[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 29 (Monday, July 23, 2007)]
[Pages 964-965]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at a White House Tee-Ball Game

July 15, 2007

    The President. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome here to tee-ball on the 
South Lawn of the White House. I'm honored to be joined here with the 
commissioner for today's game, member of the Hall of Fame, the great 
Frank Robinson. Thanks for being here.
    Frank Robinson. My pleasure.
    The President. Mario, thanks, great job on the anthem. I thank the 
Color Guard, as well, for being here. Today we're going to have an 
outstanding contest. Laura and I are proud to be able to watch, from Los 
Angeles, California, the Little League Dodgers, and from Brooklyn, New 
York, the Little League Highlanders. And we want to welcome the players. 
We particularly thank the coaches for working with these youngsters. 
Thanks for getting them interested in baseball, America's greatest 
sport. We want to thank the parents who have come. Thank you for 
supporting the kids. And we're looking forward to a good game.
    Today--every day is a special day when we play baseball at the White 
House, but today is particularly special since we're going to pay homage 
to Jackie Robinson. Jackie Robinson, as you know, broke the color 
barrier in baseball, but there were some pioneers ahead of Jackie. And 
today we're proud to welcome Negro League players who are here. Thank 
you all for coming.
    Imagine what baseball would have been like had you been a part of 
the Major Leagues. Jackie Robinson was a pioneer, and Frank and I are 
going to retire his number, just like they did all over Major League 
parks across our country. But before we do, we're proud that members of 
the Brooklyn Dodger team who had the honor of playing with Jackie 
Robinson have joined us: Tommy Lasorda; Don Newcombe; Clyde King; and 
Ralph Branca.
    We're honored you're here. Thank you all for coming. Thanks for 
being a part of this special ball game. As a matter of fact, two of you 
are going to end up being first and third base coach. I wish you all the 
best out there. Looks like we've got some good players that have come to 
play.
    I do want to thank John Warner, Senator John Warner from the great 
State of Virginia, and his family, for joining us. Proud you're here, 
Senator. I see Alphonso Jackson and Dirk Kempthorne, of my Cabinet, who 
have joined us. I'm proud you all are here. Dutch Morial, thanks for 
coming Dutch, appreciate you coming--I mean, Marc Morial--there he is, 
Marc, how you doing, brother? He's the head of the Urban League. Roslyn 
Brock, vice chairman of the NAACP, has joined us as well. Thank you all 
for coming.
    We want to thank the Jackie Robinson Foundation for joining us 
today, as well as the YMCA and Boys and Girls Club of America for being 
here. Thank you all for coming.
    I'm so honored that this game is going to be called by Karl Ravech, 
ESPN. Thanks for coming, Karl.

[[Page 965]]

    Karl Ravech. Pleasure, thank you.
    The President. We really appreciate you taking--you know it's a big 
game when Karl Ravech comes over to lend his talents. So you players are 
going to have to play hard, because you've got ESPN here.
    Before we--after we hang up the number honoring Jackie Robinson, 
after we retire his number here on the South Lawn, we will have Matthew 
Hearon; he'll be coming out; he's going to help us get the game kicked 
off. He's the first ball presenter. But before you come out, Matthew, 
the hall of famer and I are now going to hang up Jackie Robinson's 
number. Ready?

Note: The President spoke at 4:02 p.m. on the South Lawn at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to recording artist Mario Dewar 
Barrett, who performed the national anthem. The transcript was released 
by the Office of the Press Scretary on July 16.