PORTSMOUTH, N.H. – John Kerry (search) has been a lifelong fan of the Boston Red Sox (search), but he's having a hard time keeping up with their winning hopes while he pursues his own.
During most of the first two games of the World Series (search), the Massachusetts senator has been on a plane flying between the swing states where he's seeking a presidential victory. But when he's tried to keep up with the baseball scores, he's had three strikes.
Twice on Sunday, the Democrat said he was basking in Boston's 10-9 win in Game 1 the night before.
Problem is, the Red Sox won 11-9.
"Ten-9, the Sox did fabulous," Kerry said with a big smile as he ducked into church Sunday morning in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Inside, the minister had asked worshippers to clap "if the Lord has done anything wonderful in your life this week," and Kerry applauded.
"Coming from Boston, I had a special reason to clap," Kerry explained to the congregation when he took the pulpit. "The Red Sox won 10-9."
Kerry spokesman David Wade said the senator got the score wrong because 10-9 was the last update he got from the pilot during his late-night flight to Florida.
Problem is, the score never was 10-9. The Red Sox won on a two-run homer, meaning they went from 9 runs to 11.
Regardless, Kerry adviser Mike McCurry explained to reporters, "The senator had bad intelligence on the baseball game last night."
During Game 2 Sunday night, Kerry was flying from Florida to New Hampshire, and this time his staff called for game updates on one of the airplane's phones. But again, there was some confusion when he landed in Portsmouth, N.H., during the seventh inning.
"Seven-1 Red Sox!" Kerry said as he bounded off the plane, wearing his Red Sox cap, to greet a group of supporters. New Hampshire is Red Sox country, and a cheer went up from the crowd that wasn't able to watch the game while waiting for his plane on the tarmac.
Problem is, the Red Sox were winning 6-1 at the time. They went on to win 6-2.
Kerry was able to watch the Red Sox win the American League Championship from his hotel room while campaigning in Ohio last week. Journalists were invited in briefly to capture the scene of Kerry surrounded by his aides and bottles of beer. The senator didn't have a drink in his hands, but held both up with his fingers crossed.
"They're the greatest comeback team there is," Kerry said. Asked if there were any metaphors for his campaign, he declined to talk politics. "We're just playing ball here tonight."
Wade said Kerry is avoiding tying his fate to the team's because he has watched their World Series hopes dashed too many times before. Kerry attended games the last two times the Red Sox were in the World Series — 1975 and 1986 — and they lost. This time, Kerry suggested that campaigning in the final days of the presidential race would probably keep him away.
"Keep your eyes on the prize," Kerry said last week during a flight between Ohio and Iowa. "They do that and I'll do this."
But if things go right for both the senator and the team from Boston, Kerry just might be able to realize the dream he described to ESPN during an appearance at a Red Sox-Yankees game in July.
"I'd love to welcome the World Series Champion Red Sox to the White House," he said.
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