Great recap/photos/video of both Bush presidents at last night’s Giants/Rangers game
The Yahoo Big League Stew blog has an awesome recap of the appearance on the field of both former Bush presidents prior to the start of last night’s Giants/Rangers game. The game stank if you were a Rangers fan, but the pre-game was pretty darn cool:
ARLINGTON, Texas β George W. Bush came into Sunday’s Game 3 of the World Series with a reputation as the best first pitcher in presidential history to uphold.
Mission, uh, accomplished.
With his father George H.W. Bush looking on from just a few feet away, the experienced Republican right-hander threw an impressive no-bounce heater to Texas Rangers team president Nolan Ryan behind the plate. While the pitch had nowhere near the emotional impact of Bush’s strike during the 2001 World Series after 9/11, it was a big moment for Bush, who used to own the team, and for his family’s constituents in the state of Texas.
Indeed, the standing-room-only crowd at Rangers Ballpark stood and cheered as the two former presidents emerged from left field in a golf cart driven by the younger Bush. San Francisco Giants outfielder Cody Ross(notes) was so moved by the moment that he broke from the left-field line β and any concerns that he’ll be welcomed back to San Francisco β to shake the elder Bush’s hand as the golf cart passed by.
Bush’s pitch was followed by loud chants of U-S-A! U-S-A! from the crowd dressed in red and blue.
[…]
The best part about Sunday’s throw might be that H.W. wore a generic World Series windbreaker instead of any Rangers gear.
The explanation for that wardrobe selection, of couse, is simple.
Both George and Barbara are huge Houston Astros fans.
You can see some great pix at that same link.
Here’s the MLB video. Here’s a fan’s video.
Absolutely awesome.