Ceremonial first pitch: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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The '''ceremonial first pitch''' is a longstanding ritual of [[baseball]] in which a guest of honor throws a ball to mark the end of pregame festivities and the start of the game. Originally, the guest threw a ball from ~~his/her~~their ~~place~~seat in the grandstand to the pitcher or catcher of the home team, but the ritual changed after [[United States President]] [[Ronald Reagan]] threw the first pitch on the field at an unscheduled appearance at a 1988 [[Baltimore Orioles]] game. Now, the guest stands on or in front of the [[Baseball field#Pitcher's mound|pitcher's mound]] and throws towards [[Baseball field#Home ~~plate~~base|home plate]]. HeThe orceremonial ~~she may also~~thrower sometimes ~~stand~~stands on the mound (as a pitcher would). The recipient of the pitch is usually a player from the home team.

The ceremonial thrower may be a notable person (dignitary, celebrity, former player, etc.) who is in attendance, an executive from a company that sponsors the team (especially when that company has sponsored that night's promotional giveaway), or a person who won the first pitch opportunity as a contest prize. Often, especially in the [[minor league]]s, multiple first pitches are made.

== History ==

The practice of having ceremonial first pitches dates back to at least 1890, when throwers were often a mayor, governor, or other locally notable individual.<ref name="brown">{{cite web|last1=Brown|first1=Peter Jensen|title=President Taft, Governor McKinley and the "Lucky Seventh" Inning – the History and Origins of the Ceremonial "First Pitch" and the "Seventh Inning Stretch"|url=http://esnpc.blogspot.com/2016/09/president-taft-governor-mckinley-and.html|website=Early Sports 'n' Pop-Culture History Blog|date=3 September 2016|access-date=6 September 2016}}</ref> Ohio Governor (and future U.S. president) [[William McKinley]], for example, "threw the ball into the diamond" before an opening day game between Toledo and Columbus in 1892.<ref>{{cite news|title=Governor McKinley Started It|work=Omaha Daily Bee|date=April 17, 1892|url=http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn99021999/1892-04-17/ed-1/seq-1/| page= 2}}</ref> Former Japanese Prime Minister [[Ōkuma Shigenobu]] threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the first game of an American All-Star team's tour of Japan in 1908, making him possibly the first person who had served as a national head of government to throw out a first pitch.<ref name="brown"/><ref>{{cite news|work=Los Angeles Herald|date=November 23, 1908|page= 6|title=American Baseball Team is Victorious|url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=LAH19081123.2.73.15&dliv=none&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1}}</ref>

The practice of having ceremonial first pitches dates back to at least 1890, when throwers were often a mayor, governor, or other locally notable individual.<ref name="brown">{{cite web|last1=Brown|first1=Peter Jensen|title=President Taft, Governor McKinley and the "Lucky Seventh" Inning – the History and Origins of the Ceremonial "First Pitch" and the "Seventh Inning Stretch"|url=http://esnpc.blogspot.com/2016/09/president-taft-governor-mckinley-and.html|website=Early Sports 'n' Pop-Culture History Blog|date=3 September 2016|access-date=6 September 2016}}</ref> Ohio Governor (and future U.S. president) [[William McKinley]], for example, "threw the ball into the diamond" before an opening day game between Toledo and Columbus in 1892.<ref>{{cite news|title=Governor McKinley Started It|work=Omaha Daily Bee|date=April 17, 1892|url=http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn99021999/1892-04-17/ed-1/seq-1/ |page=2}}</ref> Former Japanese Prime Minister [[Ōkuma Shigenobu]] threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the first game of an American All-Star team's tour of Japan in 1908, making him possibly the first person who had served as a national head of government to throw out a first pitch.<ref name="brown"/><ref>{{cite news|work=Los Angeles Herald|date=November 23, 1908|page= 6|title=American Baseball Team is Victorious|url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=LAH19081123.2.73.15&dliv=none&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1}}</ref>

Ceremonial first pitches during the [[World Series]] are subject to the [[Commissioner of Baseball]]'s approval. Section 7.13 of the World Series Manual states, "All first-ball throwers are subject to final approval of the commissioner. Recommendations are solicited from the participating clubs, but no commitments should be made until approval has been received. The use of politicians, movie stars, etc., will not be approved except in rare or unusual circumstances." [[Baltimore Orioles]] owner [[Jerold Hoffberger]] was fined $2,500 for allowing [[Governor of Maryland|Maryland Governor]] [[Harry Hughes]] to throw out the first pitch before Game 2 of the [[1979 World Series]] over the objections of Commissioner [[Bowie Kuhn]].<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1979/11/08/archives/governors-pitch-draws-fine.html "Governor's Pitch Draws Fine," United Press International (UPI), Wednesday, November 7, 1979.] Retrieved March 9, 2023.</ref>

On April 23, [[2012 Texas Rangers season|2012]], the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] executed a unique twist on the first pitch tradition. Before the Rangers' home game against the [[2012 New York Yankees season|New York Yankees]], the team held an official retirement ceremony for longtime catcher [[Iván Rodríguez]]. Instead of going to the pitcher's mound, he went behind home plate and threw the first "pitch" to longtime teammate [[Michael Young (baseball)|Michael Young]], who was standing at second base.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espn.com/dallas/mlb/story/_/id/7846559/ivan-rodriguez-retires-honored-texas-rangers |title=Ivan Rodriguez announces retirement |first=Richard |last=Durrett |publisher=[[ESPN]] |date=April 24, 2012 |access-date=July 31, 2017}}</ref>

