Obama joins All-Star game in St. Louis

Following his first presidential visit late last week to sub-Saharan Africa where he delivered a speech addressed to African countries in Accra, Ghana, President Obama returned to the U.S. and faced a different crowd on Tuesday night.

Obama, wearing jeans and a black White Sox jacket, made a warmly welcomed appearance at the All-Star game in Busch Stadium in St. Louis, where he threw the ceremonial first pitch to St. Louis Cardinals first baseman and icon Albert Pujols. While running to the mound from the first-base dugout, he stopped to shake hands with Cardinals Hall of Famer Stan Musial. The President smoothly eased into his left-handed throw and tossed a wobbly pitch that Pujols reached in front of home plate to catch. As he pumped his fist, the crowds cheered throughout the stadium. Earlier on Monday, Pujols expressed his excitement to be standing so close to Obama and said it would be "an honor to catch the first pitch from the president. He's our leader." Apart from the pitch, Pujols also received a hug from the President at halfway between the mound and the plate. Despite knowing that he would be treading on Cardinals soil, the President proudly sported his White Sox gear. “Everybody knows I’m a White Sox fan, and my wife thinks I look cute in this jacket,” he said. “Between those two things, why not?”

The other living Cardinals Hall of Famers Bob Gibson, Ozzie Smith, Bruce Sutter, Red Schoendienst and Lou Brock were also present at the game and all shook hands with Obama. Widely known for being a practiced, recreational basketball player since his boyhood, Obama said he was less familiar with the natural movements on a baseball field, having never played the game in an organized team as a child. Lack of experience, however, did not stop him from enjoying the game. During the second inning, Obama said on Fox Television, “This is as much fun as I’ve had in quite some time." According to witnesses, he went up to each player to shake hands and exchange words after the game, but spent the most time talking and joking with Pujols. Obama last threw the first pitch before Game 2 in the American League Championship Series in 2005. He is the first sitting president to throw the first pitch at an All-Star game since Gerald Fold in 1976.