In the midst of a disappointing season following last year's World Series victory, the Texas Rangers were able to celebrate their success one last time on their day off, visiting the White House and being congratulated by President Joe Biden. This was a welcome respite from the fact that the team currently sits at 54-61 and in third place in the American League West.
At the very least, the Rangers can boast that they were serenaded with a rendition of Creed's “Higher,” a classic that the team used as inspiration during last season's World Series. Will the song ever be played at the White House again?
Somewhere, lead singer Scott Stapp is likely, and rightly so, pumping his fist in the air.
Biden praised the Rangers' resilience after missing out on the AL West title last season and reaching the playoffs as a wild card. They defeated the Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore Orioles and Houston Astros before beating the Arizona Diamondbacks in five games to win the World Series.
“You never gave up. You kept the faith. And just like your favorite band, Creed, you carried each other higher and higher,” Biden said, according to the Associated Press.
The Rangers presented Biden with a jersey with his name and number 46 emblazoned on the back and cowboy boots, which the president joked would make him “two inches taller.”
Visits to the White House are a near-regular occurrence for Rangers manager Bruce Bochy, who previously celebrated Biden's three World Series championships with the San Francisco Giants after the 2010, 2012 and 2014 seasons when Biden was vice president under President Barack Obama.
“I've said before that winning the World Series is a gift that keeps on giving,” Bochy told SI.com's Stephen Stevenson before the trip. “We get to tour the White House. It's a beautiful place. It's a historic moment for our team. Only one team gets to experience that.”
You can watch the ceremony here.