On July 23, 2020, Dr. [[Anthony Fauci]], director of the [[National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases]], threw the first pitch of the 2020 MLB season after it was delayed due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.si.com/mlb/2020/07/23/anthony-fauci-first-pitch-nationals-yankees-opening-day|title=Dr. Fauci's First Pitch Was an Instant Classic |date=23 July 2020}}</ref>

On June 9, 2024, during the second game of the [[London Series]], instead of a ceremonial first pitch, [[Kaitlin Olson]] threw the ball to [[Rob McElhenney]] at shortstop, who then threw it to [[Bryce Harper]] on first base for the first "ceremonial [[double play]]".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5552051/2024/06/09/mlb-london-series-mets-phillies/ |title=MLB London Series: Mets' deadline plans, a wild ninth inning and Trea Turner's status |work=The New York Times |last1=Sammon |first1=Will |last2=MacKie |first2=Andrew}}</ref>

On August 21, 2024, at a [[New York Mets]] home game against the [[Baltimore Orioles|Orioles]], New York-based comedian [[Eitan Levine]] threw his 40th first pitch to break the Guinness World Record for ceremonial first pitches in a professional baseball season. The proceeds from this endeavor were donated to the [[Make-A-Wish Foundation|Make-a-Wish foundation]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Comedian makes wishes come true with record-setting 1st pitch |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/comedian-eitan-levine-sets-world-record-with-first-pitch |access-date=2024-08-21 |website=MLB.com |language=en}}</ref>

==Presidential first pitches==

The American tradition of presidential first pitches began in [[1910 in baseball|1910]], when United States President [[William Howard Taft]] threw the ceremonial first pitch at the [[Washington Senators (1901–60)|Washington Senators]]' [[Opening Day]] at [[Griffith Stadium]]. Every president since, with the ~~exception~~exceptions of [[Donald Trump]], and [[Joe Biden]] (who has yet to do so during his current presidential term) has thrown out at least one ceremonial first pitch during or after their presidency, either for Opening Day, the [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star Game]], or the [[World Series]], usually with much fanfare.<ref>{{cite news |first=Paul |last=Duggan |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/01/AR2007040101262.html |title=Balking at the First Pitch |~~work~~newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |page=A01 |date=April 2, 2007 }}</ref>

President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] has thrown the most presidential first pitches while in office at 11,<ref ~~which~~name="ESPN" is/> ~~also tied (with~~while President [[George W. Bush]]) ~~for~~has ~~the~~thrown ~~most presidential~~14 first pitches overall, including those thrown before and after ~~leaving~~holding the office.~~<ref~~ ~~name="ESPN" /> [[~~Donald Trump]] and [[Jimmy Carter]] are the only presidents ~~so far~~ to not ~~have~~throw ~~thrown the~~a ceremonial first pitch for an Opening Day during their presidency, though the latter did so after he left office.<ref name="ESPN">{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/18974934/scouting-presidential-first-pitches|title=From Taft to Trump: Scouting presidential first pitches|first=Steve|last=Wulf|work=[[ESPN]]|date=April 3, 2017|access-date=July 26, 2020}}</ref> Trump had previously done one prior to his presidency for the minor league [[Somerset Patriots]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://eu.app.com/story/sports/baseball/patriots/2020/07/28/donald-trump-threw-first-pitch-landed-helicopter-at-nj-baseball-stadium/5521642002/ | title=When Donald Trump threw first pitch, landed helicopter at NJ baseball stadium }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" border="1"

!scope="row"style="text-align:center;background-color: #CCFFCC"|{{double-dagger}}

|First pitch by a future president

|style="background:#ddcef2;border:solid 1px #AAAAAA"|^

|First pitch by a former president

|style="background:#FFDD00;border:solid 1px #AAAAAA"|*

|First pitch by a vice president

{| class="wikitable sortable"

|+ Presidential First Pitches

! width=120|~~Year~~Event

! width=125|President

! width=100|Ballpark

Line 29 ⟶ 50:

| 1910 Opening Day

| [[rowspan="2" | {{sortname|William Howard |Taft]]}}

| rowspan="5" | [[Boundary Field|National Park]]

| First sitting president to participate in Opening Day ceremonies; preceded [[Washington Nationals (1905–56)|Washington Nationals]]–[[Philadelphia Athletics]] game on April 14.<ref name="jwallneropener">Wallner, Jeff. [http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/print.jsp?ymd=20060403&content_id=1381642&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc "President Bush tosses Opening pitch"], MLB.com, Monday, April 3, 2006</ref>

| 1911 Opening Day

~~| William Howard Taft~~

~~| [[Griffith Stadium|National Park]]~~

| The National Park where the first-ever presidential ceremonial first pitch was thrown burned down in March 1911, and a new stadium, also called National Park at first, was built in its place. It would be renamed Griffith Stadium in 1923.<ref name="ESPN" />

| 1912 Opening Day

| style="background:#FFDD00"|{{sortname|James S.|Sherman}} (Vice President)*

~~| Vice President [[James S. Sherman]]~~

~~| National Park~~

| Taft did not attend because of the death of his friend [[Archibald Butt]] in the ''[[RMS Titanic|Titanic]]'' disaster.<ref name="ESPN" />

| 1913 Opening Day

| ~~[[Woodrow~~rowspan="4" | {{sortname|Woodrow|Wilson]]}}

| rowspan="2" | <ref name="JFK" />

~~| National Park~~

~~| <ref name="JFK" />~~

| 1915 Opening Day

~~| Woodrow Wilson~~

~~| National Park~~

~~| <ref name="JFK" />~~

| [[1915 World Series]]

