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Line 6: [[Image:2001 World Series first pitch.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[George W. Bush]], [[2001 World Series]] Game 3, [[Yankee Stadium (1923)|Yankee Stadium]], October 30, 2001.]] 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 their 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 base|home plate]]. The ceremonial thrower sometimes 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/ | 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 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== Line 20 ⟶ 27: 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 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 |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 name="ESPN" /> while President [[George W. Bush]] has thrown 14 first pitches overall, including those thrown before and after holding the office. Donald Trump and [[Jimmy Carter]] are the only presidents {|class="wikitable" border="1" Line 260 ⟶ 267: |[[1969 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1969 All-Star Game]] |style="background:#FFDD00"|{{sortname|Spiro|Agnew}} <small>(Vice President)</small><sup>{{double-dagger}}</sup> |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]] Line 278 ⟶ 285: | [[1976 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1976 All-Star Game]] | [[Veterans Stadium]] | Ford threw two pitches (with the first from his right hand and the second from his left) from the 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]] Line 360 ⟶ 367: | [[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}} <small>(former President)</small>^ | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium |- | rowspan="2" | 1993 Opening Day Line 481 ⟶ 492: | [[2011 College World Series]] | [[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= |- | [[2011 World Series]] Line 493 ⟶ 504: |- | [[2017 World Series]] | rowspan="3" style="background:#ddcef2" |{{sortname|George W.|Bush|nolink=1}} <small>(former President)</small>^ | Bush was accompanied and given the first pitch ball by his father, George H. W. Bush. |- |{{sortdate|2021|05|20}} <small>(NCAA regular season)</small> |[[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== Line 505 ⟶ 528: {{Minnesota Twins}} {{Texas Rangers}} {{Baltimore Orioles}} {{Washington Nationals}} Line 511 ⟶ 535: [[Category:Baseball terminology]] [[Category:Politics and sports]] [[Category:Baltimore Orioles]] [[Category:Washington Nationals]] | |||