Article:Presidential Baseball

Monday's Presidents Day. The Post Office will be closed, the government will take the day off and some school systems will take the day off as well. It's also the third day of spring training and the grand old game has some major connections to the Oval Office as we know it.

For example, the 7th inning stretch. We take it for granted but here's the skinny on how it got started. It started with President William Howard Taft, who was a somewhat large fellow that would have made Rick Majerus look like Olive Oyl, loved baseball. He went to a Senators game in DC against the Philadelphia Atheltics. Now normally, when the president walks in a room, you stand up. That was the case. The middle of the seventh inning came around and Taft, whose weight topped off at 300 pounds, got up. The crowd, thinking that the Fan-in-chief was leaving, got up.

Then there's Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who is connected to baseball when he pressed the switch for Crosley Field so that the Cincinnati Reds could have the very first night game in the history of baseball.

Former president Jimmy Carter didn't play baseball, per se. But he did play softball in Plains, so he somehow gets into this column. He is a huge Atlanta Braves fan and has been seen at a few games at Turner Field.

Which brings us to the current resident in 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Yes, George W. Ran the Texas Rangers. To this day, the team has never been the same. I would say something about the country but I will save the politics for another time.

So, without any more delay, I present the Presidental Baseball team of current players that have presidential last names.

Trot Nixon  (Outfielder - Free agent)

Randy Johnson  (Pitcher - Arizona)

Bobby Wilson  (Catcher - Los Angeles Angels)

Dave Bush  (Pitcher - Milwaukee)

Kelly Johnson  (Infielder - Atlanta)

Zach Jackson  (Pitcher - Milwaukee)

Adam Kennedy  (Infielder - St. Louis)

Jack Wilson  (Infielder - Pittsburgh)

Josh Wilson  (Infielder - Pittsburgh)

Edwin Jackson  (Pitcher - Tampa Bay)

Vance Wilson  (Catcher - Detroit)

Craig Monroe  (Outfielder - Minnesota)

Ian Kennedy  (Pitcher - New York Yankees)