Astros accept invitation to visit White House: 'We'll have a good showing'

The Houston Astros are going to the White House.

Team president of business operations Reid Ryan confirmed Wednesday that the reigning World Series champions have received an invitation to the White House in recognition of their title, and plan to attend.

"This is a tradition and an honor. For many people, this might be their only time to ever be invited to the White House," Ryan told Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle. "And as the representatives of baseball and the World Series champs, when the White House calls and invites you to come up, it's something that as an organization we felt both a responsibility and an obligation to be part of."

The Astros have yet to decide a date in which they will attend. The club won't play the Washington Nationals this season, and doesn't travel to Baltimore until the final week of the campaign, so a visit during spring training could be in the works.

Following the World Series win, several Astros players were asked if they would visit the White House. Outfielder and World Series MVP George Springer said that he would go if the team agrees to go. Pitchers Dallas Keuchel and Lance McCullers Jr. both said they had no issues with going, and third baseman Alex Bregman said he would visit if his Puerto Rican teammates Carlos Beltran and Carlos Correa agreed to attend.

"I expect the core group of folks to go and people in the front office and the coaching staff because it's an honor," Ryan said, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. "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."