President Woodrow Wilson throwing out the ceremonial first pitch, opening day, 1916.

President George W. Bush tossing out the ceremonial first pitch for Game 3 of the 2001 World Series.

The ceremonial first pitch is longstanding ritual of American baseball in which a guest of honor throws a ball to mark the end of pregame festivities and the start of the game. Most often the guest stands in front of the pitcher's mound and throws towards home plate, though sometimes he or she may stand on the mound (as a pitcher would) or throw from his or her seat in the stands. The recipient of the pitch is usually a player from the home team. Image File history File links Firstpitch. ... Image File history File links Firstpitch. ... Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856 – February 3, 1924), was the 28th President of the United States. ... Caption: President George W. Bush throws out the first pitch during game three of the World Series game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Yankees at Yankee Stadium Oct. ... Caption: President George W. Bush throws out the first pitch during game three of the World Series game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Yankees at Yankee Stadium Oct. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... A ritual is a set of actions, performed mainly for their symbolic value, which is prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community. ... // 1886 baseball demonstration at Conner Prairie living history museum. ... The pitcher moves forward off the rubber as the pitch is released. ... Home plate is the final base in baseball and related games that a player must touch to score. ...

The ceremonial pitcher 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. Japan also sees its own superheroes giving the first pitch.^[1] Often, especially in the minor leagues, multiple first pitches are made. For the Aqua Teen Hunger Force episode, see Super Hero (Aqua Teen Hunger Force episode). ... Minor leagues in the sense intended in this article are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. ...

Presidents and First Pitches

President William Howard Taft started the tradition in 1910 at Griffith Stadium, Washington, D.C., on the Washington Senators' Opening Day. Every President since Taft has thrown out at least one ceremonial first pitch, either for Opening Day, the All-Star Game, or the World Series, usually with much fanfare. For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ... William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857 – March 8, 1930) was an American politician, the twenty-seventh President of the United States, the tenth Chief Justice of the United States, a leader of the progressive conservative wing of the Republican Party in the early 20th century, a pioneer in international arbitration... The following are the baseball events of the year 1910 throughout the world. ... Griffith Stadium was a sports stadium that stood in Washington, D.C. from 1911 to 1965, at the corner of Georgia Avenue and W Street, NW. An earlier wooden baseball park had stood on the site, built in 1891. ... Nickname: Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location of Washington, D.C., in relation to the states Maryland and Virginia Coordinates: , Country United States Federal District District of Columbia Government  - Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D)  - D.C. Council Chairperson: Vincent C. Gray (D) Ward 1: Jim Graham (D) Ward 2... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 3, 6, 14, 29, 34, 42 Name Minnesota Twins (1961–present) Washington Nationals/Senators (1901-1960) Other nicknames The Twinkies Ballpark Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 1982-present Metropolitan Stadium (1961-1981) Griffith Stadium (1903-1960... Opening Day is warmly regarded in North American tradition as the beginning of a new Major League Baseball season. ... The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also popularly known as the Midsummer Classic, is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by fan vote for the starting position players and by the respective managers (from the previous years World... For other events named World Series, see World Series (disambiguation). ...