~~| Woodrow Wilson~~

| [[Baker Bowl]]

| Wilson's first public appearance with then-fiancée [[Edith Wilson|Edith]] since their engagement.<ref name="JFK" /><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/25/upshot/the-president-attends-the-world-series.html|title=The President Attends the World Series|first=Michael|last=Beschloss|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=October 24, 2014|access-date=July 26, 2020}}</ref>

| 1916 Home Opener

~~| Woodrow Wilson~~

| National Park

| Nationals defeated [[New York Yankees]] on April 20.<ref name="JFK" /><ref>[http://www.baseball-almanac.com/prz_cww.shtml President Woodrow Wilson Baseball Game Attendance Log] ''Baseball Almanac''</ref>

| 1921 Opening Day

| [[rowspan="4" | {{sortname|Warren G. |Harding]]}}

| rowspan="2" | [[Griffith Stadium]]

| First loss for the Nationals with a president throwing out the first ball.<ref name="ESPN" />

| 1922 Opening Day

| rowspan="2" | <ref name="ESPN" />

~~| Warren G. Harding~~

~~| Griffith Stadium~~

~~| <ref name="ESPN" />~~

| 1923 Opening Day

~~| Warren G. Harding~~

| [[Yankee Stadium (1923)|Yankee Stadium]]

~~| <ref name="ESPN" />~~

| 1923 ~~Opening~~Home ~~Day~~Opener

| rowspan="8" | Griffith Stadium

~~| Warren G. Harding~~

~~| Griffith Stadium~~

| Done two days after his first pitch at Yankee Stadium.<ref name="ESPN" />

| 1924 Opening Day

| rowspan="6" | [[Calvin Coolidge]]

| rowspan="4" | <ref name="ESPN" />

~~| Griffith Stadium~~

~~| <ref name="ESPN" />~~

| [[1924 World Series]]

~~| Calvin Coolidge~~

~~| Griffith Stadium~~

~~| <ref name="ESPN" />~~

| 1925 Opening Day

~~| Calvin Coolidge~~

~~| Griffith Stadium~~

~~| <ref name="ESPN" />~~

| 1925 World Series

~~| Calvin Coolidge~~

~~| Griffith Stadium~~

~~| <ref name="ESPN" />~~

| 1927 Opening Day

~~| Calvin Coolidge~~

~~| Griffith Stadium~~

| <ref name="ESPN" /><ref name="JFK" />

| 1928 Opening Day

~~| Calvin Coolidge~~

~~| Griffith Stadium~~

| Coolidge left after the first inning due to cold weather.<ref name="ESPN" /><ref name="JFK"/>

| 1929 Opening Day

| ~~[[Herbert~~rowspan="6" | {{sortname|Herbert|Hoover]]}}

~~| Griffith Stadium~~

| <ref name="ESPN" />

| [[1929 World Series]]

~~| Herbert Hoover~~

| [[Shibe Park]]

| Held two weeks before the [[Wall Street Crash of 1929]].<ref name="ESPN" /><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/baseball/2017/03/30/president-herbert-hoover-baseball/99821890/|title=President Hoover's torrid love affair ... with baseball|first=Tom|last=Walsh|work=[[The Des Moines Register]]|date=March 30, 2017|access-date=July 26, 2020}}</ref>

| 1930 Opening Day

~~| Herbert Hoover~~

| Griffith Stadium

| rowspan="2" | <ref name="ESPN" />

| [[1930 World Series]]

| rowspan="2" | Shibe Park

~~| Herbert Hoover~~

~~| Shibe Park~~

~~| <ref name="ESPN" />~~

| 1931 Opening Day

~~| Herbert Hoover~~

~~| Shibe Park~~

| Hoover was received by a mixed audience, with some opposed to [[Prohibition in the United States|Prohibition]] chanting "We want beer!"<ref name="ESPN" /><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.whitehousehistory.org/president-herbert-hoover-and-baseball|title=President Herbert Hoover and Baseball|first=Joel|last=D. Treese|publisher=[[The White House Historical Association]]|access-date=July 26, 2020}}</ref>

| 1932 Opening Day

| rowspan="6" | Griffith Stadium

~~| Herbert Hoover~~

| rowspan="7" | <ref name="ESPN" />

~~| Griffith Stadium~~

~~| <ref name="ESPN" />~~

| 1933 Opening Day

| [[rowspan="11" | {{sortname|Franklin D. |Roosevelt]]}}

~~| Griffith Stadium~~

~~| <ref name="ESPN" />~~

| [[1933 World Series]]

~~| Franklin D. Roosevelt~~

~~| Griffith Stadium~~

~~| <ref name="ESPN" />~~

| 1934 Opening Day

~~| Franklin D. Roosevelt~~

~~| Griffith Stadium~~

~~| <ref name="ESPN" />~~

| 1935 Opening Day

~~| Franklin D. Roosevelt~~

~~| Griffith Stadium~~

~~| <ref name="ESPN" />~~

| 1936 Opening Day

~~| Franklin D. Roosevelt~~

~~| Griffith Stadium~~

~~| <ref name="ESPN" />~~

| [[1936 World Series]]

