The President was LOUDLY booed….

Think Progress

On Sunday, President Bush will be throwing out the ceremonial first pitch for the Washington Nationals. The team’s starting catcher Paul Lo Duca — who was mentioned 37 times in the Mitchell Report — was originally expected to catch Bush’s pitch, despite the President’s repeated denunciations of performance-enhancing drugs. But the Washington Post now reports that Lo Duca is being replaced by Manager Manny Acta:

The White House said it played no role in determining who would catch the pitch.

“Whatever the decision the Nationals make is up to them,” White House spokesman Tony Fratto said by telephone Thursday. “In no way did we, or would we, raise any issues.”

Lo Duca said after Thursday’s final Grapefruit League game that he had no animosity about the situation. […]

Lo Duca declined to speculate as to whether his role in the Mitchell report had anything to do with the decision.