Batter up! POTUS plays catch with Little League teams at afternoon drop-by [View all]

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Last edited Tue May 20, 2014, 12:56 PM - Edit history (6)

Eric Schultz ?@Schultz44 34m
POTUS plays catch with Little League team at afternoon drop-by pic.twitter.com/JEZIYo2sPM



http://t.co/XEcHnWy1T8

The president paid a surprise visit to Washington's Friendship Park, where a handful of teams were already in full swing.

Obama shook hands with the players and posed for photos with each team. He even tried his hand at pitching.

Shocked parents reached for their smartphones to snap a quick photo, but not all of their kids were as impressed. Some held back, unsure of who Obama was, until their parents led them back onto the infield.


Mark Knoller/CBS News


"Oh my God, it's the President!" one player said, according to pool reports.

Obama was on his way to a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee event when he stopped by to greet Della Carney, daughter of spokesman Jay Carney, and her teammates.

"Had to bring your dad to the game or he was going to be late," Obama said as he approached the group, according to the report.





Obama doled out high fives and took pictures with the players, making the rounds to do the same with the opposing team. He also signed a few balls.

Before leaving, the president grabbed a ball and lobbed it to home plate where Danny Ringel, 10, who plays for the Tigers caught the ball.

“You saved me from grounding,” the president reportedly joked as Danny scooped up the ball.





Stepping onto the field in a tie but no jacket, Obama shook hands with the players and posed for photos with each team.

"What's going on people? How's it going?" the president said, before sidling up to a young girl whose arm was in a sling. "Hey, what happened? Were you sliding?"


NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images






AFP PHOTO/Nicholas KAMM


TheObamaDiary.com ?@TheObamaDiary 28m
Imagining phone call from Friendship Park Little Leaguer: "MOM!! YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHO DROPPED BY!!!!!!" pic.twitter.com/YDq0tRGSsg





TheObamaDiary.com ?@TheObamaDiary 39m
President Obama throws out the first pitch at a little league baseball game at the Friendship Park in Washington pic.twitter.com/Kh8mvWGj6E