Third Time Giants Honored at White House

The adage 'the third time is the charm' really holds true for the San Francisco Giants.

The 2014 World Series champions were honored Thursday, for a third time, by President Obama in White House East Room style.

President Obama recognizes World Series champions San Francisco Giants
Thursday in the East Room.  Photo/CD Brown.

In usual celebratory fashion the president poked fun at the players, shed hope for his team (the Chicago White Sox) and commended the giants team for their championship season.

"Whenever the Giants make the playoffs... they'll probably win it", said the president.

Commenting on what could be defined as the team's winning strategy, the president said, "They've got that even-year magic, they've got that championship experience."

The president even suggested he was good luck for them.



The team imparted gifts upon the president, among them a team-autographed jersey, baseball, and new this year - a team autographed base with the president's name and date secured along the side.

President Obama marvels at signed baseball base presented to him  from
World Series Champion San Francisco Giants.  Photo/CD Brown.

The team was also recognized for the part in helping building a multi-million dollar Junior Giants Urban Youth Academy for boys and girls from under served areas of San Francisco.  The state-of-the-art facility, with training facilities and two baseball fields, will also offer mentoring, tutoring and college prep programming.

Said the president, " It’s the kind of initiative that fits right in with the goals of our My Brother’s Keeper initiative to keep all of our young people out of trouble and give them the opportunity to stretch as far as their dreams will take them.  And it builds on the work that Major League Baseball is already doing to lift up young people in communities like Compton and New Orleans, and right here in Washington, D.C."

The Junior Giants program has also awarded $500,000 in scholarships, said the president.

Legends in the House

Baseball icons and Hall of Fame inductees Monte Irvin and Willie Mays joined the team on stage.  Both men got a rousing applause from the attended audience members as they were being assisted from their wheelchairs to their assigned seats. 

In 2009 Mr. Mays joined President Obama aboard Air Force on a trip to St. Louis where the president threw out the first pitch at the MLB All-Star game.

A Buster Posey baseball card and a baseball wait to be autographed by the SF Giants. Photo/CD Brown.

A signed SF Giants jersey and baseball base were gifts presented to the president by the Giants.  Photo/CD Brown.