CHAMPIONSHIP TOUR

World Champion Houston Astros visit the White House in style

World Champion Houston Astros visit the White House in style
Jeremy Pena was recognized for his history-making award. Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images.

The Houston Astros flashed some championship swagger on Monday, August 7 as they made their second trip to the White House since 2017 to celebrate a World Series title.

Our gents who normally don the orange and blue unis stepped out in some killer suits — and kicks — as they made the trip to Washington D.C. to meet President Joe Biden. All Star Alex Bregman rocked some H-Town-worthy, red and yellow Jordans (a nod to the Houston Rockets) with his suit. And speaking of suits, Justin Verlander — who just returned to the team via a deadline-edging trade — was truly on-season and on-theme with his gold/khaki custom summer number.

Super slugger Yordan Alvarez — a strapping six-foot-five and clad in steel-blue custom suit and shades — looked every part the steely Secret Service agent.

Fans have been all over the team on Instagram and Facebook as our guys arrived in D.C. and strolled into the White House like total ballers.

At the official ceremony, President Biden congratulated the team and listed their many accomplishments during their second World Series run that saw the team topple the Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, and Philadelphia Phillies (Biden joked that he wouldn't be able to return to Philly after noting the loss.)

He also spotlighted star shortstop Jeremy Peña for his historic title as the first rookie position player to win the World Series MVP award. Peña, for his part, sheepishly raised his hand and flashed that million-dollar smile.

President Biden then congratulated and welcomed the Astros manager with a generous, “...and this is not hyperbole — the legendary Dusty Baker,” pointing out that the legend and Major League Baseball elder statesman won his first World Series title as a manager with the Astros.

“People counted you out saying you’re past your prime—I know a little something about that,” Biden said with a chuckle. The room, full of team staff, Houston elected officials, and more, erupted in laughter.

Biden also recognized the Astros off the field for “raising awareness for things near and dear to my heart,” such as domestic violence, children battling cancer, and Winter Storm Uri.

In a poignant moment, the president turned away from the podium mic to thank team owner Jim Crane and the team personally for their unforgettable efforts after the Uvalde tragedy through the Astros Foundation, which even included a special game-day experience.

“You played ball in the park with them,” he said with a tone of reverence and gratitude, adding that such time, “validates in a way I don’t think you really understand. You’re an impressive group of men. You really are.“

Crane, afterwards, thanked the president, team, and staff “from the announcers to the guys who clean the stadium.”

“I parked cars with that guy when I was 16,” Crane noted, pointing to Astros senior manager of parking Gary Rowberry. Always gracious with fans, Crane thanked them, noting that they “pay the bills.”

Welcomed by whoops and hollers, Baker, thanked his World Series-champion team, calling them, “the greatest guys I’ve been around.” Baker spotlighted his team's “perseverance” and that what he feels is their best quality: “they genuinely love each other... and I love them all.”

Baker, before the World Series jersey presentation to President Biden, then made a promise that's music to every Astros fans who wants to watch this ceremony again next year: “We plan on repeating.”

Secret Service or World Series champ? Yordan could be both. Photo via: Astros Facebook.

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The Warriors beat the Rockets, 104-93. Photo by Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images.

Stephen Curry closed his eyes and rested his tired head on Jimmy Butler's right shoulder as the superstars shared another postgame moment.

This time, with Butler injured and wearing street clothes — a full-length fur coat at that.

“Well first, he had a fantastic coat on,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “I thought he was going to be way too hot in that thing.”

Sidelined for Game 3 of Golden State's first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets, Butler had a front-row seat to watch his teammate take over Saturday night in a 104-93 win that gave the Warriors a 2-1 lead.

Curry scored 36 points with five 3-pointers and had nine assists and seven rebounds in nearly 41 minutes. He had been determined to do more if Butler couldn't play after injuring his pelvis and suffering a deep gluteal muscle contusion in a hard fall during Game 2.

Butler and Curry can compare notes on their injured backsides, given that Curry has dealt with a bruised tailbone multiple times. For now, Curry appreciates the support, whether Butler is in uniform or not.

And the fur Butler was wearing?

“I almost didn't need a hot pack on the sideline sitting next to him. There was plenty of heat emanating from him,” Curry said before adding, “He's a savvy veteran, high-IQ guy, he's got a presence whether he's active or not where his voice matters, and we needed him to lift everybody up on the bench and give us that energy. His presence matched the fit for sure.”

Kerr wasn't ready to guess whether Butler will be able to play in Game 4 on Monday night.

“He’s literally day-to-day. We have tomorrow off. It will be helpful for him to have another day, and then it’s a night game,” Kerr said. “So he gets a few extra hours. So we’ll see. I have no idea right now if he’s going to play.”

Butler had been set to go through his pregame routine, which he does out of sight on the team's practice court and not the playing floor before games at Chase Center. He had an MRI exam Thursday in the Bay Area a day after he was hurt in Houston.

“We had to have Jimmy’s back while he was out,” said Gary Payton II, who scored 11 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter. “Hopefully we get Jimmy back for Game 4 and get back to our regularly scheduled program.”

Jonathan Kuminga, who didn't play for three straight games before rejoining the rotation in Game 2 when Butler got hurt, was in the starting lineup for his fourth career playoff start.

Butler went down hard when he was fouled by Amen Thompson late in the first quarter and then missed the rest of the Warriors’ 109-94 Game 2 loss on Wednesday night.

Butler tried to secure a rebound when Thompson undercut him and sent the Warriors star’s feet high into the air so that he came down straight onto his tailbone. Both players thudded to the floor and Butler grimaced in pain, grabbing at his backside. He stayed in briefly to shoot two free throws before going to the locker room.

Kerr appreciated Butler's insight on the bench.

“Jimmy is so smart. He reminds me so much of Andre Iguodala," Kerr said. “Incredible basketball IQ and then the ability to communicate what he’s seeing to his teammates on the bench. I thought Jimmy was important for us tonight in that regard. He was talking to guys throughout the game, and giving them advice, giving some help, and that was big.”

In the Game 1 win against the Rockets, Butler had 25 points on 10-for-19 shooting, seven rebounds, six assists and five steals in 42 minutes. The Warriors are 26-9 since Butler made his debut at Chicago on Feb. 8, including 23-8 in the regular season, a play-in tournament win over Memphis and the three games against Houston.

“We know they are still dangerous without Butler, so that doesn’t change anything as far as that," Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “We didn’t make them pay, especially with the paint shots.”

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