~~| Franklin D. Roosevelt~~

| Yankee Stadium

~~| <ref name="ESPN" />~~

| 1937 Opening Day

| rowspan="16" | Griffith Stadium

~~| Franklin D. Roosevelt~~

~~| Griffith Stadium~~

| A plane flew overhead carrying a banner reading "Play the game, don't pack the court," in protest of Roosevelt's failed [[Judicial Procedures Reform Bill of 1937]].<ref name="JFK" />

| [[1937 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1937 All-Star Game]]

| rowspan="2" | <ref name="ESPN" />

~~| Franklin D. Roosevelt~~

~~| Griffith Stadium~~

~~| <ref name="ESPN" />~~

| 1938 Opening Day

~~| Franklin D. Roosevelt~~

~~| Griffith Stadium~~

~~| <ref name="ESPN" />~~

| 1940 Opening Day

~~| Franklin D. Roosevelt~~

~~| Griffith Stadium~~

| Roosevelt's pitch hit a ''[[The Washington Post|Washington Post]]'' camera.<ref name="ESPN" /><ref>{{cite web|title=President Franklin Roosevelt Baseball Game Attendance Log|url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/prz_cfr.shtml|website=Baseball Almanac|access-date=20 July 2016}}</ref>

| 1941 Opening Day

~~| Franklin D. Roosevelt~~

~~| Griffith Stadium~~

| <ref name="ESPN" />

| [[1945 World Series]]

| [[rowspan="8" | {{sortname|Harry S. |Truman]]}}

~~| Griffith Stadium~~

| First left-handed presidential ceremonial first pitch.<ref name="ESPN" />

| 1946 Opening Day

| rowspan="4" | <ref name="ESPN" />

~~| Harry S. Truman~~

~~| Griffith Stadium~~

~~| <ref name="ESPN" />~~

| 1947 Opening Day

~~| Harry S. Truman~~

~~| Griffith Stadium~~

~~| <ref name="ESPN" />~~

| 1948 Opening Day

~~| Harry S. Truman~~

~~| Griffith Stadium~~

~~| <ref name="ESPN" />~~

| 1949 Opening Day

~~| Harry S. Truman~~

~~| Griffith Stadium~~

~~| <ref name="ESPN" />~~

| 1950 Opening Day

~~| Harry S. Truman~~

~~| Griffith Stadium~~

| Truman threw out two balls, one left-handed and one right-handed.<ref name="ESPN" />

| 1951 Opening Day

| rowspan="2" | <ref name="ESPN" />

~~| Harry S. Truman~~

~~| Griffith Stadium~~

~~| <ref name="ESPN" />~~

| 1952 Opening Day

~~| Harry S. Truman~~

~~| Griffith Stadium~~

~~| <ref name="ESPN" />~~

| 1953 Opening Day

| [[rowspan="6" | {{sortname|Dwight D. |Eisenhower]]}}

~~| Griffith Stadium~~

| Eisenhower skipped Opening Day to play golf at [[Augusta National Golf Club|Augusta National]], but the game was postponed by rain and he threw out the first ball at the rescheduled game.<ref name="ESPN" /><ref name="JFK" />

| 1954 Opening Day

| rowspan="5" | <ref name="ESPN" />

~~| Dwight D. Eisenhower~~

~~| Griffith Stadium~~

~~| <ref name="ESPN" />~~

| 1955 Opening Day

~~| Dwight D. Eisenhower~~

~~| Griffith Stadium~~

~~| <ref name="ESPN" />~~

| [[1955 World Series]]

~~| Dwight D. Eisenhower~~

| [[Ebbets Field]]

~~| <ref name="ESPN" />~~

| 1956 Opening Day

| rowspan="2" | Griffith Stadium

~~| Dwight D. Eisenhower~~

~~| Griffith Stadium~~

~~| <ref name="ESPN" />~~

| 1958 Opening Day

~~| Dwight D. Eisenhower~~

|[[1958 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1958 All-Star Game]]

~~| Griffith Stadium~~

| rowspan="3" style="background:#CCFFCC" |{{sortname|Richard|Nixon}} (Vice President){{double-dagger}}

~~| <ref name="ESPN" />~~

|[[Memorial Stadium (Baltimore)|Memorial Stadium]]

|The catcher was [[Gus Triandos]].<ref>{{cite news |title=All Star Game Highlights |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/97861947/all-star-game-highlights/ |access-date=18 March 2022 |work=[[The York Dispatch]] |date=9 July 1958 |pages=17}}</ref>

| 1959 Opening Day

|Griffith Stadium

~~| Vice President [[Richard Nixon]]~~

~~| Griffith Stadium~~

| Eisenhower did not attend and was represented by Nixon.

|[[1959 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (first game)|1959 All-Star Game]]

|[[Forbes Field]]

|Nixon threw the pitch at the first of that season's two All-Star Games.<ref>{{cite news |title=Richard Nixon throws out the first pitch at the 1959 All-Star Game |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/97862260/richard-nixon-throws-out-the-first/ |access-date=18 March 2022 |work=[[The Daily Sentinel (Colorado)|The Daily Sentinel]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=7 July 1959 |pages=6}}</ref>

| 1959 [[Old-Timers' Day]]

| style="background:#ddcef2"|{{sortname|Herbert|Hoover|nolink=1}} (former President)^

~~| Former President Herbert Hoover~~

| Yankee Stadium

| <ref name="Hoover">{{cite web|url=https://hoover.blogs.archives.gov/2017/08/16/old-timers-day-new-york-yankees-stadium-august-8-1959|title=Old Timers' Day, New York Yankees Stadium, August 8, 1959|work=Hoover Heads|publisher=[[Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum]]|date=August 16, 2017|access-date=July 26, 2020}}</ref>

| 1960 Opening Day

| {{sortname|Dwight D. |Eisenhower|nolink=1}}

| rowspan="2" | Griffith Stadium

| rowspan="2" | <ref name="ESPN" />

| 1961 Opening Day

| [[{{sortname|John F. |Kennedy]]}}

~~| Griffith Stadium~~

~~| <ref name="ESPN" />~~

| 1961 Old-Timers' Day

| style="background:#ddcef2"|{{sortname|Herbert|Hoover|nolink=1}} (former President)^

