Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Thoughts on Obama at The 2009 All Star Game

I arrived home in time to watch President Obama throw the first pitch before the 2009 All-Star Game in St. Louis.

President Obama was getting some jazz from the faithful in St. Louis. However, I think this had more to do with the fact he was wearing a Chicago White Sox jacket in Cardinals country than with his appointment of Sonia Sotomayor. That was rather gauche.

Speaking of which it turns out that President Obama is a lefty in both his pitching and his politics. I wanted to see his pitch but the camera crew on FOX only showed him delivering the ball from the mound. It didn't show where the ball ended up. Naturally, I wondered if Obama had uncorked a wild one and if FOX had something to hide.

However, my father saw the pitch and he said it was a strike. FOX called it a perfect strike. I later saw the pitch. It was a 55 foot curve ball. OK, I've seen worse first pitches. Can you say Mariah Carey? Well, she did throw a first pitch wearing high heels and booty shorts.

The FOX sports crew was fairly giddy about Obama even if he wasn't wearing high heels and booty shorts. Ken Rosenthal said that Seattle Mariners perennial All-Star Ichiro Suzuki was "like a 12-year-old" around Obama. I was thinking, "Oh come on." But if you click on the link to Obama's first pitch the video evidence seems to support Rosenthal's statement.

Obama joined FOX broadcasters Tim McCarver and Joe Buck for the bottom of the 2nd inning. AL starter Roy Halladay got two quick outs. I thought maybe this will be over and done with painlessly. However, the NL collected four straights hits and scored three runs. While the NL rallied, McCarver and Buck continued to suck up to Obama not wanting the moment to end. As it turned out it was the only runs the NL scored tonight.

Obama was still wearing the White Sox jacket in the booth. He made a point of saying that he was "not a Cubs hater." Rather he just doesn't root for them. I suppose that's how he feels about conservatives.

McCarver and Buck invited Obama to stay for another half inning but the President said he was being told to move on. I must say I agree with Obama on this one. I, too, would try not to be in the company of McCarver and Buck for any extended period of time.

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