Bring Out The Dead

As the 2004 Red Sox meet the commander and chief on the south lawn of the White House today there will be a great deal more people there on behalf of the Red Sox then just the 25 players on the Word Series roster and the front office. Of Course the perennial hanger-on John Pesky will be there but even more oft forgotten Sox will come out of the wood work today to bask in Theo's and the 2004 Red Sox glory. Jimmy Piersall, who hasn't been seen in public since 1998 and last played for the Sox in 1958. Piersall who went onto play for 8 other teams before retiring in 1967 will be just one of an estimated 1000 credentialed guests visiting the White House on Wednesday. What does it take to get an invite to this gala? Once playing for the Red Sox? How about Ted Nation's Ted Sarandis, or even better why not Ted Nation caller Mike from Lowel? For 86 years former Red Sox players failed to capture the elusive holy grail, and then getting a front page tip of the cap from Theo and other players dedicating this trophy to former Sox players who had fallen short, and thats where it should have ended. No Jim Corsi in the Rolling Rally, No Jimmy Piersall on the White House lawn, let the 50 some odd players who wore a Boston uniform on the field last year be where the spotlight today begin and ends.