~~| Former President Herbert Hoover~~

| Yankee Stadium

| <ref name="Hoover" />

| 1962 Opening Day

| rowspan="3" | {{sortname|John F. |Kennedy|nolink=1}}

| rowspan="6" | [[Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium|D.C. Stadium]]

| The recently constructed D.C. Stadium would later be renamed the RFK Stadium after Kennedy's brother [[Robert F. Kennedy]] in 1969.<ref name="JFK">{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2019/04/09/jfk-first-pitch-1962-1260183|title=JFK throws out first pitch on opening day, April 9, 1962|first=Andrew|last=Glass|work=[[Politico]]|date=April 9, 2019|access-date=July 26, 2020}}</ref>

| [[1962 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (first game)|1962 All-Star Game]]

~~| John F. Kennedy~~

~~| D.C. Stadium~~

| All-Star Game in Washington, D.C.

| 1963 Opening Day

~~| John F. Kennedy~~

~~| D.C. Stadium~~

| <ref name="ESPN" />

| 1964 Opening Day

| [[rowspan="2" | {{sortname|Lyndon B. |Johnson]]}}

~~| D.C. Stadium~~

| Set a record for most [[hot dogs]] eaten by a president on Opening Day: four.<ref name="ESPN" />

| 1965 Opening Day

| rowspan="2" |<ref name="mead" />{{rp|195}}

~~| Lyndon B. Johnson~~

~~| D.C. Stadium~~

|1966 Opening Day

~~| <ref name="ESPN" />~~

| rowspan="2" style="background:#FFDD00" |{{sortname|Hubert|Humphrey}} (Vice President)*

|[[1966 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1966 All-Star Game]]

|[[Busch Memorial Stadium]]

|The temperature at the start of the game was {{convert|100|F}}. Humphrey left the ballpark shortly after the pitch.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Endsley |first1=Brian M. |title=Koufax Throws a Curve: The Los Angeles Dodgers at the End of an Era, 1964-1966 |date=16 April 2018 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-1-4766-6942-7 |page=124 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3ptVDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA124 |access-date=18 March 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

| 1967 Opening Day

| {{sortname|Lyndon B. |Johnson|nolink=1}}

| rowspan="2" |D.C. Stadium

| <ref name="ESPN" />

| 1968 Opening Day

|style="background:#FFDD00"|{{sortname|Hubert|Humphrey|nolink=1}} (Vice President)*

~~| Vice President [[Hubert Humphrey]]~~

| Due to low approval, Humphrey attended in-place of Johnson amidst [[King assassination riots|public unrest]] following the [[assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.]]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc-sports-bog/wp/2018/03/29/fifty-years-ago-nats-opening-day-was-postponed-after-assassination-of-martin-luther-king-jr/|title=Fifty years ago, Nats' Opening Day was postponed after assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.|first=Scott|last=Allen|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=March 29, 2018|access-date=July 26, 2020}}</ref>

~~| D.C. Stadium~~

| Due to low approval, Humphrey attended in-place of Johnson amidst [[King assassination riots|public unrest]] following the [[assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.]]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc-sports-bog/wp/2018/03/29/fifty-years-ago-nats-opening-day-was-postponed-after-assassination-of-martin-luther-king-jr/|title=Fifty years ago, Nats' Opening Day was postponed after assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.|first=Scott|last=Allen|work=The Washington Post|date=March 29, 2018|access-date=July 26, 2020}}</ref>

| 1969 Opening Day

| {{sortname|Richard |Nixon|nolink=1}}

| rowspan="2"|[[Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium|RFK Stadium]]

| Nixon requested the [[Seal of the President of the United States|presidential seal]] to be mounted on his box, causing embarrassment when the seal provided had "president" misspelled.<ref name="ESPN" /><ref name="JFK" />

|[[1969 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1969 All-Star Game]]

|style="background:#FFDD00"|{{sortname|Spiro|Agnew}} (Vice President){{double-dagger}}

|Richard Nixon was scheduled to throw out the first pitch but was unable to attend after the game was postponed by rain. Agnew threw one pitch to [[National League (baseball)|National League]] catcher [[Johnny Bench]] and one pitch to [[American League]] catcher [[Bill Freehan]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Weiner |first1=Steven C. |title=July 23, 1969: Willie McCovey's two homers power National League to All-Star win |url=https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/july-23-1969-willie-mccoveys-two-homers-power-national-league-to-all-star-win/ |access-date=18 March 2022 |publisher=[[SABR]]}}</ref>

| [[1970 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1970 All-Star Game]]

| rowspan="2" |Richard Nixon

| [[Riverfront Stadium]]

| All-Star Game in Cincinnati, Ohio.<ref name="ESPN" />

| 1973 Opening Day

~~| Richard Nixon~~

| [[Anaheim Stadium]]

| First Opening Day ~~held~~presidential first pitch outside of Washington, D.C.<ref name="ESPN" />

| 1976 Opening Day

| rowspan="2" | {{sortname|Gerald|Ford}}

~~| [[Gerald Ford]]~~

| [[Arlington Stadium]]

| <ref name="ESPN" />

| [[1976 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1976 All-Star Game]]

