George W. Bush has a gut feeling about who will win this year’s World Series.
Speaking with Derek Jeter on Fox before throwing out the first pitch at Game 1 of the Fall Classic at Globe Life Field, the former president is excited for the Rangers — the team he once had an ownership stake in.
“I’m fired up, as all the Rangers fans,” Bush said to Jeter. “We’ve got a good team — Arizona’s good. I think we’re going to prevail in six games. We’ll see.”
The Rangers did take Game 1, 6-5, in improbable walk-off fashion.
When the Hall of Fame Yankees shortstop said he also picked the Rangers to win in six over the Diamondbacks, Bush seemed pleased.
“Atta, boy, yeah,” he replied.
Bush then recalled throwing out the first pitch before Game 3 of the 2001 World Series between Jeter’s Yankees and Arizona.
In that pitch, the 43rd president threw a perfect strike from the pitching rubber.
“Back then, totally different environment, I’m loosening up, in comes the Yankee captain,” Bush said. “‘Hey, Prez,’ that was you, and you say, ‘Are you going to throw from the mound?’ And I said, “What do you think? I would.’ And then as you left you said, ‘Don’t bounce it, they’ll boo you.’ All I thought about on the mound was you.”
Bush, 77, then said he would not throw it from the mound Friday night.
“Well, this is Texas, so if you bounce it, they won’t boo you,” Jeter said.
Bush did indeed throw the ball from a shorter distance this time around while wearing a Rangers jacket.
He threw a one-bouncer to Hall of Fame catcher and Rangers legend Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez, and he was met with plenty of cheers.