President Joe Biden is set to host the Texas Rangers at the White House on Thursday to honor their victory as the 2023 World Series champions, marking the franchise’s first-ever title win. The Rangers emerged victorious against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 5 of last November’s World Series.
It is a time-honored tradition for championship sports teams, both professional and collegiate, to visit the White House and receive recognition from the president. The upcoming visit will provide a rare public appearance by President Biden, who has remained largely out of the spotlight since announcing on July 21 that he would not seek reelection and would endorse Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for the presidential race in November.
Following their game against the Houston Astros, the Rangers were scheduled to travel to Washington on Wednesday. After the White House ceremony with President Biden, the team will head to New York to kick off a three-game series against the Yankees on Friday.
This visit will mark the fourth occasion for Rangers manager Bruce Bochy to visit the White House. Previously, he visited the White House three times after winning titles with the San Francisco Giants in 2011, 2013, and 2015, all during Barack Obama’s tenure as president.
The announcement of the White House visit was made by the Rangers on Monday, with official confirmation from the White House following early Tuesday.