Ken Williams, White Sox Invite Barack Obama to Throw Out First Pitch in 2009

You can put it on the board…Obama!

Just read a story that made me feel warm and fuzzy all over. Ken Williams, GM for the Chicago White Sox, as officially extended an invitation to President-Elect Barack Obama to throw out the first pitch of 2009. No word on yet on whether or not Barack Obama has accepted, as he does have a few more pressing thoughts and duties right now.

I also learned something I did not realize. Barack Obama threw out the first pitch of Game 2 of the 2005 World Series. At the time, the White Sox trailed the Angels 1-0. We all remember what happened in Game 2. AJ Pierzynski reached first base on the crazy/controversial/correctly rules play, and the White Sox never looked back from there.

They reeled off 8 straight victories to capture the World Series crown and snatch eternal bragging rights away from the Chicago Cubs, who we all know will never win another World Series of their own.

In 2005, Obama told the Chicago Tribune:

“They were 0-1 at the time, but they won eight straight. I’m not saying there is a correlation, but I e-mailed [White Sox chairman Jerry] Reinsdorf and said if they start getting in a jam, my arm was rested. I was ready to go.

Ken Williams also made an interesting point regarding the fact that the most powerful man in the world is a South Side die-hard. Not only does Williams not have to answer to owner Jerry Reinsdorf and the entire White Sox fan base; but he now must do his best to keep the President of the United States satisfied with the progress the team is making.

According to the Chicago-Tribune, Williams said:

“Now I not only have to answer to Jerry Reinsdorf about pitching, I have to answer to the president. It’s one thing when he would ask me about pitching as a senator, but now he’s going to ask the question as president, and I have to say, ‘Mr. President.’

I think this will be the last Barack Obama-related post for a while. I just think it’s exciting that a team that has been so overshadowed for so long will now actually get a little more national pub; and not only from a man who loves the White Sox, but who rightfully hates the Chicago Cubs as well. Obama could go on and on about his policy views, beliefs, yada yada yada. The fact that he is a White Sox fan and hates the Cubs told me everything I needed to know about his judgment and character.

So now White Sox nation just has to sit back, relax, and strap it down as we watch Obama make his first few moves as President-Elect and ultimately as President, and hope that he can make it to opening day. Who knows, maybe it’ll propel us to another 8-game winning streak and get the 2009 season off on the right foot.

[tags]barack obama, chicago white sox[/tags]

---------------