On Tampa Bay Rays team vote, Monday media appearance

(NY Times): "David Price found himself

• on perhaps an even bigger stage Monday afternoon....

Price, a 23-year-old rookie with just eight major league appearances,

• was chosen by his teammates
• to introduce Obama."...

How did that evolve, who called the meeting, who was present, and why would a team vote as one about a public political endorsement to be exploited by media? The team is of course entitled to do whatever it wants. I am also free not to buy tickets or merchandise supporting them. I do recall Curt Schilling's political endorsement a few years ago and it might have been handled more graciously. But he was one person, and Red Sox ownership campaigned for and contributed to the other candidate.

• (St. Petersburg Times): "In his introduction of Obama: "(David) Price kept it short and sweet: "Now please welcome the next president of the United States, Barack Obama!"

• The surprise partisan appearance by several Rays players prompted some complaint calls to the team,

• but it's unlikely management will be bent out of shape.

Principal owner Stu Sternberg wrote a $2,000 check to Obama in April, and

• Rays president Matthew Silverman donated $1,000 to Democratic Rep. Kathy Castor, co-chair of the Obama campaign in Florida."

(What player would dare disagree with such a crowd?)

• Fernando Perez is a product of elite educational institutions Columbia University and the Peddie School--which cost a small fortune to attend. With that background, it's understandable that Perez, a very new, young player, would choose to make a spectacular public endorsement using the selling points "change" and a "new direction." Then again, a block of Rays' players was in on the endorsement as well as Rays' ownership.

(St. Petersburg Times): "Barack Obama has political stars fanning across Florida on his behalf this week,

• but none with the glow of those hugging him Monday in Tampa: members of the World Series-bound Tampa Bay Rays.

"What an exciting day for Tampa Bay," outfielder Fernando Perez told thousands

• of Obama supporters at George M. Steinbrenner Field, the morning after winning the pennant.

• "We can change the nation, but people like you need to help us do it.

• Barack Obama will take this country in a new direction, but we're going to have to make sure that every voice is heard," said Perez,

joined on stage by teammates Carl Crawford, Cliff Floyd, Jonny Gomes, Edwin Jackson and David Price, who introduced the Democratic nominee."

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