Schilling pitches for Bush; Kerry enlists Red Sox's front office

BOSTON -- Looking to share some of the magic that propelled the Boston Red Sox to their first World Series title in 86 years, President Bush enlisted a fan favorite to deliver his pitch while Democratic Sen. John Kerry recruited the team's front office.

Curt Schilling, the Red Sox winning pitcher in Game 2 of the World Series, endorses Bush in automated recordings that will be used in three competitive states -- New Hampshire, Maine and Pennsylvania -- before Tuesday's voting.

Kerry, the four-term Massachusetts senator who frequently mentions his hometown team and donned a cap this past week, was appearing Sunday with Boston's principal owner John Henry, part-owner Tom Werner and general manager Theo Epstein at a campaign stop in Manchester, N.H.

Schilling endorsed Bush in a television interview Thursday, a day after the Red Sox won the franchise's first title since 1918.

In his phone message to voters, Schilling says, "These past couple of weeks, Sox fans ... trusted me when it was my turn on the mound. Now you can trust me on this: President Bush is the right leader for our country," according to a transcript from the Bush campaign.

Kerry spokesman David Wade reminded baseball-crazed voters that when George W. Bush was owner of the Texas Rangers he voted against creation of the wild card. The Red Sox qualified for the playoffs through the wild card.

"When legions of Sox fans go to the polls on Tuesday, they'll remember that if George Bush had his way the Red Sox wouldn't have ever won the World Series," Wade said in a statement.

For good measure, Wade also reminds voters that Bush traded Sammy Sosa, the Chicago Cubs' home-run king.