Sports
WATCH: Chicago Cubs Visit President Barack Obama at the White House
Even though he is a White Sox fan, the president hosted the World Series champions Monday and congratulated them on their title.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In one of his final official acts, President Barack Obama hosted the World Champion Chicago Cubs at the White House on Monday.
Obama, a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, congratulated the Cubs on the title, and the team presented him a signed "W" flag.
"Among Sox fans, I'm the the Cubs No. 1 fan," Obama said during the visit.
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WATCH the members of the Chicago Cubs visit the White House on Monday:
UPDATED (1:12 p.m. Monday, Jan. 16)
Find out what's happening in Lakeviewfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Theo Epstein, president of baseball operations for the Chicago Cubs, talks to the media Monday as part of the Cubs' White House visit with President Barack Obama (screen shot via video by The White House | YouTube)
ORIGINAL STORY
CHICAGO, IL — Apparently, delivering his farewell address from Chicago won't be President Barack Obama final act as chief executive with strong ties to his hometown. Next week, Obama will perform one of the most sacred duties of the office: welcoming the World Series champions — in this case, the Chicago Cubs — to the White House.
The Cubs are scheduled to visit the White House on Monday, Jan. 16, according to NBC 5 Chicago. Obama, a staunch White Sox fan, extended the invitation in a post-victory phone call to Cubs manager Joe Maddon last year, and the timing worked out for Monday's visit because much of the team would be in Chicago for this weekend's Cubs Convention, the report added.
The team's fan event begins at 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 13, and runs through Sunday, Jan. 15, at the Sheraton Grand Chicago, 301 E North Water St. Some of the current players expected to be at the convetion are Jake Arrieta, Kris Bryant, Kyle Hendricks, Jason Heyward, Jon Lester, Anthony Rizzo, Addison Russell, Kyle Schwarber, Matt Szczur and Ben Zobrist.
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Although it wasn't known which players would be making the trip to Washington, D.C., a majority of the players on the roster planned to attend, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. It was not known if any members of the Ricketts family — the majority owners of the Cubs with strong ties to President-elect Donald Trump, who tapped co-owner Todd Ricketts to be deputy commerce secretary — would be there, the report added.
With their visit Monday, the Cubs would become the second pro sports team from Chicago that Obama has hosted at the White House after winning a title. The Blackhawks have visited Obama after each of their three Stanley Cup victiories — 2010, 2013 and 2015 — during his eight years in office.
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No word if unofficial Cubs good luck charm Bill Murray was invited and if he, too, would be making the visit.
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