Little League® and the George W. Bush Presidential Center are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the first Little League Tee Ball game played on the South Lawn of the White House in 2001. To highlight the celebration, the “Little League Tee Ball on the South Lawn” initiative, designed to help grow interest in baseball and softball among children, is featured in the George W. Bush Presidential Museum’s new exhibit, Game Changer: United by Sports, presented by Garry Weber.
From 2001 to 2008, hundreds of Tee Ball and Little League Challenger Division® players from multiple states and Puerto Rico were welcomed by President Bush and his administration to play in games that followed Little League Tee Ball rules. Each game was one inning long, no score was kept, and every player got up to bat and had a turn on defense.
Throughout the eight years, 563 players competed in 20 games, each featuring an honorary commissioner, including Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays. On July 16, 2008, the last two games were played on the South Lawn with one child from each state and the District of Columbia, including 2013 and 2014 Little League Baseball® World Series alum Blake Money, invited and organized into teams representing the North, South, East, and West. It was the first and only of its kind during the eight years of the program.
Joined by Jim Wilkinson — who served as chief of staff to Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson during the Bush administration — Pat Wilson, Little League President and Chief Executive Officer, attended the ceremonial opening of the new exhibit in Dallas, Texas. While visiting, Wilkinson and Wilson recorded an episode of The Strategerist, hosted by George W. Bush Presidential Center Director of Communications and Marketing, Andrew Kauffman, to discuss Tee Ball on the South Lawn and the impact of Little League.
The Game Changer: United by Sports exhibit is now open and will be on site at the George W. Bush Presidential Center through January 10, 2027. To listen to The Strategist episode highlighting Tee Ball on the South Lawn, click here.