LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers’ first game of the season in South Korea was overshadowed afterward by Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter hinting at his stealing from the Japanese superstar. Their last postgame was a beer and champagne-fueled celebration of the franchise’s eighth World Series title.
In between came a multitude of injuries, especially to the rotation as well as Mookie Betts' broken hand and Freddie Freeman's sprained ankle, Ohtani's historic 50/50 feat, the franchise's 11th National League West title in 12 seasons, and compiling the best record in the majors.
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Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts celebrates their win against the New York Yankees in Game 5 to win the baseball World Series, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman celebrates their win against the New York Yankees in Game 5 to win the baseball World Series, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Teoscar Hernández (37) and Shohei Ohtani celebrate after the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in Game 5 to win the baseball World Series, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and Freddie Freeman celebrate their win against the New York Yankees in Game 5 to win the baseball World Series, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani celebrates their win against the New York Yankees in Game 5 to win the baseball World Series, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Then came the playoffs, where the Dodgers proved a resilient bunch.
They trailed rival San Diego 2-1 in the National League Division Series and rallied to win in five games.
They were pushed to six games in the NL Championship Series by the New York Mets before advancing.
They were about to lose the World Series opener until Freeman delivered the first walk-off grand slam in Series history. They ran through eight pitchers to eke out a 7-6 victory over the New York Yankees to close out the Series in five games.
“We just kept going. Even in the postseason, I don’t think anyone had us picked. I don’t think they had us picked to get out of the first series,” manager Dave Roberts said. “For us to go out there and fight and scratch and claw and win 11 games in October, that’s a credit to our guys.”
Investing a billion dollars to acquire Ohtani and fellow Japanese player Yoshinobu Yamamoto last offseason certainly paid off, even if Ohtani's playoff performance didn't match what he did during the regular season when his offense carried the Dodgers.
Ohtani reached career highs in home runs, stolen bases and RBIs and is the favorite to win NL MVP honors. In the playoffs, he went 2 for 19 with no RBIs and had one single after partially dislocating his shoulder in Game 2 of the World Series.
“What Shohei’s done to our ball club, the Dodger fan base domestically, globally, I just don’t think you can quantify,” Roberts said. "He was playing with one arm in the postseason. So most guys would probably tap out, but he was going to not be denied at playing and posting and being in the lineup."
The Dodgers made some key pickups at the July trade deadline, including pitchers Jack Flaherty — who was one of three healthy starters in the playoffs — and Michael Kopech as well as utilityman Tommy Edman, whose offense in the NLCS earned him MVP honors.
Ohtani’s former interpreter is on his way to jail on bank and tax fraud charges when he’s sentenced in December. Ohtani is going back to being a two-way sensation next year when he resumes pitching after he spent this season recovering from a second elbow surgery.
The Dodgers have eight players who became free agents when the World Series ended: Walker Buehler, Flaherty, Kiké Hernández, Teoscar Hernández, Daniel Hudson, Joe Kelly, Kevin Kiermaier and Blake Treinen.
Hudson announced his retirement after Wednesday night's victory, while Kiermaier had already said he planned to retire.
The Dodgers hold team options on Austin Barnes and Miguel Rojas for next season. Clayton Kershaw has a player option and has said he plans to be back after a toe injury kept him out of the playoffs.
But for now the celebration continues.
After winning a neutral-site World Series against Tampa Bay in 2020 and being denied a parade because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Dodgers have pent-up energy to burn.
“I’m sure there’s no asterisk on this one,” Roberts said.
They will commemorate their championship with a downtown parade and Dodger Stadium celebration on Friday, which would have been Fernando Valenzuela's 64th birthday. The 1981 NL Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year winner died last week.
“It’s going to be emotional,” said Roberts, who was friends with Valenzuela. “I know he’s smiling right now and very proud of this organization.”
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Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts celebrates their win against the New York Yankees in Game 5 to win the baseball World Series, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman celebrates their win against the New York Yankees in Game 5 to win the baseball World Series, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Teoscar Hernández (37) and Shohei Ohtani celebrate after the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in Game 5 to win the baseball World Series, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and Freddie Freeman celebrate their win against the New York Yankees in Game 5 to win the baseball World Series, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani celebrates their win against the New York Yankees in Game 5 to win the baseball World Series, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's budget office on Wednesday rescinded a memo freezing spending on federal loans and grants, less than two days after it sparked widespread confusion and legal challenges across the country.
The memo, which was issued Monday by the Office of Management and Budget, had frightened states, schools and organizations that rely on trillions of dollars from Washington.
Administration officials said the pause was necessary to review whether spending aligned with Trump's executive orders on issues like climate change and diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
But on Wednesday, they sent out a two-sentence notice rescinding the original memo. The reversal was the latest sign that even with unified control of Washington, Trump’s plans to dramatically and rapidly reshape the government have limits.
Administration officials insisted that despite the confusion, their actions still had the intended effect by underscoring to federal agencies their obligations to abide by Trump’s executive orders.
“The Executive Orders issued by the President on funding reviews remain in full force and effect and will be rigorously implemented by all agencies and departments,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, blaming the confusion on the courts and news outlets, not the administration. “This action should effectively end the court case and allow the government to focus on enforcing the President’s orders on controlling federal spending.”
