Mr. Manuel goes to Washington (with the Phils)

The Phillies took their final bow for 2008, spending the afternoon at the White House.

Charlie Manuel was quite entertaining when recapping the visit on the radio pregame show. He said President Barack Obama is very pleasing to look at and gives you a warm feeling inside.

(Is that why Cholly still hasn't proposed to his long-time companion?)

The Phils skipper said he has now met four presidents, but didn't clarify.

Obama also lauded the Phillies for their off-field endeavors and as an example of racial progress:

"Chase [Utley] works on behalf of pediatric hospitals. Brad [Lidge] supports our wounded warriors. Cole [Hamels] helps those suffering with HIV/AIDS in Africa. Ryan Howard is a national face for the Boys and Girls Clubs, participates in the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and takes an active role in mentoring inner-city students."

While honoring the Phillies for their achievements on the field, Obama made time to highlight the problems of race that persist both in the United States and in baseball. As inequalities in education, housing and other services plague society, baseball struggles to with its own lack of diversity.

According to a study conducted by Univ. of Central Florida Institute for Diversity & Ethics in Sport, blacks comprised only 10.2 percent of all major leaguers in 2008. The statistic recently provoked Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Orlando Hudson to say that Jackie Robinson "would probably turn over in his grave."

"As the number of African American kids taking up baseball is in severe decline, the impact of having role models like Ryan and Jimmy to look up to just can't be measured," Obama said.

Now, if only the president could help their awful starting pitching.

Tonight's games: The Phillies should have stayed in the Rose Garden. Ryan Howard crushed one to dead center for a three-run home run, giving the Phillies a 6-4 lead in the 7th against the Nationals. But Brad Lidge, who has gone from Lights Out to Blown Save Brad, coughed it up. Even worse, the game remains tied in the 12th with J.A. Happ (who was supposed to start one of the games in tomorrow's double header) on the mound.

The Red Sox are off to a decent start, up 4-0 in the 4th against the Mariners.

Update: As Greg was writing this, the offense finally came through. Phillies 10, Nationals 6.

[Photo credit: Philadelphia Inquirer]