President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday welcomed the 2020 World Series Champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, to the White House, the first team to do so since the 46th president took office in January.

What You Need To Know

  • President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday welcomed the 2020 World Series Champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, to the White House, the first team to do so since Biden took office

  • The Dodgers are also the first team to visit the White House since the COVID-19 pandemic struck last year

  • The team presented Biden a Dodgers jersey with the number '46' for his place in the line of presidents and a number '49' jersey to Vice President Kamala Harris

  • The move highlights a return to championship teams visiting the White House, a tradition that took place sporadically over the four years of the Trump administration

The Dodgers, who defeated the Tampa Bay Rays to win the title last year, are also the first team to visit the White House since the COVID-19 pandemic struck last year – a major step for the Biden administration as it tries to tout a return to normalcy and the nation's emergence from the pandemic.

“It takes a team to persevere through one of the most challenging seasons, one of the most challenging years in our nation's history,” Biden said. “I think what we discovered is that we need sports more than we ever realized.”

The move also highlights a return to championship teams visiting the White House, a tradition that took place sporadically over the four years of the Trump administration.

“Today, we celebrate your incredible achievement. We celebrate the great work you do on and off the field,” the president said, highlighting Dodger Stadium’s use as a COVID testing site, vaccination site and voting location.

“Above all, as we beat this pandemic and celebrate fans coming back to stadiums, we celebrate something else: a national achievement,” he added.

The team presented Biden a Dodgers jersey with the number '46' for his place in the line of presidents and a number '49' jersey to Vice President Kamala Harris, who is from California but is a San Francisco Giants fan.

"Our hope was that we were able to provide just a little bit of joy and comfort and relief to our fans are going through some tough times," said Clayton Kershaw, the Dodgers' starting pitcher, who presented Biden with the jersey. "This season, it's been incredible to have fans back in the ballpark. We miss their energy and their passion for the game."

President Biden also joked about where his baseball loyalties lie, saying that he's in a "mixed family" when it comes to sports, since the First Lady is from Philadelphia.

“My wife is a Philly girl from her belt buckle to her shoe size,” Biden joked. “If I root for anybody but the Phillies, I’ll be sleeping in the Lincoln Bedroom alone.”

Major League Baseball teams did visit the White House under former President Donald Trump, including the Boston Red Sox, Washington Nationals and the Houston Astros, as did some college teams – most notably the Clemson Tigers football team, who were served fast food catered by the president, which he paid for himself, due to a government shutdown – and National Football League teams, including the New England Patriots.

Teams that won the National Basketball Association title, however, did not visit the Trump White House during his term, with the former president clashing with the likes of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr.

The president also joked that the team might be back at the White House again this year if they win another title.

The Dodgers, 2nd-place in the National League West Division, are in the District for a four-game series against the Nationals, who are currently in 2nd-place in the National League East Division after the first-place New York Mets.