The vaguely worded order, legal pause and eventual cancellation left organizations confused and worried again about what might be next.
Nourishing Hope, which runs foods pantries, home meal delivery and an online food market in Chicago, gets roughly 20% of its food budget comes from the federal government. CEO Kellie O’Connell said the biggest issue when the memo surfaced was getting clear and accurate information so they could figure out how to plan for the coming months.
If their federal funds were frozen, O'Connell said, they could make it a few weeks. But the wider concern was the possible end of assistance, like food stamps, which would increase demand on her organization.
“If that were to significantly diminish or get eliminated, it will be nearly impossible for the charity food system to step up,” she said of food stamps. “It would be potentially catastrophic for our communities.”
On Tuesday, Trump administration officials said programs that provide direct assistance to Americans, including Medicare, Social Security, student loans and food stamps, would not be affected.
However, they sometimes struggled to provide a clear picture. Leavitt initially would not say whether Medicaid was exempted from the freeze, but the administration later clarified that it was.
The White House's change in direction caught Congress off guard, particularly Trump’s Republicans allies who had defended him throughout the brief saga.
“This is Donald Trump. He throws hand grenades in the middle of the room, and then cleans it up afterwards,” said Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota. “I just think the guy’s a genius.”
Cramer acknowledged the initial memo may have generated too much political heat, with red and blue states raising alarms over the funding freeze. But the senator suggested Trump “maybe didn’t understand the breadth” of what had been proposed.
But Democrats said the White House had overreached beyond what Americans want.
“Most people voted for cheaper eggs,” said Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico. “They did not vote for this chaos.”
The funding pause was scheduled to go into effect at 5 p.m. Tuesday. It was stayed by a federal judge until at least Monday after an emergency hearing requested by nonprofit groups that receive federal grants.
An additional lawsuit by Democratic state attorneys general was also pending, and a hearing was held Wednesday in federal court in Rhode Island. Chief Judge John J. McConnell said he was inclined to issue an order blocking any attempt at a funding pause, saying there was the possibility of “irreparable harm.”
After the initial memo was distributed Monday, federal agencies were directed to answer a series of yes or no questions about each program by Feb. 7. The questions included “does this program promote gender ideology?” and “does this program promote or support in any way abortion?”
Although Trump had promised to turn Washington upside-down if elected to a second term, the effects of his effort to pause funding were being felt far from the nation’s capital. Organizations like Meals on Wheels, which receives federal money to deliver food to the elderly, were worried about getting cut off. Even temporary interruptions in funding could cause layoffs or delays in public services.
Barbara Teed, 73, of Bloomington, Minnesota, said she felt “panic, absolute panic” when she learned the freeze could affect her.
Teed lives with her 38-year-old son, Ryan, who has Down syndrome. Both receive meals from Bloomington-Eden Prairie Meals On Wheels.
“This is sometimes my only meal of the day. So it’s really, really important to me,” said Teed.
Reynier Prieto, whose 5-year-old son, Liam, attends the Head Start program at Easterseals South Florida, said the program is helping address speech development issues so that Liam can hopefully attend public school next year.
“It’s the most important thing for our life right now,” Prieto said. “That’s the way that we can go out of our home and work, and we know that he’s in good hands.”
Losing a program like Head Start could be bad for many families, and government officials should take the time to examine each one that receives federal money, Prieto said.
“Programs like this, they need to review it and make sure that it’s not cut because this actually helps the community,” Prieto said.
Democratic critics of the order celebrated the memo's rescinding.
“This is an important victory for the American people whose voices were heard after massive pressure from every corner of this country," said Sen. Patty Murray of Washington. She said Trump had “caused real harm and chaos for millions.”
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said, “Americans fought back and Donald Trump backed off."
Associated Press writers Sophia Tareen in Chicago, Mark Vancleave in Minneapolis and David Fischer in Miami contributed to this report.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters at the White House, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
President Donald Trump speaks before signing the Laken Riley Act in the East Room of the White House, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Barbara Teed unpacks a Meals on Wheels deliver for herself and her 30-year-old son Ryan, who has Down syndrome, on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, in Bloomington, Minn. (AP photo/Mark Vancleave)
Bloomington and Eden Prairie Meals on Wheels Executive Director Wendy Vossen delivers meals for Barbara Teed and her 30-year-old son Ryan, who has Down syndrome, on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, in Bloomington, Minn. (AP photo/Mark Vancleave)
Barbara Teed unpacks a Meals on Wheels deliver for herself and her 30-year-old son Ryan, who has Down syndrome, on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, in Bloomington, Minn. (AP photo/Mark Vancleave)
Barbara Teed thanks Jan Orcutt and Wendy Vossen for delivering food for herself and her 30-year-old son Ryan, who has Down syndrome, on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, in Bloomington, Minn. (AP photo/Mark Vancleave)
Barbara Teed unpacks a Meals on Wheels deliver for herself and her 30-year-old son Ryan, who has Down syndrome, on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, in Bloomington, Minn. (AP photo/Mark Vancleave)
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One en route from Miami to Joint Base Andrews, Md., Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One en route from Miami to Joint Base Andrews, Md., Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)