~~| Gerald Ford~~

| [[Veterans Stadium]]

| Ford threw two pitches (with the first from his right hand and the second from his left) from the ~~stand~~stands, one to a representative from the National League and the other to a representative from the American League.<ref name="ESPN" /><ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/UQxKwhk0HVM Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20170329220318/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQxKwhk0HVM&gl=US&hl=en&has_verified=1&bpctr=9999999999 Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQxKwhk0HVM| title = 1976 AL@NL: President Ford throws out first pitch | website=[[YouTube]]| date = 24 June 2013 }}{{cbignore}}</ref>

| [[1979 World Series]]

| [[{{sortname|Jimmy |Carter]]}}

| [[Memorial Stadium ~~(Baltimore)|Memorial Stadium]]~~

| [[Baltimore Orioles]] catcher [[Rick Dempsey]] playfully yelled, "Next time, get your ass here before the seventh game," in reference to Carter skipping the Opening Day.<ref name="ESPN" />

|[[1981 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1981 All-Star Game]]

|style="background:#CCFFCC"|{{sortname|George H. W.|Bush}} (Vice President){{double-dagger}}

|[[Cleveland Stadium]]

|Bush had hoped he would be pitching to [[Carlton Fisk]] but a 13-year-old fan was picked out of the crowd to serve as catcher.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Boswell |first1=Thomas |title=Bush brings baseball back with a slider |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/97851674/bush-brings-baseball-back-with-a-slider/ |access-date=18 March 2022 |work=[[Fort Worth Star-Telegram]] |agency=Washington Post News Services |date=10 August 1981 |pages=28}}</ref>

| 1984 Opening Day

| ~~[[Ronald~~rowspan="2" | {{sortname|Ronald|Reagan]]}}

| rowspan="2" | Memorial Stadium

|Reagan made an unannounced trip to Baltimore, after it was initially cancelled for security reasons. He watched the game from the third-base dugout.<ref name="JFK" /><ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1870&dat=19840403&id=GkcuAAAAIBAJ&sjid=tskEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3566,1403249|title=Reagan Makes A Surprise Visit|date=April 3, 1984|first=Michael|last=Putzel|agency=[[Associated Press]]|access-date=2013-05-29}}</ref>

| 1986 Opening Day

~~| Ronald Reagan~~

~~| Memorial Stadium~~

| <ref name="ESPN" />

|[[1986 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1986 All-Star Game]]

~~| 1988 Regular Season~~

| rowspan="2" style="background:#CCFFCC" |{{sortname|George H. W.|Bush|nolink=1}} (Vice President){{double-dagger}}

~~| Ronald Reagan~~

|[[Astrodome]]

|Bush's second All-Star Game. The catcher was [[Gary Carter]].<ref name="1986asg">{{cite news |title=Bush becomes most recent VP to toss 1st pitch |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/97851315/bush-becomes-most-recent-vp-to-toss-1st/ |access-date=18 March 2022 |work=[[Democrat and Chronicle]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=16 July 1986 |pages=10}}</ref>

|[[1988 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1988 All-Star Game]]

|Riverfront Stadium

|<ref name="stupp">{{cite book |last1=Stupp |first1=Dann |title=Opening Day at Great American Ball Park |date=2003 |publisher=Sports Publishing LLC |isbn=978-1-58261-724-4 |page=116 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eCUvdnnAXckC&pg=PA116 |access-date=18 March 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

| {{sortdate|1988|09|30}} (Regular Season)

|{{sortname|Ronald|Reagan|nolink=1}}

| [[Wrigley Field]]

| Reagan threw two pitches prior to the [[Chicago Cubs]]–[[Pittsburgh Pirates]] game on September 30, then joined [[Harry Caray]] for 1½ innings on the [[WGN-TV|WGN]] telecast.<ref name="jwallneropener" /><ref name="JFK" />

| 1989 Opening Day

| [[rowspan="3" | {{sortname|George H. W. |Bush]]|nolink=1}}

| Memorial Stadium

| [[President of Egypt]] [[Hosni Mubarak]] was Bush's special guest, but did not partake in the pregame ceremonies. The [[Baltimore Orioles]] defeated the [[Boston Red Sox]] 5–4 in 11 innings.<ref name="ESPN" /><ref>Dowd, Maureen, [https://www.nytimes.com/1989/04/04/world/bush-takes-mubarak-out-to-the-ball-game.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm "Bush Takes Mubarak Out to the Ball Game"] ''The New York Times'', Tuesday, April 4, 1989</ref>

|{{sortdate|1989|4|25}} (Regular Season)

|Anaheim Stadium

| rowspan="2" |<ref name="mead">{{cite book |last1=Mead |first1=William B. |last2=Dickson |first2=Paul |title=Baseball: The Presidents' Game |date=1 April 1997 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA |isbn=978-0-8027-7515-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LkpS4twE2fEC&pg=PA196 |access-date=18 March 2022 |language=en}}</ref>{{rp|196}}

|{{sortdate|1989|6|28}} (Regular Season)

|Memorial Stadium

| [[1989 Japan Series]]

| style="background:#ddcef2"|{{sortname|Ronald|Reagan|nolink=1}} (former President)^

~~| Former President Ronald Reagan~~

| [[Tokyo Dome]]

| Game 3 between the [[Kintetsu Buffaloes]] and [[Yomiuri Giants]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/3d24f71103aa81f7f4fb8e20d976f1d4|title=Reagan Throws First Pitch in Japan, Nearly Hits Batter|first=David|last=Thurber|work=Associated Press|date=October 24, 1989|access-date=July 26, 2020}}</ref>

| 1990 Opening Day

| {{sortname|George H. W. |Bush|nolink=1}}

| [[SkyDome]]

| First Opening Day pitch by a president to be thrown in Canada.<ref name="ESPN" />

| {{sortdate|1990|5|24}} (Regular Season)

| style="background:#FFDD00"|{{sortname|Dan|Quayle}} (Vice President)*

~~| Vice President [[Dan Quayle]]~~

| [[Wrigley Field]]

~~| May 24, 1990~~

|{{sortdate|1990|7|16}} (Regular Season)

