The two men were staying at the same hotel in New York (the Lotte New York Palace) while on business. Obama was in the Big Apple to address the United Nations General Assembly and to meet with Cuban President Raul Castro and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Lovullo and the Sox are in town for a three-game series against the Yankees.
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It’s Lovullo’s custom to work out in the team hotel on the road. Obviously, he didn’t know in advance that the president was going to be there at the same time, but when he found out he just missed Obama’s session Monday morning, he made sure he was in the right place Tuesday. Lovullo introduced himself and talked baseball with Obama. The two even went through a few sets together before posing for a picture and parting ways.
“He’s fairly dialed in to what’s happening in major league baseball,” Lovullo told the Globe. “We had a great conversation. He was comfortable and easy. It was as normal as you can imagine. It was as exciting as you can probably imagine.”
