Tuesday, April 27, 2010

I wish I was more of a sports fan, but, having the Yankees visit would thrill anyone.

President Barack Obama holds up an autographed New York Yankees jersey presented to him during an event to honor the 2009 World Series Champion Yankees, Monday, April 26, 2010, in the East Room of the White House in Washington.

 

 

 

Walter Reed visit tugs at Yankees' hearts »

There is little doubt that the Yankees’ visit to the White House will be something they treasure for the rest of their lives, but it was the trip to the Walter Reed Medical Center that really seemed to touch the players on Monday.
The Yankees split up and sent half of their players to Walter Reed to visit with wounded veterans, while the other half went to the Malone House, a housing facility for veterans and their families. Here’s a sample of the reaction from that visit:

Joe Girardi: “You go to thank the soldiers for what they’ve done. It really penetrates your heart to see the sacrifices that they make to serve our country and protect us. It’s amazing.”

More Girardi: “Just to see the heart and the drive in these guys, it’s really pretty amazing. You really get a chane to see the sacrifices these ladies and men make for us, and it really tugs at your heart.”

Derek Jeter: “It was a privilege for us to go there. For them to come up to us and say thank you for winning a championship, it was mind-boggling. We were there to thank them. It really puts things in perspective; people always look at us and say that we’re heroes, but when you look at it, they’re the real heroes.”

Mark Teixeira: “We got much more out of the experience. They’re Yankees fans and baseball fans, so we signed some autographs, but to put our career in perspective, they do so much more for our country than we can ever do.”

More Teixeira: “These guys are serving our country and paying a pretty high price for it. It’s an emotional experience, but one that builds character for us. Any time that we feel sorry about a little injury, it doesn’t compare with what these guys are doing for us.”

Alex Rodriguez: “It was my first time (visiting the White House), and it was a real honor to be in front of the President. To achieve something and to come here, it was a big reward. But for me, the biggest reward of the day was going down this morning and spending time with those guys. I know they enjoyed it, but we enjoyed it as much if not more.”