~~| 1991 Opening Day~~

| rowspan="2" |{{sortname|George H. W. |Bush|nolink=1}}

|Memorial Stadium

|<ref name="mead"/>{{rp|196}}

| rowspan="2" | 1991 Opening Day

| Arlington Stadium

| <ref name="ESPN" />

| style="background:#FFDD00"|{{sortname|Dan|Quayle|nolink=1}} (Vice President)*

~~| 1991 Opening Day~~

~~| Vice President Dan Quayle~~

| [[Memorial Stadium (Baltimore)|Memorial Stadium]]

| Final Opening Day at Memorial Stadium

| 1992 Opening Day

| rowspan="2" | {{sortname|George H. W. |Bush|nolink=1}}

| [[Oriole Park at Camden Yards]]

| First MLB game at Camden Yards.<ref name="ESPN" /><ref name="JFK" /> Bush was joined by his 15-year-old grandson, [[George P. Bush]].<ref name="mead"/>{{rp|196}}

| [[1992 MLB All-Star Game|1992 All-Star Game]]

~~| George H. W. Bush~~

| [[Jack Murphy Stadium]]

| Threw first pitch with [[Ted Williams]].<ref name="mead"/>{{rp|196}}

| [[1992 World Series]]

| style="background:#ddcef2"|{{sortname|Jimmy|Carter|nolink=1}} (former President)^

| Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium

| rowspan="2" | 1993 Opening Day

| [[{{sortname|Bill |Clinton]]}}

| Oriole Park at Camden Yards

| Before this, most presidents threw from the stands or at the base of the pitcher's mound; Clinton was the first president to successfully throw from the pitcher's mound to the catcher.<ref name="ESPN" /><ref name="JFK" />

| style="background:#FFDD00"|{{sortname|Al|Gore}} (Vice President)*

~~| 1993 Opening Day~~

~~| Vice President [[Al Gore]]~~

| [[Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium]]

| 1994 Opening Day

| {{sortname|Bill |Clinton|nolink=1}}

| [[Jacobs Field]]

| First MLB Game at Jacobs Field.<ref name="ESPN" />

| [[1995 World Series]]

| style="background:#ddcef2"|{{sortname|Jimmy|Carter|nolink=1}} (former President)^

~~| Former President Jimmy Carter~~

| [[Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium]]

| rowspan="4" | <ref name="ESPN" />

| 1996 Opening Day

| rowspan="3" | {{sortname|Bill|Clinton|nolink=1}}

~~| Bill Clinton~~

| Oriole Park at Camden Yards

~~| <ref name="ESPN" />~~

| 1997 Opening Day

~~| Bill Clinton~~

| [[Shea Stadium]]

~~| <ref name="ESPN" />~~

| rowspan="2" | 2000 Opening Day

~~| Bill Clinton~~

| [[Pacific Bell Park]]

~~| <ref name="ESPN" />~~

| style="background:#CCFFCC"|{{sortname|George W.|Bush}} (as Governor of Texas){{double-dagger}}

~~| 2000 Opening Day~~

~~| Governor [[George W. Bush]]~~

| [[The Ballpark in Arlington]]

| Future ~~President~~43rd president

| 2001 Opening Day

| [[rowspan="2" | {{sortname|George W. |Bush]]|nolink=1}}

| [[Miller Park (Milwaukee)|Miller Park]]

| [[Commissioner of Baseball (MLB)|MLB Commissioner]] [[Bud Selig]] (a former owner of the Brewers) threw out the first pitch to celebrate the opening of the new park; Bush threw the second pitch.<ref name="ESPN" />

| [[2001 World Series]]

~~| George W. Bush~~

| Yankee Stadium

| This was the first World Series game in New York since the [[September 11 attacks]]; Bush wore a [[bulletproof vest]] and a [[United States Secret Service|Secret Service]] agent dressed as an [[Umpire (baseball)|umpire]] so he could be on the field.<ref name="ESPN" />

| 2003 Opening Day

| style="background:#ddcef2"|{{sortname|George H. W.|Bush|nolink=1}} (former President)^

~~| Former President George H. W. Bush~~

| [[Great American Ball Park]]

|<ref name="stupp" />

| rowspan="3" | 2004 Opening Day

| style="background:#ddcef2"|{{sortname|Jimmy|Carter|nolink=1}} (former President)^

~~| Former President Jimmy Carter~~

| [[Petco Park]]

| First MLB Game at Petco Park

| {{sortname|George W.|Bush|nolink=1}}

~~| 2004 Opening Day~~

| Busch Memorial Stadium

~~| George W. Bush~~

~~| [[Busch Memorial Stadium|Busch Stadium]]~~

| <ref name="ESPN" />

| style="background:#FFDD00"|{{sortname|Dick|Cheney}} (Vice President)*

~~| 2004 Opening Day~~

~~| Vice President [[Dick Cheney]]~~

| Great American Ball Park

| 2005 Opening Day

| {{sortname|George W. |Bush|nolink=1}}

| RFK Stadium

| 2005 was the Nationals' first season, making Bush the first president to throw out first pitch in Washington since Richard Nixon in 1969.<ref name="ESPN" />

| [[2005 American League Championship Series ~~Game 2~~ ]]

| style="background:#CCFFCC"|{{sortname|Barack|Obama}} (as United States Senator from Illinois){{double-dagger}}

~~| Senator [[Barack Obama]]~~

| [[U.S. Cellular Field]]

| Future ~~President~~44th president

| rowspan="2" | 2006 Opening Day

| {{sortname|George W. |Bush|nolink=1}}

| Great American Ball Park

| First sitting president to participate on Opening Day in Cincinnati; preceded Reds–Cubs game on April 3.<ref name="ESPN" /><ref name="jwallneropener"/>

| style="background:#FFDD00"|{{sortname|Dick|Cheney|nolink=1}} (Vice President)*

~~| 2006 Opening Day~~

~~| Vice President Dick Cheney~~

| RFK Stadium

| {{sortdate|2006|8|18}} (Regular Season)

| style="background:#CCFFCC"|{{sortname|Donald|Trump}} (future President){{double-dagger}}

