Obama goes low with All-Star first pitch
President's ceremonial throw just makes it to home plate to open game
 Charlie Riedel / AP President Barack Obama throws the ceremonial first pitch to the National League's Albert Pujols on Tuesday. |
 | Video: Baseball from NBC Sports |
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ST. LOUIS - President Barack Obama was true to his word: He didn’t bounce it.
Determined his ceremonial first pitch at the All-Star game would reach the plate on the fly Tuesday night, Obama delivered — barely. St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols helped him, moving up to scoop the low toss inches off the dirt.
“We did a little practicing in the Rose Garden,” Obama said during a half-inning with the FOX broadcasters. “This is as much fun as I’ve had in quite some time.”
Television viewers, however, were initially left to wonder whether the presidential pitch skipped. The TV angle cut off Pujols’ catch, and many people at Busch Stadium weren’t completely sure.
When Obama later visited the broadcast booth, Fox showed a replay from the center-field camera that proved the ball made it home in the air.
“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,” Obama said.
Obama was at ease visiting the teams before the game and during his time on the air. Asked whether there were bailout funds to help the National League’s losing streak, he cracked, “We’re out of money.”
Wearing a Chicago White Sox jacket, jeans and sneakers, and cheered by the sellout crowd, Obama walked out of the NL’s dugout on the first-base side, shook hands with Cardinals Hall of Famer Stan Musial and trotted to the mound.
Fresh from warming up a day earlier on the White House grounds, Obama went right to rubber, all 60 feet and 6 inches away. The left-hander wound up and bit his lip as he let fly.
Obama grimaced slightly, but gave a fist pump when Pujols — a Gold Glove first baseman — made the neat grab with a specially made black mitt with “Obama .44” and an American flag on it.
Obama became the latest Chicago hoopster to try his hand at baseball. Like Michael Jordan, the president looked more comfortable in his other job.
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The All-Star game capped off a big sports outing for the president. He began the day by greeting Wimbledon champion Serena Williams at the White House, then picked up Hall of Famer Willie Mays in Michigan for the flight to St. Louis.
As for what advice he gave Obama, the Say Hey Kid said: “Follow through.”
“He’ll be fine. I guarantee it,” Mays said aboard Air Force One.
This was the second time Obama threw out a first ball at a big league game. As a U.S. senator, he did it when his favorite White Sox played the Angels in the 2005 AL championship series.
“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,” Obama said. “Here, at least they had me down with Pujols in the batting cage, practicing a little bit.”
Obama’s motorcade left the ballpark in the bottom of the fourth inning, and the AL eventually won 4-3 for its seventh straight victory. He was due back at the White House shortly after midnight EDT.
After arriving in St. Louis, Mays and Obama walked off the plane arm-in-arm, and headed to the ballpark.
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