Boston Red Sox closer Koji Uehara and relief pitcher Junichi Tazawa were honored with their 2013 World Series champion teammates in a ceremony at the White House on Tuesday.
U.S. President Barack Obama delivered remarks from a South Lawn podium with members of the championship team standing behind him during the televised event.
"I think for the nation as a whole there was something about this particular squad that was special and will go down in history — not just because they went from worst to first, but because they symbolized the grit and the resilience of one of America's iconic cities during one of its most difficult moments," Obama said, referencing the April 15, 2013 bombings that rocked the Boston Marathon, leaving three dead and hundreds injured.