All-Star Game Is Another National (League) Shame

(NEWSER) - President Obama will toss the ceremonial first pitch at the All-Star Game on July 14, Major League Baseball announced yesterday. He’ll be the fourth president to do so, following John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, and Gerald Ford, and the seventh to attend the game. He’s also got some first-pitch experience; he did the honors for his beloved Chicago White Sox during the 2005 playoffs. 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»

Papelbon says parties beat prez at game

(NEWSER) - Red Sox hurler Jonathan Papelbon says having the president around at the All-Star Game was “fun”—but not as fun as Playboy's hospitality, Subway Squawkers reports. “I enjoyed the parties more than the president, to be honest with you,” the skin mag's shindig being his favorite, Papelbon told a Florida radio station. Still, Obama helped “to kind of rejuvenate the midsummer game classic.” More»

(NEWSER) - So he's not Nolan Ryan. President Obama threw out the ceremonial first pitch tonight in the All-Star Game in passable fashion, writes Kevin Kernan in the New York Post. "He threw lefty and didn't have much heat on the looping toss, but Albert Pujols stepped up and made the catch before the ball hit the dirt." Obama, apparently pleased he avoided disaster, gave a little fist pump afterward. More»

Will throw first toss at tonight's game in St. Louis

(NEWSER) - President Obama is getting ready to toss out the first pitch at tonight’s All-Star Game in St. Louis, Fox News reports, and is relying on the experience from his previous such gig, for the White Sox in 2005. “My general strategy the last time I threw a pitch was at the American League championship series, and I just wanted to keep it high,” he said today. More»