Call me a hater. Accuse me of racism and playing party politics, but this is inexcusable and might even have risen to the level of “high crimes and misdemeanors” warranting immediate impeachment. For this President Obama must go – for lying to the American people about baseball.
I’m not talking about the horrific treatment our good friend Israel received at the White House last week, or the non-stop attacks on the free speech of his enemies, or even the breakneck pace of Obama’s drive to redistribute the wealth and make America a socialist nation. This is worse than all of that combined and the MSM has buried it.
Yesterday in Washington DC, the President did what so many before him have done; he threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Washington Nationals’ home opener. And no, this is not an attack on his obvious lack of baseball skills seen when he tossed a ball that no doubt gave George W Bush a reason to smile again. Neither does this concern the clever stunt he pulled by hiding a Chicago White Sox baseball cap in his glove and donning it as he stepped on the rubber. This is about lying to the American people… and President Obama has lied to us for God knows how long, it is time to put down our collective foot and say enough.
Born on the south side of Chicago, I was genetically and geographically predisposed White Sox fandom. I have suffered and followed this team when they were the laughingstock of the American League. The old Comiskey Park at 35th and Shields in Chicago was where I spent precious moments with my dad – just being guys, hanging out watching a game. It was also where I was taught some of life’s great lessons… including the one about never allowing your team forget that they actually played professional baseball in shorts! (Thankfully it was only one game in 1976 and most people have forgiven them for that. Not me.)
I dedicated my youth and a great portion of my adult life to being a loyal Sox fan and to this day, despite living in a city where winning the World Series is expected and happens often (New York), hundreds of miles from Chicago, I am still a proud fan of the team they call the Pale Hose. And when someone asks me who my favorite player is, I can answer without needing a teleprompter or even a second to think about it. For those who care, my favs are A. J. Pierzynski from the modern era and Bill Melton from my childhood.
After the awful first pitch the President stopped by the broadcast booth for a brief visit with former White Sox player and now broadcaster Rob Dibble and we learned the real truth:
Dibble: “Having played with the White Sox for a short time, I know how the Cubs fans and White Sox fans go back and forth. Who was one of your favorite White Sox players growing up?”
Obama: “You know uh ….. I … I thought that … uh …. you know … the truth is a lot of the Cubs I like too! But, uh … I did not become a Sox fan until I moved to Chicago. Because I uh …. I was growing up in Hawaii so I ended up actually being an Oakland A’s fan. But when I moved to Chicago, I was living close to what was then called Cominsky Park, went to a couple of games and fell in love, and the nice thing about the Sox is, it’s real, blue collar baseball. Ya know, we always tease about the Cubs, they’re up at Wrigley, sipping wine.”
Wait a minute… Now you are an Oakland A’s fan? And that’s because you grew up in Hawaii? Not only was President Obama unable to name a single player from his early days as a fan of the team he “fell in love with” – but he mispronounced the name of the stadium. It’s Comiskey! In my neighborhood, if you called it Cominsky, that was a punch in the arm.
If Obama’s love for the White Sox is all a front, then it seems fair to ask, “What else is he lying about?