WASHINGTON D.C., DC — UPDATE: The event has ended, however you can watch it below.
It’s a scene that Atlanta Braves fans have long awaited to see — a celebration of champions at The White House with the President of the United States.
As the Braves take their final trip up to D.C. to face the Nationals this week, players were excited as President Joe Biden welcomed in the 2021 World Series champions to celebrate in the East Room.
>> REPLAY OF EVENT:
The current administration is no stranger to championship visits, as Biden and his staff have welcomed five previous champions to the White House during his time in office, with the Braves making six.
The Braves will follow in tradition of handing Biden a jersey with the number 46 on the back, in reference to Biden being the 46th U.S. president, in addition to showcasing the World Series trophy.
11Alive’s Maria Martin spoke with multiple Braves players last week who said they are most excited to see the Oval Office and to shake the president’s hand. For a lot of these players, this could very well be a once in a lifetime opportunity, even though they have championship aspirations once again in 2022.
“Obviously meeting the president, there’s not many people that get to meet the president, the leader of the free world,” Braves relief pitcher Tyler Matzek said about what he’s looking forward to most. “I’m just excited to meet him and see what the White House is all about.”
The Braves last visit to the White House came in 1996, when President Bill Clinton held office following the Braves 1995 World Series championship.
Despite much interest in the idea of former Braves players who were members of the championship team being on-hand for the visit, but the Braves confirmed that will not be the case.
Instead, Brian Snitker extended an invite to everyone on the current Braves roster, regardless of whether they were on last year’s team or not.
The 2021 postseason was not expected to finish the way it did – not for these Braves, who only won 88 games and were without arguably their best player, Ronald Acuña after his injury.
The team, however, despite their less-than-sterling resume, had something else that made them special beyond just wins and stats – they had a team spirit and a gritty resolve that showed up time and time again.
They beat the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS, a quality opponent, and then overcame the heavily-favored defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS.
And then, in the World Series, they beat the Houston Astros in six games to win their first pennant in 26 years.
Now, this year’s Braves team hopes to make it back-to-back trips to the White House. We’ll wait and see.