Home Run Derby

President George W. Bush has always been a big fan of baseball.  And I suppose that means he can’t be that bad of a guy.

He’s always had a pretty impressive baseball pedigree.

• Bush played Little League baseball as a child – and is the only US President to have played Little League … more on that later.
• Bush had collected over 250 autographed baseballs while governor of Texas (probably way more now). 
• Bush’s great uncle was one of the original owners of the New York Mets … which may have inspired W to own a ballclub of his own.
• Bush was the former owner of the Texas Rangers and helped get a new stadium for the Rangers.

And quotes like this display that it’s not all for show …

“I don’t know how I fell in love with baseball, I just loved to play it. Everyone who loves baseball can remember the first time he saw the inside of a real major league park with real big-league players. It stays with you forever – the greenness of the grass, the sight of major leaguers in uniform, the sound of a big-league swing meeting a big-league pitch.”

“I never dreamed about being President, I wanted to be Willie Mays.

That man gets it.  About baseball, anyway.

So it was no surprise that he would be a familiar face at baseball games throughout his Presidency.  And now, on his last day as President of the United States … let’s look back at where Bush has been …

April 6, 2001 – Miller Park, Milwaukee, WI

President Bush and Baseball commissioner Bud Selig threw out the ceremonial first pitches at the Milwaukee Brewers’ brand-new Miller Park. 

Have there ever been two more disliked CEO’s together on a pitcher’s mound?

August 14, 2001 – Coors Field, Denver, CO

President Bush took some time out on a west coast trip to take in a Rockies game in Denver.

He left after the seventh inning stretch, which means he missed the Rockies come back and win in ten innings.  Always stay till the end, folks.

October 30, 2001- Yankee Stadium, New York, NY
2001 World Series Game Three

This was George W Bush’s defining baseball moment as President.  Bush was the first President to throw out a pitch at a World Series game since Jimmy Carter in 1979 … and this one was done in the shadow of the the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center.

Bush forewent the traditional baseball warmup jacket for a pullover emblazoned with FDNY, honoring those Firefighters who lost their lives helping to save others.

With a nation still in shock and anxiety from the attacks, Bush threw a strike to Yankees Todd Greene.  And the crowd erupted in chants of “USA!! USA!!”

I had really forgotten how powerful that moment was.  

April 5, 2004 – Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO

Bush took a few years off from attending baseball games … but the itch returned.  And so did the pitch.

He looks a lot older.

April 14, 2005 – RFK Stadium, Washington DC

With the return of baseball to the Nation’s capitol, you knew that Bush would make an appearance.

He became the first president to throw out a first pitch in Washington since Richard Nixon in July, 1971.  Bush would return to RFK two more times, on July 8, 2006 and July 5, 2007.

That’s the security at the 7/5/07 game. Spotting the crowd for any risks.

April 3, 2006 – Great American Ballpark, Cincinnati, OH

Bush became the first sitting President to thorw out the first pitch on Opening Day in Cincy.  Which is often considered the “official opening” of the baseball season.

He also took some pictures with the players and handled Ken Griffey Jr’s lumber.

Caption contest for the picture with Ken Griffey, Jr. Go at it in the comments. 

March 31, 2008 – Nationals Park, Washington DC

Bush opened the Nationals’ new stadium with a first pitch which will be remembered as much as (if not more than) his first pitch in Yankee stadium nearly six and a half years prior.

But not for the cheers he received …

He still threw a pretty good ball from the mound. 

August 2008 - 2008 Olympics, Beijing, China

This past summer, Bush went to China to hang out with the United States Olympic Team.  Naturally, he hung out with the US Men’s Baseball Team and threw out a first pitch at a practice game between the US and China. 

Throughout his presidency, Bush would always host Little League champions and he opened up the White House lawn twenty times for Tee Ball, to raise awareness and promote participation in childrens sports.

Which makes sense, since Bush was a Little League ballplayer back in his youth. 

Well, just for fun … here’s an eight-year old George W. Bush in his Little League Uniform back in 1954.

That is just awesome. 

That looks like a good old fashioned uniform  – no polyester, no long pants, great stripey socks (do those have stirrups?) and … is he wearing Chuck Taylor All-Stars? 

Fabulous. 

Picture Courtesy of the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum.

It will be interesting to see how and if Dubya continues his involvement with baseball. 

Walkoff Walk is taking bets when he shows up at a game. 

Big League Stew has news that he won’t succeed Bud Selig as baseball commissioner.

This entry was posted on Monday, January 19th, 2009 at 3:22 pm and is filed under Ballparks, Bud Selig, First Pitches, Politics, Uniforms. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.