Print      
Obama suggests new job for Epstein
Theo Epstein and the Cubs with President Obama at the White House. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP)
By Mark Shanahan
Globe Staff

After the Red Sox won the World Series in 2007, the team’s then-GM Theo Epstein skipped the subsequent White House visit with President George W. Bush, citing “family reasons.’’ But when the world champion Cubs went to White House on Monday, Epstein was front and center. And President Obama was generous with his praise for Epstein, calling him “one of the greatest general managers of all time.’’ Obama also made a joke. “Theo’s job is to quench droughts — 86 years in Boston, 108 in Chicago. He takes the reins of an organization that’s wandering in the wilderness and he delivers them to the promised land. I’ve talked to him about being [Democratic National Committee] chair, but he’s decided wisely to stick to baseball.’’ The crowd roared with laughter.