ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves are heading to the White House next week.
President Joe Biden invited the World Series champions to Washington D.C. on Sept. 26 at 11:30 a.m. to celebrate their first title since 1995.
The Braves beat the Houston Astros last year. It is tradition for sports teams to visit the White House after winning championships.
The 2021 postseason was not expected to finish the way it did - not for these Braves, who only won 88 games and were without arguably their best player, Ronald Acuña after his injury.
The team, however, despite their less-than-sterling resume, had something else that made them special beyond just wins and stats - they had a team spirit and a gritty resolve that showed up time and time again.
They beat the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS, a quality opponent, and then overcame the heavily-favored defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS.
And then, in the World Series, they beat the Houston Astros in six games to win their first pennant in 26 years.
It is unclear if any players from that team, no longer on the Braves, will be in attendance at the White House visit. Freddie Freeman and the Dodgers, however, also have an off day on the 26th.
Now, this year's Braves team hopes to make it back-to-back trips to the White House. We'll wait and see.
News happens fast. Download our 11Alive News app for all the latest breaking updates, and sign up for our Speed Feed newsletter to get a rundown of the latest headlines across north Georgia.