President Bush, right, shakes hands with Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz, left, as pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka looks on. The Red Sox visited the White House on Wednesday.

Washington ? When the Boston Red Sox, World Series champions, showed up at the White House on Wednesday, President Bush had a blast.

“I love the fact that you’ve got some of the game’s biggest stars,” Bush said, honoring the team on a chilly day on the South Lawn. “I mean, Big Papi. The guy lights up the screen.”

That would be David Ortiz, the lumbering left-handed slugger and team leader who proudly held the World Series trophy.

Then, in a line that even surprised the players, Bush sent a zinger toward absent left fielder Manny Ramirez.

“I guess his grandmother died again,” Bush said to prolonged laughter. “Just kidding.”

Ramirez also missed the Red Sox 2005 World Series ceremony at the White House. Visiting a sick grandmother, he said.