WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden said Monday that the Atlanta Braves will be “always known as the unexpected kings of October” for their unlikely victory in the 2021 World Series, hosting the team at the White House.
Biden called the Braves’ campaign “joyful and unstoppable.” The team visited the White House with just over a week to go before the 2022 regular season ends and the Major League playoffs begin again. The Braves are 1.5 games behind the New York Mets in the NL East but have secured a wild card spot for the MLB playoffs that begin Oct. 7. Executive director Terry McGuirk said he hoped they would return to the White House soon.
Today, President Biden welcomed the Atlanta Braves to the White House to celebrate their 2021 World Series championship. pic.twitter.com/gmJolW17uh
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) September 26, 2022
In August 2021, the Braves were a mess, playing just .500. But then they started winning. And they kept it up, winning the World Series in six games over the Houston Astros.
“This team has literally been a part of American history for over 150 years,” Biden said. “But none of that was easy… people write you off. ‘Hell,’ I know something about being written off,” she added.
Players lined the stands behind Biden, smiling and waving, but the most talked about player was one who hasn’t been on the team in nearly 50 years and died last year: Hall of Famer Hank Aaron. .
Hammerin’ Hank was the home run king for 33 years, dethroning Babe Ruth on April 8, 1974. He was one of the most famous players in Atlanta and in baseball history. He died in January at the age of 86.
“This team is defined by the courage of Hank Aaron,” Biden said.
McGuirk noted that Aaron, who held managerial positions on the team and was one of Major League Baseball’s few African-American executives, was looking out for them.
The president often honors champions of the major leagues and some college sports with a White House ceremony, typically a nonpartisan event in which the commander-in-chief pays tribute to the champions’ prowess, poses for photos and It goes with a team jersey.
Those visits were very unstable in the previous administration. Many athletes took issue with President Donald Trump’s policies and rhetoric on surveillance, immigration and more. Trump, for his part, did not take kindly to the athletes’ criticism or their expressions of political views on the field.
With Biden, the tradition seems to have returned. He has hosted the NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks and the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the White House. On Monday, he joked about first lady Jill Biden’s Philadelphia allegiances.
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Joe Biden hosts the Braves at the White House