U.S. MARKET.
DIAGEO IS THE PARENT COMPANY
BUT THAT HAS MULTIPLE BRANDS OF
LIQUOR ALL AROUND THE WORLD.
GOT IT.
AFFECTED PRESIDENTS, BOTH IN
OFFICE AND IN THEIR PERSONAL
LIVES.
CURT SMITH IS WITH US, FORMER
SPEECHWRITER FOR BUSH 41 AND
AUTHOR OF THE BOOK, THE
PRESIDENTS AND THE PASTIME.
WELCOME TO THE SHOW.
BE WITH YOU.
STUART: NOW YOU TELL ME HOW
BASEBALL HAS AFFECTED PRESIDENT
TRUMP?
>>
[LAUGHTER]
.
>> WELL, NOT TO A GREAT EXTENT
AS PRESIDENT BUT DID BEFORE HE
BECAME PRESIDENT.
HE GREW UP A GREAT YANKEES FAN,
THEN BECAME A FINE BALLPLAYER
FOR THE NEW YORK MILITARY
ACADEMY.
THE PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES AND
MAJOR LEAGUE PLAYER.
STUART: IS THAT TRUE?
WAIT A SECOND, WAIT A SECOND,
WHAT?
>> NO, I KNOW, AS I GO AROUND
THE COUNTRY AND TALK ON RADIO
AND TELEVISION, PEOPLE ARE
SHOCKED.
THAT MIGHT GO UNDER FAKE NEWS
DRAFT HIM.
THEY WANTED TO SIGN HIM.
THE DRAFT WAS NOT IN OPERATION
FOR SEVERAL YEARS BUT THEY
WANTED TO SIGN HIM WITH WHAT
WAS CALLED A BONUS BABIES
CONTRACTS AND HE COULD HAVE
SIGNED, BUT AS HE SAID
PROPHETICALLY, HE SAID I DIDN'T
WANT BASEBALL MONEY, I WANTED
TO MAKE REAL MONEY, AND MAKE
REAL MONEY HE DID!
[LAUGHTER].
STUART: LET'S MOVE ONTO
PRESIDENT OBAMA, HOW DID
BASEBALL AFFECT HIM?
>> ALMOST NEGLIGABLY.
TRIED TO FEIGN HE WAS A
BASEBALL FAN.
HE HAD THE LOBTOSS, WHEN HE
THREW THE BALL IN COMISKEY
FIELD, HE THREW THE GAME AWAY.
AT YANKEE STADIUM AND FINLEY
YOU THAT APPRECIATE THE RITUAL
GAME IN WASHINGTON NEXT MONTH
MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN IN
THAT WAY AS WELL.
GET OUT THERE AND THROW OUT THE
BASEBALL.
LITTLE MONUMENT THAT SAYS
DOUBLE DAY INVENTED BASEBALL IN
1840.
GEORGE WASHINGTON IN THE FIRST,
FIVE OR SIX OR SEVEN PRESIDENTS
COULDN'T HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY
BASEBALL, COULD THEY?
>> HE WAS, BUT HE SHOWED THAT
AT VALLEY FORGE IN THE TERRIBLE
WINTER OF 1777-78 HE PLAYED A
FACSIMILE OF BASEBALL.
STUART, YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR
WITH THIS BECAUSE IT WAS A
BASEBALL ANTECEDENT IMPORTED
FROM THE MOTHER COUNTRY PLAYED
BY THE FATHER OF HIS COUNTRY.
CALLED ROUNDERS.
IT CAME FROM GREAT BRITAIN.
STUART: OH, OH, DID YOU KNOW?
-- WAIT A SECOND.
DID YOU KNOW THAT IN ENGLAND
ROUNDERS IS A GIRLS' GAME.
DID YOU KNOW THAT?
BACK IN MY DAY.
>> SOME HAVE THROWN OUT THE
BALL LIKE GIRLS.
>> I KNOW.
STUART: YOU CAN'T SAY THAT.
>> I SAID IT'S THE OLD -- NOT
THEY BELIEVED IN THAT.
STUART: CURT, I'VE GOT TO TELL
YOU SOMETHING, I'VE GOT A
DAUGHTER THAT CAN THROW A BEAN
SUBSTANTIAL HITTER AS A LITTLE
LEAGUER, I'M HARDLY IN A
POSITION TO.
>> I ALL RIGHT, LET'S WRAP IT
UP WITH THIS.
WHO WAS THE PRESIDENT MOST
AFFECTED BY, MOST INTERESTED IN
BASEBALL?
>> WELL, THERE HAVE BEEN THREE
OF THEM.
FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT HAVING SAVED
THE GAME IN WORLD WAR II AND
TWO REPUBLICANS, RICHARD NIXON
WHO HAD AN ALMOST WALTER MITTY
ENDEARING ARM FOR THE GAME.
TERRIBLE ATHLETE BUT LOVED THE
GAME.
AND MY FORMER BOSS, BUSH 41 WHO
SWUNG A BAT AT AGE 5, SAID TO
HIMSELF, BASEBALL IS
EVERYTHING, AND HERE WE ARE 89
YEARS LATER AND HE'S STILL
WATCHING THE GAME ON
TELEVISION, STILL LOVES IT NOW.