"First Pitch" redirects here. For the monument to James D. Griffin, see The First Pitch.
Woodrow Wilson, Washington Senators home opener v. New York Yankees, Griffith Stadium, April 20, 1916.Richard Nixon, Opening Day, Washington Senators v. New York Yankees, RFK Stadium, April 7, 1969.Ronald Reagan, Chicago Cubs v. Pittsburgh Pirates, Wrigley Field, September 30, 1988.George W. Bush, 2001 World Series Game 3, 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 Baltimore Orioles game. Now, the guest stands on or in front of the pitcher's mound and throws towards 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 leagues, multiple first pitches are made.
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The ceremonialfirstpitch is a longstanding ritual of baseball in which a guest of honor throws a ball to mark the end of pregame festivities and the...
veteran, former Black Baron and Cardinal, Bill Greason threw out the ceremonialfirstpitch. Greason played with Mays on the Black Barons and lived across the...
(born March 2, 2010) is an American girl who is the first person to throw out the ceremonialfirstpitch in all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums. Born with...
Department who was injured on duty, threw out the ceremonialfirstpitch. Game 5 featured a pitching rematch of Game 1 between Zac Gallen for the Diamondbacks...
threw out the ceremonialfirstpitch. His father, former President George H. W. Bush handed him the ball. Justin Verlander caught the pitch. Country singer...
great-grandchildren. An avid Boston Red Sox fan, Caprio threw the ceremonialfirstpitch on July 25, 2019, at Fenway Park, when the Red Sox played the New...
pregame festivities and the start of the game. Like baseball's ceremonialfirstpitch, this first puck does not actually begin play but is retrieved and presented...
One James D. Griffin Plaza. The work depicts Griffin throwing the ceremonialfirstpitch at Sahlen Field's inaugural game on April 14, 1988. Fetouh, Omar...
Nationals threw out the ceremonialfirstpitch to former teammate Brian Schneider; former astronaut Buzz Aldrin also threw a ceremonialpitch. Aníbal Sánchez...
ceremonialfirstpitch at the game between the Red Sox and the Seattle Mariners at Fenway Park. On July 3, 2010, he once again threw the ceremonial first...
between Vanderbilt and North Carolina on Saturday, June 18, the ceremonialfirstpitch was delivered by former President George W. Bush. Omaha Little Leaguer...
Spacey) throwing out a ceremonialfirstpitch at Camden Yards. Spacey, a noted Orioles fan who actually threw a real ceremonialfirstpitch against the Blue...
Utley threw the ceremonialfirstpitch before Game 4 and American Idol contestant Madison Watkins sang the national anthem; Utley's pitch was caught by...
than being content with throwing a ceremonialfirstpitch, he would sometimes insist on throwing the actual firstpitch in his team's games. He also tousled...
in Game 3, at which U.S. President George W. Bush threw out the ceremonialfirstpitch. In Games 4 and 5, the Yankees won in comeback fashion, hitting...
ceremonies, the national anthem was performed by Keke Palmer, and the ceremonialfirstpitch was thrown out by former Astro and National Baseball Hall of Fame...
series, 4–3. Former Indians and Cubs player Kenny Lofton threw the ceremonialfirstpitch before Game 1 while Rachel Platten sang the national anthem. Corey...
was held honoring Aaron where his son Hank Aaron Jr. threw out a ceremonialfirstpitch. After the Braves won the 2021 World Series, Aaron was honored in...
the ceremonialfirstpitch to Mike. Through the end of the 2017 season, on the all-time lists for Major League Baseball, Yastrzemski ranks first for games...
player after Art Schallock. On June 20, 2024, he threw out the ceremonialfirstpitch at the MLB at Rickwood Field game. List of Negro league baseball...
pitched the opening game at Cleveland Stadium in 1932, and contemporary stars Charles Nagy and Sandy Alomar Jr., executed the ceremonialfirstpitch at...
the ceremonialfirstpitch, as he had done before Game 1 in 2004 and 2007. After Boston starter Jon Lester pitched a scoreless top half of the first inning...
final pitch in the history of the stadium to Piazza. Along with Piazza he opened the Mets' new home, Citi Field with the ceremonialfirstpitch on April...
game, in front of a Boston Red Sox crowd, Yastrzemski caught the ceremonialfirstpitch from his grandfather. For the 2019 season, Yastrzemski played in...