HOUSTON -- The Astros have been invited to be recognized at the White House in honor of winning the 2017 World Series, team president Reid Ryan said Wednesday.
Because the Astros don't play the Washington Nationals in the 2018 regular season and won't play the Orioles in Baltimore until late September, Ryan said the team is eyeing a visit to Washington to meet President Donald Trump during Spring Training.
"We don't have the date confirmed, but we think that's the best time for us to make at trip up there," Ryan said.
The White House reached out to the Astros last month, Ryan said, but no date has been set for the trip. It's customary for teams who win major sports championships to visit the president at the White House. The Astros begin Spring Training next month in West Palm Beach, Fla., so they'd have to travel from Florida to Washington to make the trip happen.
"We end the year with the Orioles, and obviously, depending on what happens, those could be really meaningful games and it's almost a year after we've won the championship, so it's probably not the right time," Ryan said. "Talking with them, we let them know we want to go because it's an honor and it's a tradition within the game of baseball, and as the World Series champs, we represent baseball. We're excited that we got invited."
As a kid, when his dad, Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan, was playing for the Angels in the 1970s, Reid Ryan was able to tour the White House while the Angels were playing the Orioles. He also attended a Christmas party at the White House along with his family when George W. Bush was president.
Ryan said he expects a strong Astros turnout, especially because most of the team is returning this year.
"I expect the core group of folks to go and people in the front office and the coaching staff because it's an honor," he said. "An invitation to the White House is something that many Americans never have the opportunity to receive. We'll have a good showing, for sure."