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Aug. 7 (UPI) -- President Joe Biden on Monday welcomed the Houston Astros to the White House, where he praised the 2022 World Series champions for their wins on the field and the positive contributions the team has made for the community. The Astros won the 2022 series by beating the Philadelphia Phillies in six games in November.
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The president began the event in the East Room by laying out the team's accomplishments in its championship season, drawing applause as he cited the team's advance.
"A hundred and six regular season wins ... the best season ... in the American League. Twenty-one shutouts of opposing teams -- the most in the entire league, including the postseason. Swept the Mariners, the Yankees in the American League playoffs," Biden said. "And then, although I love these guys, this next part is hard to say -- then they beat the Phillies in six games to win the World Series."
"Now, you all realize that means I can't go back to Philly, you know," Biden said to laughter.
Though the afternoon event was a lighthearted one to celebrate the team's athletic achievement last year, Biden said the Houston players and coaches achieved something greater for their community and their fans in how they confronted issues such as domestic violence and pediatric cancer.
"Look, this team didn't just step up on the field, you stepped up for the community. ... You focused on issues that are near and dear to my heart -- I mean that sincerely," Biden said.
But most notably, he said, is how the team reached out to the Uvalde, Texas, community in the wake of the mass shooting there that killed 21 and injured 17 at an elementary school. It's the third deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.
"You know, then, during the terrible winter of 2021, you stepped up helping those most in need. And it matters. Don't underestimate it, guys. It's an American thing to do," Biden said to the assembled players, coaches and staff. "You showed up for the people of Uvalde when they needed it the most."
When the team took 300 kids and their families from the community to a ballgame, it was more than just an offer of a brief respite from their grief and shock after the community tragedy, Biden said.
"Every one of those kids -- and when you guys decided -- the men who decided to roll up and take 300 of these kids and their families to the ballgame, it gave them -- it gave them a little bit of hope," Biden said.
"You know, the community was devastated," the president continued. "And you guys -- my dad used to say, 'Half of winning is showing up.' You showed up."
"You spent time with the surviving students. You gave them hope," Biden said. "You played ball in the park with them. You signed jerseys with their names of the children that were lost on it. ... You hosted a 'Uvalde Strong Day.' You guys are the real deal."
Biden said the team sent a message to the community that, "You're family. You're neighbors. We want to do whatever we can to help you get through this process. And if it's just a smile on a Sunday for our game, that's what we want to do."
"That's what you did. You did a whole lot more," Biden said. "Yes, sports is about winning. But it's a lot more than that. At best, it lifts people up, it brings them together, it helps them be there for each other."
