Bush Greets World Series Champs
White House
Bangor Daily News
Vicki Ekstrom
Boston University Washington News Service
2/27/08
WASHINGTON—A Marine Corps band’s rendition of “Sweet Caroline” set the tone as baseball’s 2007 World Champs reunited on Wednesday. It was no Fenway Park, but the team smiled just as proud as President Bush greeted them at the White House.
“Red Sox Nation extends beyond the South Lawn, extends beyond New England,” Bush told more than 1,000 boisterous fans far from home but just as cold on this chilly February afternoon. “It obviously goes to the Caribbean and even the Far East.”
In good spirits, Bush welcomed some players individually.
“We welcome Japan’s Daisuke here to the South Lawn,” Bush said. “His press corps is bigger than mine. And we both have trouble answering questions in English.”
“And how about Jonathan Papelbon. The guy pitches almost as well as he dances,” the president said, referring to the pitcher’s notorious jig wearing underwear after the team won the American League East. “And I appreciate the dress code. Thanks for wearing pants.”
Excited to have this “once in a lifetime” experience, was center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, who began his 2007 baseball season with the Portland Sea Dogs, a Red Sox minor league affiliate, before being called up to the major league mid-season. Ellsbury playedwith the Sea Dogs in 2006 and for17 games in 2007.
“From the moment he joined us in 2006 he had major league all-star written all over him,” Sea Dogs spokesman Chris Cameron said.
Ellsbury and six playoff teammates are former Sea Dogs, including Jonathan Papelbon, Dustin Pedroia, Jon Lester, Manny Delcarmen, Kevin Youkilis and Josh Beckett, who played in 2001 when the Sea Dogs were owned by the Florida Marlins.
The players went from the White House to Walter Reed Army Medical Center. It was starting pitcher Jon Lester’s first time at the facility.
“I’m only 24 years old and I’m seeing kids younger than me with no legs and one arm. It definitely opens up your eyes,” Lester said in a telephone interview. “It wakes you up and makes you realize that everything there is real and there’s a war going on.”
It’s the team’s second trip to the White House in three years, following the World Series victory in 2004. Kevin Youkilis, David Ortiz, Tim Wakefield, Curt Schilling and Jason Varitek are among those who made their second visit on Wednesday.
Boston University Washington News Service reporter Matt Negrin contributed to this story.
