RIP Barbara Bush

We don’t talk politics in Foleys. Anyone who knows me knows I’m not a fan of anything political (unless they’re signing a ball for the wall), but I do have a baseball story about the late First Lady Barbara Bush.

It was an Opening Day, I believe in 2005, and I was in Houston for their season opener against the Rockies.It was a great atmosphere and I remember watching Preston Wilson taking fly balls on the hill in center field. I had great seats thanks to my good friend Jim Perry, RIP, and I was a couple of rows behind the plate.

The front row was soon occupied by Barbara Bush and her husband George. The row between us was occupied by two Secret Service agents, absolute mountains of human beings. Would you believe it I didn’t have a ball with me. Even if I had I had a ball I don’t think I would have had the courage to ask the former President and First Lady to sign it.

As the game goes on, I’m still kind of in awe that I am this close to a former President and First Lady.

In the 4th or 5th inning the local TV affiliate comes down and they interview the Bush’s for a half inning. After the inning, the camera goes away and next I hear Barbara say “Hey Mike can you scoot over." The mountain of a man moves. As anyone who knows me knows, I love to score games. So I had my scorecard out and tallying it up in between the innings, when the Secret Service agent tapped me on the shoulder.

“Mrs Bush is talking to you”,he said.

I was in awe and as I looked up Mrs. Bush said ”Hey sonny, can you catch me up?" I proceeded to fill her in; Ground ball to the shortstop, fly ball to left and a strikeout. She asked if it was looking or swinging. As she turned around she said “Thanks sonny and love your accent. I loved Ireland."

With that, the mountain of a man moved back into his seat. and that was that. They left before the game finished and she nodded on their way out.

SO, RIP fellow score keeper, Mrs Bush