The New York Yankees were invited to the White House yesterday, ostensibly to celebrate their thrilling 2009 World Series victory. But as President Barack Obama noted, the Yankees are worthy of honor for doing things far more important than winning baseball games.
Obama, a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, praised the Yankees as a team and individual Yankees like Jorge Posada and Mark Teixeira for their determination to make a difference in people's lives: Teix by funding a scholarship in the name of a friend who was tragically killed at a young age and Posada for ensuring that kids similar to his son suffering from a serious brain disorder have the same opportunities for quality care. Obama also applauded the team for its extraordinary community outreach efforts during HOPE week.
As thrilled as the Yankee players were to meet the president and visit the White House, they were even happier using their day off to visit wounded soldiers at nearby hospitals. Andy Pettitte talked about what a pleasure it was to be able to bring cheer to young men recovering from some devastating injuries. It's clear that the Yankees, despite their intense focus on winning, know what really matters in life.
Thanks to Pete Souza of the Obama-Biden Transition Project via Wikipedia for the photo.
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