President Bush and David Ortiz exchange greetings yesterday at the White House as Daisuke Matsuzaka looks on.

AP / Charles Dharapak

WASHINGTON — A high-spirited President Bush and several hundred members of Red Sox Nation braved arctic winds on the White House South Lawn yesterday afternoon to welcome the 2007 World Series Champions.

“The Mighty Red Sox Nation has stormed the South Lawn,” Mr. Bush said to cheers from a small sea of somber winter coats brightened here and there by Sox warmup jackets and Sox ballcaps — the green variety as well as the red.

The First Fan — President Bush — clearly in his element among owners and players of the Sox — paid tribute to individual stars with several humorous jabs at them and at himself.

Mr. Bush welcomed “Dice-K” — Daisuke Matsuzaka — and told the crowd, which included a large contingent of Japanese reporters, “His press corps is bigger than mine. And we both have trouble answering questions in English.”

Noting the absence of slugger Manny Ramirez, sometimes a late arrival at spring training, Mr. Bush said to laughter, “I guess his grandmother died again. Just kidding. Tell Manny I didn’t mean it. But I do want to quote him. He said, ‘When you don’t feel good, and you still get hits, that’s when you know you’re a bad man.”’

“I don’t know what that means,” Mr. Bush continued. “But if bad man means good hitter, he’s a really bad man, because he was clutch in the World Series and clutch in the playoffs.

It was the team’s second trip to the White House in recent years. As the banter beneath the Truman Balcony indicated, many of the players also attended a ceremony in the spring of 2005, months after the Sox won the 2004 World Series. Mr. Bush, well acquainted with the quirks of the players, hailed a fellow Texan, pitching ace Josh Beckett, and said, “Man, you’re looking sharp!”

“Better than last time?” shot back Beckett, who first visited after winning the World Series with the Marlins in 2003.

“And how about Jonathan Papelbon?” Mr. Bush said. “The guy pitches almost as well as he dances. And I appreciate the dress code. Thanks for wearing pants.”

Partisan difference were set aside as Mr. Bush, a former owner of the Texas Rangers, welcomed Democratic members of the New England congressional delegation — “Massachusetts and Connecticut,” he said — nodding to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy and Sen. Christopher J. Dodd in the front row. “And probably Rhode Island!” he added to cheers — although none of the Ocean State contingent actually made the trip from Capitol Hill.

Senator Kennedy caught the spirit of the event, telling reporters, “I hope we get another World Series and I hope we get a chance to see Papelbon do his jig.”

Eventually, as is his custom at these White House gatherings of champions from beyond the world of politics, Bush also made some serious points about the value of teamwork and diligent effort.

Turning to a star of the pitching staff, Mr. Bush said, “I appreciate the fact the team has overcome adversity. All of America, whether you’re a Red Sox fan or not, was moved by the Jon Lester story. Jon had a decisive victory over cancer, and in the World Series. And it was an inspiration to a lot of folks who were looking at this good man to determine whether they, themselves, could overcome adversity.”

Mr. Bush also noted that members of the Red Sox planned after the White House celebration to visit wounded warriors at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. “These champs have got a chance to bring some joy in somebody’s heart,” he said, “and I want to thank you for really honoring the true heroes of the United States of America, and those who wear the uniform of our country.”

As the ceremony wound down, the U.S. Marine Corps band struck up Sweet Caroline, the song traditionally played during games at Fenway Park.

And as the champions walked up the stairway to the Truman Balcony of the White House, a chant rose up from the crowd, “Let’s go Red Sox!”

jmulligan@belo-dc.com