George H.W. Bush will make World Series appearance amid groping allegations
Former president George H.W. Bush will be present on the field and call “play ball” prior to Game 5 of the World Series amid allegations he groped multiple women. The Houston Astros will have Bush’s son and former president, George W. Bush, throw out the first pitch prior to the contest. George H.W. Bush will be with him on the field.
The team announced that the news a day after actress Heather Lind said Bush groped her during a photo opportunity in 2013 while telling a dirty joke. The president’s spokesperson released a statement saying Bush did not mean to cause distress, and offered an apology “if his attempt at humor offended Ms. Lind.”
More women came forward with similar stories, and another statement was released by Bush’s spokesperson. That statement read:
“At age 93, President Bush has been confined to a wheelchair for roughly five years, so his arm falls on the lower waist of people with whom he takes pictures. To try to put people at ease, the president routinely tells the same joke — and on occasion, he has patted women’s rears in what he intended to be a good-natured manner. Some have seen it as innocent; others clearly view it as inappropriate. To anyone he has offended, President Bush apologizes most sincerely.”
George H.W. Bush was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives in Texas prior to his presidency. His son, George W. Bush, grew up in Texas, was the state’s governor and owned the Texas Rangers prior to his presidency. The two also appeared together for a first pitch when the Rangers reached the World Series in 2010.
The Astros, when contacted by Yahoo Sports on Friday, said nothing had changed regarding the plan to have George H.W. Bush present during the pre-game festivities.
The Astros announced Houston Texans lineman J.J. Watt will throw out the first pitch prior to Game 3. The team will have Hailey Dawson, a seven-year-old fan with a 3-D printed hand, will throw out the first pitch prior to Game 4.
More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:
– – – – – – –
Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
