[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 8 (Monday, March 3, 2008)]
[Pages 285-287]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Honoring the 2007 World Series Champion Boston Red Sox

February 27, 2008

    The President. Welcome. Thank you for coming. Please be seated. So 
Tim Wakefield's batterymate is Doug Mirabelli; mine is the Vice 
President. [Laughter] We're glad you all are here. The mighty Red Sox 
Nation has stormed the South Lawn.
    It's my honor to welcome the owners of the Red Sox. The principal 
owner is John Henry. Tom Werner is the chairman--and my longtime buddy 
Larry Lucchino. Thank you all for coming, and congratulations. We 
appreciate the other owners who are here as well. I'm proud to be here 
with Terry Francona; the captain of the mighty Red Sox, Jason Varitek; 
the MVP of the World Series, Mike Lowell. They're mentioned because I'm 
trying to entice a gift out of them. [Laughter]
    We appreciate very much members of the administration who are here. 
Don't linger. [Laughter] Welcome the Members of the United States 
Congress--Massachusetts and Connecticut and probably Rhode Island and--
[applause]--yes. [Laughter] Thanks for coming.
    I'm real proud for the Red Sox baseball club, its players, the 
players' families, all those associated with this unbelievably 
successful franchise. You know, you've--Red Sox Nation extends beyond 
the South Lawn, extends beyond New England. It obviously goes to the 
Caribbean and even the Far East. And so we welcome Japan's Daisuke here 
to the South Lawn. His press corps is bigger than mine. [Laughter] And 
we both have

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trouble answering questions in English. [Laughter]
    Two thousand seven was an unforgettable season--fast start, hung on 
in the end, swept the Angels, had a little trouble with the Indians, but 
battled back from what a lot of folks were saying sure defeat, and you 
took on Colorado and swept them. Like, you're 8-0 in the World Series. 
And I appreciate the fact that, as I mentioned, Mike Lowell put on an 
outstanding performance. But it was a team effort that brought the Red 
Sox here.
    I love the fact that you've got some of the game's biggest stars. I 
mean, Big Papi, the guy lights up the screen. He brings a great 
personality to it. I'm sorry his running mate, Manny Ramirez, isn't 
here. I guess his grandmother died again. [Laughter] Just kidding. 
[Laughter] Tell Manny I didn't mean it. But I do want to quote him. He 
said, ``When you don't feel good and you still get hits, that's when you 
know you're a bad man.'' [Laughter] I don't know what that means. 
[Laughter] But if bad man means good hitter, he's a really bad man, 
because he was clutch in the World Series and clutch in the playoffs, as 
was my fellow Texan, Josh Beckett. Man, you're looking sharp.
    Josh Beckett. A lot better than last time?
    The President. Spring, Texas?
    Mr. Beckett. Yes.
    The President. Spring, Texas. He's a big-game pitcher. He struck 
out--nine strikeouts a game in the playoffs. I appreciate very much that 
he works hard and throws hard and is a proven winner. And I guess he 
took some lessons from Curt Schilling, one of the great big-time 
pitchers.
    You can't win the World Series without a good bullpen. I've got to 
make mention of a guy who is from my hometown of Midland, Texas--that 
would be Mike Timlin. Mike, good to see you again. You did not buy those 
glasses in Midland, Texas. [Laughter]
    Mike Timlin. No. [Laughter]
    The President. Yes. And how about Jonathan Papelbon? The guy pitches 
almost as well as he dances. [Laughter] And I appreciate the dress code. 
Thanks for wearing pants. [Laughter] Good job, and congratulations.
    I do want to congratulate the ownership and the front office. This 
is a club that was wise enough to maintain a core of players that knew 
how to win. Varitek, Mirabelli, Ortiz, Ramirez, Schilling, Youkilis, 
Timlin, and Wakefield were all members of the 2004 championship team, 
and they provided the nucleus to bring some new players and some young 
players along. I bet you Dustin Pedroia, the American League Rookie of 
the Year, would tell you it makes a big difference. It makes a big 
difference to be hanging out with people who know how to win.
    And so the ownership gets a lot of credit, the front office gets 
credit, and so does a really fine manager in Terry Francona. Laura and I 
had the honor of having Mike Lowell and Mrs. Francona and Terry for 
dinner earlier this month--earlier this year. And what I was impressed 
about was the values of this guy and the fact that he honors his family 
as the first and foremost thing in his life. And I think the ownership 
made a good deal in signing him to a new contract.
    I appreciate the fact the team has overcome adversity. All of 
America, whether you're a Red Sox fan or not, was moved by the Jon 
Lester story. Jon had a decisive victory over cancer and in the World 
Series. And it was an inspiration to a lot of folks who were looking at 
this good man to determine whether they, themselves, could overcome 
adversity. And so, Jon, we want to thank you and congratulate you.
    I don't know if you know this or not, but these good folks are 
headed to Walter Reed after this celebration, and I--[applause]. These 
champs have got a chance to bring some joy in somebody's heart, and I 
want to thank you for really honoring the true heroes of the United 
States of America, and those are those who wear the uniform of our 
country. And I'm really thankful you're going.
    I appreciate the work of the Red Sox Foundation and the Jimmy Fund. 
These are long-lasting charities that this club is committed to, to help 
improve people's lives. You can be a champion on the field, and you can 
be a champion off the field. And a lot of these players are champions 
off the field.
    And I thank you for your commitment. I thank you for your dedication 
to a great sport.

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I congratulate and thank your families for hanging in with you in this 
long, 162-game season. I wish you all the best in the upcoming year, and 
it's my great honor to welcome you back to the White House as the World 
Series champs.

Note: The President spoke at 3:08 p.m. on the South Lawn at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to Tim Wakefield, Daisuke Matsuzaka, 
Josh Beckett, Curt Schilling, Mike Timlin, Jonathan Papelbon, and Jon 
Lester, pitchers, Doug Mirabelli and Jason Varitek, catchers, Larry 
Lucchino, president and chief executive officer, Terry Francona, 
manager, Mike Lowell, Kevin Youkilis, and Dustin Pedroia, infielders, 
David A. ``Big Papi'' Ortiz, designated hitter, and Manny Ramirez, 
outfielder, Boston Red Sox; and Jacque Francona, wife of Terry Francona.