List of Presidential first pitches

• 1910 - William Howard Taft - Washington Senators
• 1913 - Woodrow Wilson - Washington Senators
• 1915 - Woodrow Wilson - Washington Senators
• 1915 - Woodrow Wilson - Philadelphia Phillies (World Series)
• 1916 - Woodrow Wilson - Washington Senators
• 1921 - Warren Harding - Washington Senators
• 1922 - Warren Harding - Washington Senators
• 1923 - Warren Harding - Washington Senators
• 1924 - Calvin Coolidge - Washington Senators
• 1924 - Calvin Coolidge - Washington Senators
• 1924 - Calvin Coolidge - Washington Senators (World Series)
• 1925 - Calvin Coolidge - Washington Senators (World Series)
• 1927 - Calvin Coolidge - Washington Senators
• 1928 - Calvin Coolidge - Washington Senators
• 1929 - Herbert Hoover - Washington Senators
• 1929 - Herbert Hoover - Philadelphia Athletics (World Series)
• 1930 - Herbert Hoover - Washington Senators
• 1930 - Herbert Hoover - Philadelphia Athletics (World Series)
• 1931 - Herbert Hoover - Washington Senators
• 1932 - Herbert Hoover - Washington Senators
• 1933 - Franklin D. Roosevelt - Washington Senators
• 1934 - Franklin D. Roosevelt - Washington Senators
• 1935 - Franklin D. Roosevelt - Washington Senators
• 1936 - Franklin D. Roosevelt - Washington Senators
• 1937 - Franklin D. Roosevelt - Washington Senators
• 1937 - Franklin D. Roosevelt - All-Star Game - Washington, DC
• 1938 - Franklin D. Roosevelt - Washington Senators
• 1940 - Franklin D. Roosevelt - Washington Senators
• 1941 - Franklin D. Roosevelt - Washington Senators
• 1946 - Harry Truman - Washington Senators
• 1947 - Harry Truman - Washington Senators
• 1948 - Harry Truman - Washington Senators
• 1949 - Harry Truman - Washington Senators
• 1950 - Harry Truman - Washington Senators
• 1951 - Harry Truman - Washington Senators
• 1952 - Harry Truman - Washington Senators
• 1953 - Dwight Eisenhower - Washington Senators
• 1954 - Dwight Eisenhower - Washington Senators
• 1955 - Dwight Eisenhower - Washington Senators
• 1956 - Dwight Eisenhower - Washington Senators
• 1957 - Dwight Eisenhower - Washington Senators
• 1958 - Dwight Eisenhower - Washington Senators
• 1960 - Dwight Eisenhower - Washington Senators
• 1961 - John F. Kennedy - expansion Washington Senators
• 1962 - John F. Kennedy - Washington Senators
• 1963 - John F. Kennedy - Washington Senators
• 1964 - Lyndon Johnson - Washington Senators
• 1965 - Lyndon Johnson - Washington Senators
• 1967 - Lyndon Johnson - Washington Senators
• 1969 - Richard Nixon - Washington Senators
• 1970 - Richard Nixon - All-Star Game - Cincinnati
• 1973 - Richard Nixon - California Angels
• 1976 - Gerald Ford - Texas Rangers
• 1976 - Gerald Ford - All-Star Game - Philadelphia
• 1979 - Jimmy Carter - Baltimore Orioles (World Series)
• 1984 - Ronald Reagan - Baltimore Orioles
• 1986 - Ronald Reagan - Baltimore Orioles
• 1988 - Ronald Reagan - Chicago Cubs - Wrigley Field
• 1989 - George Bush - Baltimore Orioles
• 1989 - George Bush - California Angels
• 1989 - George Bush - Baltimore Orioles
• 1990 - George Bush - Toronto Blue Jays
• 1990 - George Bush - Baltimore Orioles
• 1991 - George Bush - Texas Rangers
• 1992 - George Bush - Baltimore Orioles
• 1992 - George Bush - All-Star Game, Jack Murphy Stadium
• 1993 - Bill Clinton - Baltimore Orioles - Camden Yards
• 1994 - Bill Clinton - Cleveland Indians - Jacobs Field
• 1996 - Bill Clinton - Baltimore Orioles - Camden Yards
• 2001 - George W. Bushit - Milwaukee Brewers - Miller Park
• 2001 - George W. Bushit - New York Yankees - Yankee Stadium (World Series)
• 2004 - George W. Bushit - St. Louis Cardinals - Busch Stadium
• 2005 - George W. Bushit - Washington Nationals - RFK Stadium
• 2006 - George W. Bushit - Cincinnati Reds - Great American Ball Park

