor her community during a moment of pain — and the Dodgers, whether or not they agreed, let it happen. They didn’t cut her mic. They didn’t escort her off the field. They let the moment live.
That is neutrality in practice. It’s not silence — it’s choosing not to overshadow the voices of those who are living it directly.
Yes, this city is hurting. Yes, the fear and anger are real. Yes, there is power in speaking out. But there is also power in restraint — in making space for those who need to speak.
Nezza did. Kiké did. The fans protesting in Dodgers caps and carrying signs on the 101 Freeway did. And the Dodgers — the institution — are quietly letting them have that space.
It’s a tightrope. It always is when sports meets social crisis. There are fans on both sides of this cultural divide — those who feel unseen in the silence, and others who just want to watch a ballgame without politics. The Dodgers, in declining to take sides publicly, have not abandoned either group. They’ve simply chosen the middle path.
It’s a risky choice. But maybe it’s the right one for now.
Let the game be the game. Let the people speak. And let each moment, whether a home run from Kiké or a Spanish anthem from Nezza, speak louder than a press release ever could.
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