Biden jokes about being past his prime while hosting Houston Astros

President Biden on Monday joked about people thinking he was past his prime, comparing himself to Houston Astros’ manager Dusty Baker while welcoming his team at the White House.

The Astros won the 2022 World Series, beating the Philadelphia Phillies in Game Six to win the Major League Baseball championship. Biden celebrated the team, at one point calling out Baker.

“Dusty, it wasn’t easy. People counted you out, saying you’re past your prime. Hell, I know something about that,” the president said, laughing along with people in the crowd.

Baker, 74, became a manager for the San Francisco Giants in 1993 after playing himself for 19 seasons, including for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He previously was the manager of the Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2017.

Biden called Baker “legendary” and said “this part’s hard to say” when he noted that the Astros beat the Phillies to win the World Series. First lady Jill Biden is a Philadelphia sports fan and the president often jokes that he is a fan by marriage.

The Astros presented Biden with a “46” jersey and took a photo with him holding it up. In his remarks, Biden also noted that the Astros work on charitable projects like domestic violence support, support for kids with cancer, and supporting the people of Uvalde, Texas after the deadly school shooting in 2022.

Texas members of Congress attended the ceremony at the White House, including Democratic Reps. Sheila Jackson Lee and Al Green and Republican Reps. Randy Weber and August Pfluger.