As pitcher Cliff Lee helped propel the Philadelphia Phillies to a win against the New York Yankees in game five of the World Series, a former US president took the mound in Japan's baseball championship.
George Bush threw out the ceremonial first pitch in game three of the Japan Series between the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters and Yomiuri Giants at Tokyo Dome last night.
Sporting a Yomiuri jacket, the right-hander tossed a pitch to Shinnosuke Abe of the Giants. The ball bounced in the dirt once before Abe caught it.
When the game started, Bush took his seat in a private box with Junichiro Koizumi, the former prime minister of Japan. Joining Bush and Koizumi were US ambassador John Roos and former Japanese baseball star Sadaharu Oh.
The Giants defeated the Fighters 7-4 and lead the best-of-seven series two games to one.
Despite the warm reception Bush received in the stadium, protests took place outside the building. Anti-war demonstrators carried signs reading: "Bush Go to Jail."
