Barack Obama to bask in the glow of Tampa's newest heroes
[Update below]
Fresh from emerging as the surprise star of the baseball playoffs, Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher David Price today transformed himself into a political player. 
The traveling press with Barack Obama learned a few minutes ago that Price, along with Rays outfielder Fernando Perez, would introduce the presidential candidate at a rally in Tampa.
A handful of other players on the World Series-bound team also are slated to be hovering on the stage, including stars B.J. Upton and Carl Crawford.
In the suddenly baseball-crazed -- and politically crucial -- Tampa area, Obama's linkage with the players may count for more than his much-publicized endorsement by Colin Powell.
By the same token, the crowd count at the event could be disappointing by Obama standards -- we hear lots of folks in that part of Florida were partying late last night.
[UPDATE -- Price, who specializes in short stints on the pitcher's mound, was true to form in the political spotlight. Taking the microphone after brief remarks by Perez, he confined himself to introducing the "next president of the United States," whereupon Obama made his way into the stage where Price and the other players were congregated. After they exited, Obama, in a reference to his hometown preferences told his crowd: "I am a unity candidate. So when you see a (Chicago) White Sox fan showing love to the Rays, and the Rays showing some love back, you know we are on to something right here.”]
[UPDATE II -- As advertised, left-fielder Crawford was one of the players on stage. But Upton, the center fielder, did not make it.]
-- Don Frederick
Photo credit: Getty Images
Andrew Malcolm's immigrant parents repeatedly stressed the importance of active participation in a democracy. Early lessons included learning the alphabetical list of states by watching televised roll calls of national political conventions. That childhood exposure led to a lifelong fascination with politics, including 40-plus years of covering them and a brief stint practicing them as press secretary to Laura Bush in 1999-2000. A veteran foreign and national correspondent, Malcolm served on the Times Editorial Board and was a Pulitzer finalist in 2004. He is the author of 10 nonfiction books and father of four.
Johanna Neuman is a veteran Washington correspondent for both The Los Angeles Times and USA Today, having covered presidents and politics as far back as Ronald Reagan. A former president of the White House Correspondents Assn., she authored a book on media and foreign policy, “Lights, Camera, Wars.” Most recently she was co-author of the 
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Biden's biggest gaffe today..that Obama will be tested the first 6 months of his presidency becuase he is young and inexperince.
wow! great endorsement from his VP and we should feel good about his presidency!
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/10/biden-to-suppor.html
Posted by: john | October 20, 2008 at 10:23 AM
Heroes risk life and limb to rescue others. Baseball players make a lot of money playing a child's game. There is nothing heroic about MLB.
Posted by: Carol Anne | October 20, 2008 at 10:57 AM
OBAMA DID NOT TAKE SIDE...HE VOTED PRESENT AGAIN !!!
Posted by: john | October 20, 2008 at 11:20 AM