Video at the White House

Okay, last thing I'm posting about the White House visit. Here's the AP's video from YouTube.

And in the "From the Ridiculous to the Sublime" Department, the team left the White House and went on a visit to the Walter Read Army Medical Center. There, the greeted injured vets just recently returned from Iraq and the Gulf. The Herald and RedSox.com have good accounts of the visit, and the Globe has some photos.

I think it was awesome that they do that. Not only because those brave men and women are deserving of any attention they get for what they've sacrificed for our country. But I also think it's a real reality check, especially for the younger players. They've all been caught up in seeing themselves as American heroes, and I think meeting some true heroes can only have a positive impact on them.

And now, it's almost time to put 2007 behind us. We still have Opening Day (April 8th!) ahead, but tonight is the first game of Spring Training - being broadcast live on NESN! Yeah, time for Don "Donny O" Orsillo and Jerry "RemDawg" Remy. I can't wait!! I only hope there's some pizzer tossing in the stands!!

More from the White House

Scout Tufankjian/Polaris Images

A little different angle on the Evita shot. I love Kyle Snyder's reaction!

Lifted from SoSH (RSN Diaspora)

Is there anyone other than Kyle in this photo?? Oh, yeah, Beckett, Wake, and Manny D look pretty sharp, too. I love MDC's pocket square. How elegant. And Kyle with his overcoat. Aww.

Lifted from SoSH (educatedcheese)
This is the most fantastic part of the DC adventure. According to Amalie, David Ortiz rode in a policeman's sidecar from the White House over to Walter Read. He was following in the footsteps of Terry Francona, who had hopped into it at the airport and rode over to the White House that way. And Kyle Snyder then rode in it from Walter Read back to the airport. Said Ortiz:

"It was fun, but it was too cold, man," Ortiz said. "It wasn't a good idea but Tito forced me to do it. He said he did it, so I didn't want to look like a [coward]. So I did it.

Kyle said his ride was twice as long as the other two, but he didn't feel he could ask the police officer to pull over and let him get back on the team bus. This is quite the mental image:

With his face frozen, and his knees squeezed into the tiny sidecar, Snyder said he was going about 40-45 mph on the sidecar.

At 6'8", that was quite a tight squeeze, I bet!

In real baseball news, the Sox won their first exhibition game today against Boston College, 24-0. Beckett pitched 2 innings, 4 strikeouts. And Kyle pitched 2 innings, too. The second game is against Northeastern, and it's due to start at 6pm

The White House Visit

All images from the AP
So, the 2007 World Series Champions paid a visit to President Bush today at the White House. They were honored in a ceremony on the South Lawn - the photo above captures the whole crowd. David Ortiz led them out of the White House, carrying the trophy - and then he had to hold it for the 10 minute speech by the Prez. I have to admit, Bushie made me chuckle several times - his references to Papelbon's riverdancing and Daisuke's media contingent, in particular. The guys looked fantastic in their Sunday best - actually, some looked even better than in their uniforms. Check out Cora in the powder blue number - or Kielty in the white jacket! And I love how Kyle Snyder and Dustin Pedrioa ended up standing next to each other!
Big Papi looks like a natural here on the balcony - hmm, he isn't a native born American, so he can't be President. Maybe he could be VP to---

Not sure if Josh is doing an imitation of Evita or the "King of the World" scene in Titanic. Actually, now that I consider it, I'm sure it's the latter. He is on top of the world these days!

Two days until I can watch some live baseball on NESN!

Wednesday at the White House

The Red Sox are headed tomorrow to Washington. They've got a 2:30 meeting with President Bush in the Rose Garden when, according to ESPN, they'll present him with a special RS jersey:

The white Red Sox jersey with the name "Bush" and the number "07" on the back traveled around the clubhouse. One by one, the World Series champions signed it with a blue Sharpie.

It's a gift from Boston's players to President Bush, who will preside at the annual White House ceremony honoring baseball's best on Wednesday.

Following the ceremony, they'll go to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and visit with injured vets. I remember seeing pictures from a similar visit they made after the '04 series, and read some of the moving accounts from the players. According to that article, said Francona:

"You're looking at kids that have lost limbs but it was humbling. It was an honor to be there.

"Everybody wanted to stay and talk. I've heard a lot of the veteran guys telling the younger guys, this is what you'll remember about this trip," he said.

What a fantastic experience for them all.

Oh, and fantastic article in today's Globe by Gordon Edes. He follows Tim Wakefield's recent flight with the Blue Angels, and the parallel story of one of the Angels who got to see the Sox clinch the '04 championship. A beautifully written story, one that could have been maudlin or manipulative. It's neither. Have a kleenex handy.