William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857 – March 8, 1930) was an American politician, the twenty-seventh President of the United States, the tenth Chief Justice of the United States, a leader of the progressive conservative wing of the Republican Party in the early 20th century, a pioneer in international arbitration... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 3, 6, 14, 29, 34, 42 Name Minnesota Twins (1961–present) Washington Nationals/Senators (1901-1960) Other nicknames The Twinkies Ballpark Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 1982-present Metropolitan Stadium (1961-1981) Griffith Stadium (1903-1960... Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856 – February 3, 1924), was the 28th President of the United States. ... Major league affiliations National League (1883–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 14, 20, 32, 36, 42 Name Philadelphia Phillies (1884–present) Philadelphia Quakers (1883-1889) (Also referred to as Blue Jays 1943-1945 despite formal name remaining Phillies) Other nicknames The Phils, The Phightin Phils... In the 1915 World Series, the Boston Red Sox beat the Philadelphia Phillies in 5 games. ... Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 - August 2, 1923) was the 29th (1921-1923) President of the United States and the sixth President to die in office. ... John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. ... The Washington Senators beat the New York Giants in 7 games. ... The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Washington Senators in 7 games. ... Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964), the thirty-first President of the United States (1929–1933), was a world-famous mining engineer and humanitarian administrator. ... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) West Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 9, 27, 34, 42, 43, (As) Name Oakland Athletics (1968–present) Kansas City Athletics (1955-1967) Philadelphia Athletics (1901-1954) (Referred to as As) Other nicknames The As, The White Elephants, The... The Philadelphia Athletics beat the Chicago Cubs in 5 games. ... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) West Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 9, 27, 34, 42, 43, (As) Name Oakland Athletics (1968–present) Kansas City Athletics (1955-1967) Philadelphia Athletics (1901-1954) (Referred to as As) Other nicknames The As, The White Elephants, The... The Philadelphia Athletics beat the St. ... FDR redirects here. ... The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also popularly known as the Midsummer Classic, is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by fan vote for the starting position players and by the respective managers (from the previous years World... For the victim of Mt. ... Dwight David Ike Eisenhower (October 14, 1890–March 28, 1969), American soldier and politician, was the 34th President of the United States (1953–1961) and supreme commander of the Allied forces in Europe during World War II, with the rank of General of the Army. ... John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also referred to as John F. Kennedy, Kennedy, John Kennedy, Jack Kennedy, or JFK, was the thirty-fifth President of the United States. ... Major league affiliations American League (1961–present) West Division (1972–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 26, 34, 42 Name Texas Rangers (1972–present) Washington Senators (1961-1971) Other nicknames None in common use Ballpark Rangers Ballpark in Arlington (1994–present) a. ... Lyndon Baines Johnson (August 27, 1908–January 22, 1973), often referred to as LBJ, was an American politician. ... Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913 – April 22, 1994) was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. ... Major league affiliations American League (1961–present) West Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 11, 26, 29, 30, 42, 50 Name Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2005–present) Anaheim Angels (1997-2004) California Angels (1965-1996) Los Angeles Angels (1961-1965) Other nicknames The Halos, Angelitos (Spanish), Serafines (Spanish... Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr. ... James Earl Jimmy Carter, Jr. ... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 4, 5, 8, 20, 22, 33, 42 Name Baltimore Orioles (1954–present) St. ... Dates: October 10 – October 17 MVP: Willie Stargell (Pittsburgh) Television: ABC Announcers: Keith Jackson (Games 1-2; Games 6-7), Al Michaels (Games 3-5), Howard Cosell, and Don Drysdale (In 2006 a collectors edition DVD box set, featuring the complete telecasts of all seven games, was issued by... Ronald Wilson Reagan, GCB (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was the 40th President of the United States (1981–1989) and the 33rd Governor of California (1967–1975). ... Major league affiliations National League (1876–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 10, 14, 23, 26, 42 Name Chicago Cubs (1902–present) Chicago Orphans (1898-1901) Chicago Colts (1890-1897) Chicago White Stockings (1870-1889) (a. ... Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. ... George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12, 1924) was the 41st President of the United States, serving from 1989 to 1993. ... Major league affiliations American League (1977–present) East Division (1977–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 42 Name Toronto Blue Jays (1977–present) Other nicknames The Jays Ballpark Rogers Centre (1989–present) a. ... Qualcomm Stadium (a. ... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III[1] on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ... Oriole Park at Camden Yards is a baseball stadium located in Baltimore, Maryland, which was completed in 1992 to replace the aging Memorial Stadium. ... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 3, 5, 14, 18, 19, 21, 42, 455 Name Cleveland Indians (1915–present) Cleveland Naps (1905-1914) Cleveland Bronchos (1902-1904) Cleveland Blues (1901) Other nicknames The Tribe Ballpark Jacobs Field (1994–present) Cleveland Stadium... Jacobs Field (informally called The Jake) is a baseball stadium located in the middle of downtown Cleveland, Ohio. ... Major league affiliations National League (1998–present) Central Division (1998–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 4, 19, 34, 42, 44 Name Milwaukee Brewers (1970–present) Seattle Pilots (1969) Other nicknames True Blue Brew Crew, The Brew Crew, The Crew, Beermakers Ballpark Miller Park (2001–present) County Stadium (1970–2000) Sick... Miller Park is a baseball stadium located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. ... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 23, 32, 37, 44, 49 Name New York Yankees (1913–present) New York Highlanders (1903-1912) Baltimore Orioles (1901-1902) (Also referred to as... This is about the stadium the New York Yankees currently play in. ... Dates October 27, 2001–November 4, 2001 MVP Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling (Arizona) Television network FOX Announcers Joe Buck and Tim McCarver Umpires Steve Rippley, Dana DeMuth, Dale Scott, Mark Hirschbeck, Jim Joyce, Ed Rapuano The 2001 World Series (the November Series) took place between the Arizona Diamondbacks and... Major league affiliations National League (1892–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 2, 6, 9, 14, 17, 20, 42, 42, 45, 85 Name St. ... Busch Memorial Stadium, or Busch Stadium (also referred to as Busch Stadium II) was the home of the St. ... Major league affiliations National League (1969–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 42 Name Washington Nationals (2005–present) Montreal Expos (1969-2004) Other nicknames Nats, Nacionales (Spanish) Ballpark RFK Stadium (2005–present) Hiram Bithorn Stadium[3] (San Juan) (2003-2004) Olympic Stadium (Montreal) (1977-2004) Jarry Park... Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, informally known as RFK Stadium (or just RFK), is a professional sports stadium in the United States. ... Major league affiliations National League (1890–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 5, 8, 10, 13, 18, 20, 24, 42 Name Cincinnati Reds (1958–present) Cincinnati Redlegs (1953-1958) Cincinnati Reds (1882-1953) Cincinnati Red Stockings (1876-1882) Other nicknames None Ballpark Great American Ball Park... Great American Ball Park is the home of the National Leagues Cincinnati Reds. ...

References

1. ^ Ultraman Mebius and Kamen Rider Den-O ceremonial first pitch. Retrieved on 2007-06-26.