MLB ALL-STAR Game AL won…again…4-3.
barry came out of the dugout and went over to a golf cart where St Louis great Stan Musial was sitting. He took the ball and then jogged out to the mound. His toss was marginally better than his bowling. Albert Pujols stretched forward to catch the pitch before it bounced.
[When they interviewed Pujols - not related to barry - he looked like a kid. He looked like the old-timers did. Nice to see someone actually show a love for the game - not just the fame and money - which of course he already has. I hope he is clean.]
barry was wearing his White Sox jacket. Why?
Everyone knows I’m a White Sox fan and my wife thinks I look cute in this jacket. Between those two things – why not?
Not a very good view of the pitch.
cjk002
barry then had to go into the booth like the other presidents. Nobody can beat Ronald Reagan at Wrigley with Harry Caray.
His excuse for his lob:
I did not play organized baseball when I was a kid and so, you know, I think some of these natural moves aren’t so natural to me.
Throwing a baseball? He’s never thrown a baseball or softball around with his girls? Secret Service come in handy:
We did a little practicing in the Rose Garden. This is as much fun as I’ve had in quite some time.
barry threw out the first pitch when the White Sox played the Angels in the 2005 AL championship series. He took credit for them winning the World Series.
You know, my general strategy the last time I threw a pitch was at the American League Championship Series and I just wanted to keep it high. Now, there was no clock on it, I don’t know how fast it went — but if it exceeded 30 miles per hour, I’d be surprised. But it did clear the plate.
When you’re a senator, they show you no respect so they just hand you the ball. You don’t get a chance to warm up. Here, at least they had me down with Pujols in the batting cage, practicing a little bit.
The coolest thing was barry picked up Willie Mays and shuttled him to St Louis in Air Force One. That must have been such an experience for him. A man who lived segregation even as a Major Leaguer and played with men who came up through the Negro Leagues (Ernie Banks, for one) got to fly with barry.
Here’s Mr Mays answering a few questions on Air Force One. He talks about how he never thought a man “of his race” would be president.
What did he tell barry?
Follow through. He’ll be fine. I guarantee it.
Mark Buehrle, who grew up a Cardinal fan and still lives in the area, was the only Sox player. I’m sure they put him in in the third inning so barry could watch. 9 pitches – 7 strikes – 3 batters – 3 outs – including Pujols.
BUEHRLE: [Obama] came in and shook everybody’s hand. He said he was going to wear a White Sox jacket and I thought he was [kidding]. I was real surprised. I looked out and said, ‘Holy cow, he’s actually doing it.’ Everybody around me was giving me a hard time.
Bottom of the fourth barry took off in his motorcade.
MLB Commissioner BUD SELIG:
It’s a big thing. The players will enjoy it. The fans will enjoy it. But it’s another testament to the meaning of this sport. We are a social institution and whether we want to admit it or not, and for years I don’t think baseball wanted to admit that, we do have enormous social responsibility, and clearly that intrigued the White House and the president.
Source (except Buehrle quote): AP BEN WALKER
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