Red Sox make campaign pitches
Boston bosses supporting Kerry; pitcher Schilling for Bush
(CNN) -- Sen. John Kerry and President Bush called in baseball figures to pitch for their campaigns Sunday, looking to capitalize on the national pastime.
Fresh from a World Series victory, the Boston Red Sox management planned to endorse Kerry. Principal owner John Henry, co-owner Tom Werner and general manager Theo Epstein were scheduled to join the candidate Sunday at a rally in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Not to be outdone, the Bush campaign sent a "robo call" -- an automated phone message -- from Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling to voters in New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Maine.
Schilling first announced his support for Bush during a television interview Thursday, the morning after Boston swept the St. Louis Cardinals to win their first World Series since 1918.
The Bush camp quickly scheduled him for a New Hampshire rally Friday, but Schilling backed out, citing his injured ankle and telling a fan Web site that he regretted having given Bush an unsolicited endorsement.
"While I hope to see him re-elected, it's not my place, nor the time, for me to offer up my political opinions unsolicited," he told the Red Sox fan Web site BostonDirtDogs.com.
Bush planned to appear Sunday in Ohio with Hall of Famer Johnny Bench, a former catcher for the Cincinnati Reds who helped lead his team to victory over Boston in the 1975 World Series.
CNN's Kelly Wallace, Dana Bash and Justin Dial contributed to this report.
