In a brief ceremony in the East Room of the White House, March 12, President Donald Trump saluted the World Series champion Houston Astros, and celebrated the “unbreakable spirit of the great State of Texas” in a speech to the team and gathered reporters.

A life-long New York Yankees fan, Trump conceded to the Astros that as good as his hometown team was last season, “You guys were a little bit better.”

A major theme of the gathering, too, was the acknowledgment that the city overcame so much in 2017, and Houston’s baseball team rose up to lift the city’s spirits. The Astros championship run happened in the same year Hurricane Harvey severely handicapped Houston and many surrounding communities.

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The Cajun Navy entered the East Room to thunderous applause, kicking off the ceremony. President Trump made a point of applauding the efforts of Houston businessman Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale, who was invited by the Astros to attend the ceremony. McIngvale donated hundreds of mattresses to Houstonians immediately following the hurricane’s destruction.

In a customary gesture, Astros outfielder Josh Reddick presented the president with a No. 17 home white Astros jersey, with “Trump” printed on the back.

The team also got an opportunity to tour the Oval Office, and even shook hands and chatted a bit with the president.

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Astros’ Official Remarks

Speaking of the hurricane and his team’s playoff run and eventual championship, Astros owner Jim Crane explained, “I think it just united the city at a very bad time. It gave it something to be cheerful for.

“We saw people sitting out in their driveway with their TVs running off a generator watching the games. It was a big uplift for the city at a time when we really needed it.”

Manager AJ Hinch took the opportunity to celebrate the team’s inherent diversity in his remarks to the media following the fete.

“When you look at our team, we come from everywhere, we’ve got some big guys, some small guys; it’s a very, very unique group, similar to our country,” Hinch said. “I want the people around the country to fall in love with the Astros as much as our city did, and that’s because of the makeup of our team.”

Capitol Hill Odds’n’Ends

The Astros, on their Monday Spring Training off day, flew from their West Palm Beach complex home to Washington, DC for the special occasion. According to Astros GM Jeff Luhnow, he was “Surprised with how much time we got to spend with President Trump and touring the White House.” After their time at the ceremony, the team boarded a bus to catch their plane back to Florida.

Members of the 2017 team, Carlos Correa and Ken Giles did not attend. The team’s media relations department said each had “a family obligation” that prevented them from making the trip. And, while currently playing for other teams after transactions in the offseason, Astros championship team pitchers Luke Gregerson and Joe Musgrove (St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates, respectively) were extended invitations and joined the Astros at the celebration, and on their plane to and from Washington.

Attendance Update: In the March 13 Houston Chronicle, it was reported that Correa missed Monday’s White House appearance due to his helping arrange for more relief supplies for shipment to hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico, where he grew up. “It was not politics or anything,” Correa told the Chronicle. “It was just that the day off was perfect to be able to provide some help for the people in Puerto Rico in need.”

Puerto Rico was damaged in September by Hurricane Maria, shortly after Harvey’s collision with the Houston area. With the assistance of the team’s owner, Jim Crane, Correa helped send a plane of supplies to Puerto Rico in October.

“I don’t only represent the Houston Astros, I don’t only represent my family, but I also represent the American citizens that are living in Puerto Rico,” Correa added. “I just want to bring some awareness to what is going on.” According to the Chronicle, “Correa’s family and his fiance, Daniella Rodriguez, joined him on Monday to help finalize the next shipment, which he hopes will depart South Florida via ship before the end of spring training.”

“I didn’t think it was right for me to go and talk to the president about Puerto Rico when we were going there for the team, for the amazing year we had and for what we brought to the city of Houston,” Correa explained. “It’s an honor to be invited to the White House. I want to thank the president for all the help he provided to my second hometown, which is Houston, and some of the help he’s provided to Puerto Rico, but we’re still in need in Puerto Rico.” Correa said his relief efforts will continue into the season.

“For me there is nothing better than getting phone calls from the people in my hometown thanking me, getting videos from the people in my hometown thanking me for all the help I’ve been providing,” he concluded.

Ace starting pitcher Justin Verlander nestled with the Commissioner’s Trophy on the bus trip to the White House. The World Series trophy, of course, was given prominent display in the East Room for the ceremony.

Both Verlander and ace 2.0 Dallas Keuchel posed for separate photos at the president’s podium, mugging for cameras, with Keuchel posting “Four Score and Seven Years ago #whitehousetour #champions” on his Instagram.

Josh Reddick couldn’t resist posing for a photo at the podium, himself. He posted on social media: “What a great honor it was today to be at the White House. Thank you President Trump for having us!”