Obama Readies Arm for Tonight's All-Star Pitch

Cooper Stone's father fell trying to catch a ball

(NEWSER) - Nice moment before the Texas Rangers' playoff opener yesterday: 6-year-old Cooper Stone threw out the first pitch to his favorite player, Josh Hamilton. In July, Cooper watched his father, Shannon, fall to his death at Rangers Ballpark while reaching for a ball—tossed up by Hamilton. Rangers fans were on their feet for the emotional ceremony, notes AP , though they had little to cheer for later: The Rangers got routed by Tampa, 9-0. More»

In death, Yankees owner overshadows All-Star Game

(NEWSER) - George Steinbrenner, who died today at 80 after years of failing health, was hardly a beloved figure, but the Yankee owner is being remembered with superlatives anyway. The Boss was "the loudest, most famous owner in the history of American sports," Mike Lupica writes for the New York Daily News , and the timing of his passing is "classic Steinbrenner, upstaging the All-Star Game." More»

Southpaw president leaves 'mom jeans' at home

(NEWSER) - President Obama drew some boos when he threw out the first pitch at the Washington Nationals' home opener today—he wore a White Sox cap for the occasion. After his "mom jeans" raised eyebrows when he did the first-pitch honors at last July's All-Star Game, Obama made a conservative fashion choice today, donning khakis for the event, NPR reports. The president, a southpaw, delivered a high pitch that drew Ryan Zimmerman out of his crouch but did clear the plate. More»

(NEWSER) - Sonia Sotomayor is preparing for more than her first term on the Supreme Court—she's working on her pitching, too. The Bronx native will toss out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium before Saturday's game against the Red Sox, USA Today reports. The team picked her to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, but she has a big baseball link on her resume: After she issued an order in 1995 that helped end the MLB strike, she became known as "the judge who saved baseball." She's been practicing her throw for weeks. More»

Prez makes no apologies for All-Star get-up: 'I'm not 20'

(NEWSER) - President Obama will go to bat for his health care plan, but he won’t defend his pants. Asked on NBC’s Today Show about the “dad jeans” he wore at last week’s All-Star Game, Obama punted. “I’m a little frumpy,” he confided. “I hate to shop. Those jeans are comfortable. For those of you who want your president to look great in his tight jeans, I’m sorry … I’m not 20.” More»