San Francisco Giants Visit The White House (PHOTOS)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama is hailing the World Series champion San Francisco Giants as baseball's "characters with character."

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He welcomed the team to the White House on Monday to celebrate the Giants' 4-games-to-1 triumph over the Texas Rangers in last year's fall classic.

Obama was joined by California lawmakers ,including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Giants great Willie Mays. Obama noted that Mays was a 23-year-old outfielder when the Giants last won the World Series.

He also singled out gangly pitcher Tim Lincecum (LINZ'-ih-kuhm), whose nickname is "the Freak," and reliever Brian Wilson, famed for his foot-long beard and outlandish garb. The president said the Giants may be "a little different," but "one thing they know is how to win."

Take a look at pictures from the event below: