3 hours ago
7
Former President Joe Biden was spotted supporting the Philadelphia Phillies in the MLB playoffs on Monday night.
Biden, 82, and former First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, 74, made a surprise appearance at Citizens Bank Park to watch the Phillies take on the reigning champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, in Game 2 of the National League Division Series.
And the couple, whose primary residence is in Greenville, Delaware, just a 40-minute drive from South Philadelphia, almost witnessed a thrilling comeback.
The Bidens' beloved Phillies were trailing 4-1 in the bottom of the ninth but mustered a late comeback rally that just fell short.
The Dodgers managed to hold on for a narrow 4-3 win, leaving Philadelphia staring down the barrel of elimination in the best-of-five series.
The Bidens soaked up the theatrics from the stands of Citizens Bank Park, where they sat in the front row of an elevated section of the ballpark.
Former president Joe Biden supported the Philadelphia Phillies in the MLB playoffs on Monday
The 82-year-old was spotted applauding the home team as his wife, Jill, sat beside him
In photos shared to social media by fans, the former President was seen on his feet leaning over the railing as he rooted for the Phillies. Dr. Biden was seated next to him, applauding the home team.
Biden, who was well-dressed in a buttoned-up blue-and-white pinstripe shirt and a blue-gray blazer, was also seen chatting with supporters, who had approached the railing to get his attention.
Despite the result, Biden appeared to be in good spirits as he stopped to take photos with Phillies fans in attendance.
The former President and First Lady haven't been shy about showing off their Philly fandom during past baseball and football seasons.
Dr. Biden was born in New Jersey, but grew up in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, a town just north of Philadelphia.
The president was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, but grew up in Wilmington, Delaware, with his closest major league sports teams located in Philadelphia.
During his presidency, from 2021 until this past January, Biden did not attend any professional sporting events. However, as Barack Obama's vice president, he made a few appearances at certain events.
He and Obama attended a men's college basketball game between Georgetown and Duke in 2010. Biden also threw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Baltimore Orioles game against the New York Yankees in 2009 and saw the Phillies and Yankees in the World Series with Dr. Biden later that same year.
In a photos shared to social media by fans, the former president was seen chatting to fans
Many supporters in Phillies jerseys had approached Biden's section to get his attention
The Bidens appeared to be seated in the front row of an elevated section of Citizens Bank Park
Despite a late rally, the Bidens watched on as their beloved Phillies lost to the Dodgers
Dr. Biden, meanwhile, frequently attended Philadelphia sports games while her husband was president.
Just weeks after her husband left office, the former First Lady watched her beloved Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans in February.
The game was also attended by Donald Trump, who in just the first few months of his second term has already made more sporting appearances than his predecessor, completing a grand tour of high-profile fixtures, including the Ryder Cup, US Open men's final and a recent Yankees regular season game against the Detroit Tigers.
Dr. Biden has previously attended Eagles games, including the 2023 NFC Championship Game, which saw Philadelphia rout the San Francisco 49ers to reach the Super Bowl, where they ultimately fell to the Chiefs.
Earlier that season, she also attended a Philadelphia Eagles game against divisional rivals, the Dallas Cowboys, which was part of her cancer advocacy.
That appearance created headlines when a video went around the internet that appeared to show the crowd vigorously booing the first lady.
That video was later found to have been manipulated.
The hardcore Phillies fan also attended Game 4 of the 2022 World Series between Philadelphia and the Houston Astros.
Game 4 of the Fall Classic is traditionally dedicated to cancer victims and the former first lady was spotted paying tribute to Beau Biden Corey Phelan, the late minor league Phillies pitcher, during a Stand Up To Cancer tribute.
