Good morning, it’s Friday, July 2, 2021, the day of the week when I reprise quotations intended to be uplifting or educational. Today, I’m borrowing from President Reagan, with an assist from the Los Angeles Dodgers — and the intrepid Russian people. Bear with me. The Dodgers are in Washington this weekend to play the Nationals in a four-game set pitting the 2020 World Series winner against the 2019 champs.
Yes, it would have been better for the home team had last night’s storm arrived about 15 minutes earlier, before Nats starter Patrick Corbin gave up a grand slam, but I digress. My real point is that the Dodgers are visiting the White House today, where they will be greeted by President Biden. It’s the first time since the coronavirus pandemic that a professional sports champion has followed the custom of being hosted by the president. And it’s been a while for the Dodgers. The last time they were at the White House was Oct. 26, 1988, when Ronald Reagan was in office.
By late October 1988, President Reagan and first lady Nancy Reagan were showing signs of their eagerness to return to California. There was an election to win first, though, and Reagan was doing his part by campaigning for Vice President George H.W. Bush and other Republican candidates, but there was a twinkle in his eye when he mentioned going…
