Bush Attends World Series Despite New Threats

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Weeks after advocating that Americans defy terrorism by going to ballgames, President Bush heeded his own advice, arriving in New York on Tuesday to watch the World Series at Yankee Stadium.

Hardly tough duty for the nation's No. 1 baseball fan, but also an important gesture, according to the White House.

``This is part of the balance our society is coming to understand, that as threats are received, as security is beefed up, it similarly is important for (Americans) to go about their normal life,'' spokesman Ari Fleischer said in announcing Bush also would throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

``No one has ever been able to make the American people cower and not live the American life,'' Fleischer said.

As Bush left the White House, he told reporters he hoped the series would go the full seven games, and by the time he boarded the presidential aircraft at Andrews Air Force Base, he was limbering up his right arm.

Since the Sept. 11 suicide plane attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, Bush has urged Americans to go about business as usual, to take vacations, to fly again and to go to ballparks, all the while remaining on alert.

But the only norms in New York, where about 4,500 people died at the World Trade Center, are that this is October and the Yankees are in major league baseball's World Series again.

The federal government on Monday issued a second warning that there may be new terror attacks on the United States or its interests over the next week. In response, Vice President Dick Cheney was taken to an undisclosed secure location.

The alert came amid a spate of anthrax incidents that killed three people and left Americans fearing more assaults could include biological warfare.

The World Trade Center is still smoldering, the dead are still being mourned and New Yorkers are still coming to grips with the gaping hole in their skyline left after the 110-story twin towers were demolished by two hijacked aircraft.

The legendary Yankees, World Series winners four out of the past five years, are in a 0-2 hole to the Arizona Diamondbacks, an upstart expansion team. They were two games down to the Atlanta Braves in the best-of-seven World Series five years ago and stormed back to win four in a row.

Security for Bush's visit to the third game -- the first to be played in New York -- will be anything but normal.

Law enforcement sources said almost 2,000 police officers on foot, horseback and motorcycles would be on duty in and around the Bronx ballpark, snipers would be stationed on nearby rooftops and bomb-sniffing dogs would be used.

Fans will be checked as they enter, and backpacks confiscated. Neither blimps nor news helicopters will be allowed to fly over during the game.

Bush, a former part-owner of the Texas Rangers who never saw his ball club go to a World Series, has not been a fan of the Yankees in the past. But if he was hoping for a Diamondbacks' victory, it remained a diplomatic secret.

Fleischer, a die-hard Yankee supporter who donned a team cap to announce Bush would go to the game, dodged the delicate issue, telling reporters, ``The president at tonight's game will be proudly rooting for the Texas Rangers.''

Earlier this year, Bush attended Little League Baseball's World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.

A lifelong fan, Bush brought baseball -- or at least a child's version of it -- to the White House South Lawn last spring, hosting T-Ball games between teams of local children too young for Little League.

In March, he held a Baseball Hall of Fame lunch at the White House for about 50 of the game's greatest players. A few months later, Bush, who said he once dreamed of being like celebrated Giants' center fielder Willie Mays but never president, became the first chief executive to be inducted into the Little League Hall of Excellence.

Actually that picture was from April 6, 2001 - opening game for the Milwaukee Brewers and first game ever at the new, beautiful, retractable roof, has to be seen to be believed, Miller Park in Milwaukee.

Everyone in this area (except the commies in Madison, of course) was thrilled and honored to have W throw out that first pitch. I relived that thrill tonight (with a little bit of angst) seeing him at Yankee Stadium. Thank God this Country has a REAL President again!

Exactly. Has everyone forgotten how Jennings accused him of hiding on 9/11? If he didn't go, we would never hear the end of it.

I also note that he threw the pitch and then left the field without making a big political "look at me" speech (unlike you-know-who would have done).

Just imagine what Peter Jennings would be saying if Bush never left the bunker!

Bush can't win with the liberal media. They whined that he wasn't front and center on the morning of September 11, now they whine that he is front and center at the Yankee game.

Peter Jennings said Yankee fans would probably boo President Bush because he said he would root for any team but the Yankees, but if they do it should be seen as NY/country just getting back to normal like President Bush has urged. Sounded like he was saying "if they do boo him it would be just because of him not being a Yankees fan and not to be upset about it".

Well, that puts it in a slightly better light, but Jennings is still clueless (and nobody can tell me he wasn't gleefully waiting for the booing, because of the way Hillary was received at the Garden). Yankee fans know baseball, so they know very well WHY Bush is not likely to suddenly root for their team. Plus, even though Bush said he'd be rooting for the Diamondbacks, he didn't go to a game in Phoenix. He came to Yankee Stadium. It was an honor and properly appreciated by the crowd.

I just KNEW my fellow New Yorkers weren't going to embarass me last night. Jennings insulted New Yorkers more than he did Bush with those remarks.

Now I have a question: Does everyone in New York study opera?? It seems there is a never-ending string of firemen, policemen, and others who are able to sing the national anthem with clear, wonderful voices. I am very impressed!

Max Von Essen, the fire commissioner's son, is a Broadway actor. I cannot remember which show he's in at the moment.

But I had the same reaction when I first heard Officer Gonzales sing--"what's he doing still in a uniform?" Latest news is that Placido Domingo has taken a special interest in him, they've met once or twice now, and there may be a recording in the works. I don't know if that means Gonzales will be singing on one of Placido's albums or on one of his own, but that's a CD I'll definitely be buying.

There was also that female police officer who sang at the re-opening of the NYSE; also remarkably good.

Also, I have never seen that eagle, and that was also wonderful!

His name is Challenger. They've had him at every home game since play was suspended after the 11th. I just love that bird.

In Sum of All Fears , Islamic terrorists (Hamas?) use a recovered nuke to bomb a football game where the president is a guest.

Nope, the President wasn't at that game. He later tried to start a nuke war, but Jack Ryan went 'over his head' and talked to the Soviet Premier directly to calm things down.

I LOVE that book!

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