Met Invited to the White House!

[G-Fafif]

Just one Met for now: Papa Daniel Murphy.

When his wife Tori went into labor on March 31, Daniel Murphy knew exactly where he had to be. The Mets second baseman left New York, rushing back to Florida to be with her for the birth of their first child instead of being at Citi Field for the Mets Opening Day against the Nationals. While that decision, forcing Murphy to miss the first two games of the season, brought an outcry from some fans and two well-known New York sports talk radio hosts, it also brought the spotlight on some of the difficult choices that working fathers are forced to make. That has opened the door for Murphy to be an advocate for working fathers. Monday, Murphy will speak about that experience at the White House. As part of a discussion of working fathers, Murphy will speak about having his very personal family moment exploited in the public eye as part of a day of discussion leading-up to a White House Summit on Working Families, June 23, according to a White House official. �It�s an honor and it�s humbling,� Murphy said of speaking not as a baseball player, but as a dad. �Tori was very excited about this and so there was not much of choice: we were going to do this. �It�s exciting.� He will be among several high-ranking administration officials who are working dads and who will also share their experiences, including Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors Jason Furman, according to the White House official. Murphy�s decision to return to Florida for his son�s Noah�s birth was met with not just a firestorm of criticism, but also an outpouring of support. Fans on Twitter and callers to WFAN sent words of support and congratulations to the Murphys and pointed out that fathers too play a crucial part in raising children. At the time, Mets� Sandy Alderson staunchly defended the decision for Murphy to make use of MLB�s paternity leave, saying he was happy that Murphy could be there for the child�s birth. �It was a time that we leaned on each other and leaned on Jesus,� said Murphy of dealing with the publicity surrounding his decision. �Through the fire He molds you. So we came out of it stronger. �And we came out of it as a family,� Murphy said breaking into a huge smile, �we came out of it with a beautiful son.� The purpose of the day of discussion which Murphy will take part is for a number of leading experts, working dads, business leaders and Administration officials to share their insights and explore the roles dads play today at home, according to the White House official. They will discuss the challenges dads face balancing career and family, and how both businesses and working families benefit from progressive workplace policies.

[G-Fafif]

Assuming our nutrition-conscious First Lady discouraged the honoring of the Mets' 103-cheesesteak record. I'm sure Dave Racaniello would've presented the President with a grease-stained jersey.

[Edgy MD]

How amazing that Francessa holds a platform of enough cultural influence to warrant a White House smackdown of sorts.

[Benjamin Grimm]

[Edgy MD]

Pretty cool that he's still playing considering his Depression-era boyhood.

[Zvon]

Could you picture Murphy as a crossing guard? I try and I see only disaster.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

"Through the fire He molds you" has a JenningsBryanness about it, don't it?

[G-Fafif]

Zvon wrote: Could you picture Murphy as a crossing guard? I try and I see only disaster.

Tragedy was narrowly averted this morning in a traditionally quiet Jacksonville neighborhood, where a young elementary school crossing guard misread signals, hesitated in the face of onrushing traffic, couldn't quite make up his mind about what to do next and nearly ran a stream of speeding vehicles into his fellow students who, an eyewitness reported, "were just trying to cross the street safely." Ultimately everything worked out, observers agreed, because the beloved local boy of agreeable ethnic descent "worked so hard and never quit hustling."

[ashie62]

Will Daniel miss any time for this event?

[Guest d'Kong76]

Thankfully, the Mets are off Monday ... so the internet
won't unnecessarily implode over another absence.

[bmfc1]

Funny post above by G-Fafif responding to Zvon.

[G-Fafif]

Papa Murph faces the nation.

http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/11057605/daniel-murphy-new-york-mets-speaks-white-house-summit

[Edgy MD]

Murphy has homered in every game following a visit to the White House.

[ashie62]

Score one for the administration....