Baseball champs to visit White House

Baseball-fan-in-chief Barack Obama has missed out on a few of the fun ceremonial duties that come with the presidency but it looks like he’ll at least get to meet with the reigning world champions next Friday, according to the White House and news reports coming out of Philadelphia.

The Philadelphia Phillies, in D.C. for a four-game series against the Washington Nationals, will visit the White House Friday afternoon for handshakes and photo-ops with the president. (Vice President Biden, was was raised in Phillies country, will surely want to pop in, as well.)

Obama might want to remind the Phillies that he rooted for them to win it all while he was running for president. Likewise, Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins might want to remind Obama that he campaigned for him in Pennsylvania.

Obama and the Phillies were supposed to get together last month but the team canceled the meeting to mourn a death in the family when longtime broadcaster Harry Kalas passed away after collapsing at Nationals Park prior to the local team’s home opener on April 13.

The Nats, by the way, invited Obama to toss the first pitch at that game but he declined. The president also had to pass on a chance to do the honors for his favorite Chicago White Sox because he was making a surprise visit to Iraq the day the Southside boys kicked off their season at home.

–Jeffrey Young