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Obama joins All-Star festivities
ST. LOUIS - President Obama met a lot of people before he threw out the first pitch of the All-Star Game.
Phillies centerfielder Shane Victorino was the only one to bring him a present: a box of macadamia nuts. Both grew up in Hawaii.
"My parents came in and brought sonme goodies," Victorino said before appearing in his first All-Star Game last night. "It was nice to see him again [after the Phillies visited the White House earlier this season]. I just wanted to bring him a little taste of home."
Obama wore a black White Sox warmup jacket when he threw out the first pitch at Busch Stadium.
"I was hoping he would bring us some luck," manager Charlie Manuel said. "But I know he's a White Sox fan, so maybe in his heart he was pulling for the American League."
Commissioner Bud Selig said the White House quickly accepted his invitation to appear as part of a salute to 30 community volunteers, one for each big-league franchise. Also part of the pregame festivities was a video promoting service that featured the four living former presidents - George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter - plus Obama. Meeting Obama on the field were the six living Cardinals Hall of Famers: Stan Musial, Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, Red Schoendienst, Ozzie Smith and Bruce Sutter. Musial delivered the ball for the first pitch.
Obama's lefthanded delivery was to Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols. He became the fourth president to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the All-Star Game, joining John F. Kennedy (1962), Richard Nixon (1970) and Gerald Ford (1976 and 1978). Other presidents who attended the game: Franklin D. Roosevelt (1937), Ronald Reagan (1989) and George H.W. Bush (1991 and 1992).
The National League fell to 4-1 in All-Star games when a president threw out the first pitch.
Cha-ching, cha-ching
Late scratch
He was replaced in the lineup by Michael Young, of the Rangers, and on the AL roster by Chone Figgins, of the Angels. So the Rays remain the only major league team to have never had a player start an All-Star Game. Jose Canseco was elected as the designated hitter in 1999, but also had to step aside because of an injury.
"It's just unfortunate," Longoria said. "[But] it would be a disservice to go out and try to play and win a game when I'm not in full health."
He's expected to be back in the lineup when the Rays resume play after the break.
Figgins leads the American League with 68 runs scored and was able to make it to St. Louis from his Tampa-area home in time for the game.
AL manager Joe Maddon, formerly an Angels coach, knows Figgins well. He recalled that when the team used to visit Tropicana Field, his mother would bring food to the park.
"Really good barbecue chicken and ribs. Baked beans with cinnamon," he said with a smile.
Extra innings
The Phillies are the 13th team to have all three of its outfielders (Raul Ibanez, Shane Victorino, Jayson Werth) on the All-Star roster and the first NL team with two outfield starters (Ibanez, Victorino) since 1983, when Montreal's Tim Raines and Andre Dawson were in the lineup . . . Boston's Tim Wakefield is only the eighth knuckleballer to be selected to an All-Star Game and the first since Charlie Hough in 1986. Joe Maddon said before the game that Cleveland's Victor Martinez was likely to be behind the plate when Wakefield pitched. "I've already talked to Victor about it, and he's game," Maddon said. "He said, 'Bring him on, I'm good with it.' I was really impressed with his answer" . . . It has been 42 years since St. Louis hosted an All-Star Game, the longest gap ever. * Tampa Bay third baseman Evan Longoria would have become the first Rays player ever to start an All-Star Game, but it was announced yesterday that he had to withdraw because of an infected right ring finger.
The Phillies will happily ante up, of course, but having five players on the All-Star team cost the club $175,000 in incentive bonuses. Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez got $50,000 apiece, while Shane Victorino, Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth earned $25,000 each.