~~| Donald J. Trump~~

| [[Fenway Park]]

| Trump, who would become the 45th president, threw out the first pitch before the nightcap of a doubleheader to publicize [[The Jimmy Fund]].<ref name="ESPN" />

~~| Future President~~

| 2008 Opening Day

| {{sortname|George W. |Bush|nolink=1}}

| [[Nationals Park]]

| This was the first pitch in new stadium. Bush also participated in ESPN's TV broadcast of the game and called the ballpark's first home run, hit by the Braves' [[Chipper Jones]] in the 4th inning.<ref name="ESPN" />

| rowspan="2" | 2009 Opening Day

| style="background:#ddcef2"|{{sortname|George W.|Bush|nolink=1}} (former President)^

~~| Former President George W. Bush~~

| ~~[[Globe Life Park in Arlington|~~Rangers Ballpark in Arlington]]

| Bush had owned the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] in the early 1990s.

| style="background:#CCFFCC"|{{sortname|Joe|Biden}} (Vice President){{double-dagger}}

~~| 2009 Opening Day~~

~~| Vice President [[Joe Biden]]~~

| Oriole Park at Camden Yards

| Future 46th president

| [[2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|2009 All-Star Game]]

| [[{{sortname|Barack |Obama]]|nolink=1}}

| [[Busch Stadium]]

| <ref name="ESPN" />

| [[2009 Japan Series]]

| style="background:#ddcef2"|{{sortname|George W.|Bush|nolink=1}} (former President)^

~~| Former President George W. Bush~~

| [[Tokyo Dome]]

| Game 3 between the [[Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters]] and the [[Yomiuri Giants]].

| 2010 Opening Day

| {{sortname|Barack |Obama|nolink=1}}

| Nationals Park

| 100th anniversary of the first Presidential Opening Day ceremonial first pitch.<ref name="ESPN" />

| [[2010 World Series]] ~~Game 5~~

| rowspan="3"style="background:#ddcef2"| {{sortname|George W.|Bush|nolink=1}} (former President)^

~~| Former President George W. Bush~~

| Rangers Ballpark in Arlington

| First World Series home game in franchise history; former President Bush - who owned the Rangers when the stadium was built - was accompanied to the mound by his father, George H. W. Bush, and Texas Rangers team president [[Nolan Ryan]].

| [[2011 College World Series]]

~~| Former President George W. Bush~~

| [[TD Ameritrade Park Omaha]]

| This pitch marked the first game at the new home of the [[College World Series]], replacing the nearby [[Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium]]. Before Bush threw out the first pitch, his father, who played for [[Yale Bulldogs|Yale]] in the first CWS in [[1947 College World Series|1947]], delivered a video message christening the new stadium. He is the first President to have thrown ceremonial first pitches for amateur and professional (both North America and Japanese) championship matches.<ref>{{cite news|url=~~http~~https://~~sports~~www.espn~~.go~~.com/~~ncaa~~college-sports/baseball/cws/recap?gameId=310618196&league=CWS |title=Vanderbilt opens College World Series, new stadium with win |agency=Associated Press |publisher=ESPN |date=June 18, 2011 |access-date=June 19, 2011}}</ref>

| [[2011 World Series]] ~~Game 4~~

~~| Former President George W. Bush~~

| Rangers Ballpark in Arlington

| [[2015 American League Division Series]]

| style="background:#ddcef2"| {{sortname|George H. W.|Bush|nolink=1}} (former President)^

~~| Former President George H. W. Bush~~

| rowspan="2" | [[Minute Maid Park]]

| Bush, aged 91, accompanied by his wife [[Barbara Bush|Barbara]] and in a wheelchair with a neck brace, threw the [[Houston Astros]]' first pitch at Game 3 of the ALDS against the [[Kansas City Royals]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Pres. George H.W. Bush, 91, throws out first pitch at Royals-Astros game (+video)|url=http://www.kansas.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article38806956.html|access-date=October 20, 2015|work=Kansas.com|date=October 12, 2015}}</ref>

| [[2017 World Series]] ~~Game 5~~

| rowspan="3" style="background:#ddcef2" |{{sortname|George W.|Bush|nolink=1}} (former President)^

~~| Former President George W. Bush~~

~~| Minute Maid Park~~

| Bush was accompanied and given the first pitch ball by his father, George H. W. Bush.

|{{sortdate|2021|05|20}} (NCAA regular season)

|[[O'Brate Stadium]]

|Bush was scheduled to throw the first pitch upon the opening of [[O'Brate Stadium]] in 2020 but the opening was delayed to 2021 [[Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on baseball|due to the COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Unruh |first1=Jacob |title='He made us feel special': How George W. Bush's first pitch impacted Oklahoma State baseball |url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/sports/2021/05/21/how-president-george-w-bushs-first-pitch-impacted-oklahoma-state/5204079001/ |access-date=31 October 2023 |work=[[The Oklahoman]] |date=May 21, 2021}}</ref>

|[[2023 World Series]]

|[[Globe Life Field]]

|Bush threw the first pitch to [[Iván Rodríguez]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Ex-President Bush throws 1st pitch to Pudge Rodriguez before Game 1 |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/38759108/ex-president-bush-throws-1st-pitch-pudge-rodriguez-game-1 |access-date=31 October 2023 |work=[[ESPN.com]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |publisher=[[ESPN]] |date=28 October 2023 |language=en}}</ref>

== See also ==

* [[Ceremonial first puck]], a similar ritual of [[ice hockey]]

==References==

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Line 578 ⟶ 535:

[[Category:Baseball terminology]]

[[Category:Politics and sports]]

[[Category:Baltimore Orioles]]

[[Category:Washington Nationals]]