Opening Day, Yankees vs Nationals, and Dr. Anthony Fauci threw the first pitch
There have been a few memorably embarrassing ceremonial first pitches thrown out in Major League Baseball games over the years. To open the 2020 MLB season in D.C., the highly respected and venerable Dr. Anthony Fauci – the 79 year-old Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases – was invited to throw the first pitch to open the game between the Washington Nationals and the New York Yankees. Fauci’s pitch was one for the record books.
The good doctor – a self-proclaimed Washington Nationals’ fan – walked onto the field confidently, decked out in Nats’ attire and sporting his Nats’ face cover. His windup looked promising; but his release was just a tad off. Play the video below.
The pitch landed about six feet out in foul ball territory. Twitter fans were online saying that Fauci was just doing all he could to “flatten the curve” and make sure that “no-one catches anything.”
Fauci, like all other medical experts, has been advocating for months for Americans to practice social distancing when leaving the home — basically, maintaining a space of six feet away from others at all times when possible. It’s always heartening to see someone who preaches such advice follow it, even if it is with his pitch location. ~ CBS Sports
And Fauci’s first pitch wasn’t the only memorable aspect regarding last night’s opening season game.
The pregame ceremony included nods to the Nationals’ title and the Black Lives Matter movement. Players from both teams jointly held a long black piece of cloth, then knelt in unison. ~ ESPN
The opening of the 2020 season marked the first time in Nationals’ history that the team opened the season against an American League team.
Due to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the game was played with not a single fan in the stands, although fake crowd noise was piped in through the stadium speakers. Players and umpires wore masks. There was a “no spitting, no high fives, no eating sesame seeds” rule in effect. The weather turned nasty and the game was called on account of lightning and heavy rains.
The final score for last night’s opener was Yankees, 4, Nationals, 1 – and a whole lot of love for Dr. Anthony Fauci.
(Cover Photo: Fox News and MLB / YouTube)
~ Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Connect with Richard on Facebook and Twitter
