MLB‘s Washington Nationals have invited President-Elect Joe Biden to throw out the first pitch of the 2021 season.
The professional baseball organization has invited Biden to throw out the pitch on April 1st at Nationals Park against the New York Mets. As of now, the Nationals are insinuating that it is going to happen from a statement.
“We look forward to hosting President-Elect Biden on Opening Day of the 2021 season. We’re excited to continue the long-standing tradition of sitting Presidents throwing out the first pitch at the home of the national pastime in our nation’s capital.”
In addition, it wouldn’t be his first time having the honor of throwing the pitch. In 2009, Biden was the Vice President and took the mound at Camden Yards for the Baltimore Orioles on their opening day. Although it wasn’t an awful throw, catcher Chad Moeller stood up to make the catch.
Anyway, how bad could the throw really be? Biden played baseball growing up at shortstop and centerfield, even if it was over sixty years ago. It’s like riding a bike, right?
Washington Nationals Tradition
However, in 2016, President Donald Trump was missing from the pitcher’s mound for opening day. He is the only President to skip the tradition since it began in 1910 with Willian Taft. Although he was spotted during Game 5 of the 2019 World Series, where the Houston Astros beat the Nationals, he didn’t throw out the pitch. Instead, a number of fans booed the President as he was being introduced.
The Nationals moved from Montreal in 2005 and were renamed from the Expos to the Nationals. Since there was no team in Washington D.C. yet, Presidents like Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton threw out the first pitch in different major league games throughout the years.
[H/T ESPN]
