by Hannah Begay | Let’s play The Feud! Dr. Fauci and 50 Cent step on up. Name one of the worst ceremonial first pitches thrown out. Both answer with “Dr. Fauci.” Baseball finally resumed play on Wednesday. The New York Yankees took on the World Series Champion Washington Nationals in D.C. to signify the official beginning of the season.
Let me set the scene. Prior to the game, players from both teams took a knee to signify their stance with the Black Lives Matter movement and that there is no place for hate in baseball. Perfect. The quickest anthem ever is played not sung because remember, no extra people allowed. Then out comes the man himself, Dr. Anthony Fauci, NIH Infection Disease Specialist. Now Fauci was asked to throw out the pitch due to his Washington Nationals mask worn wherever he goes. As a resident of D.C., Fauci, I imagine was excited. Who wouldn’t be? Your favorite team asks you to throw out the first pitch of a monumental season; I don’t think he needed to think about this one. The man of the hour steps out onto the mound. He winds back and here’s the pitch….oof. Big oof. The first pitch Dr. Fauci delivered makes 50 Cent look like Cy Young. Good grief Charlie Brown.
Now granted, Fauci is not a professional pitcher let alone a baseball player. I mean he was a point guard in high school but that’s beside the point. He’s currently busy being America’s Hero and trying to save us all from the Novel Coronavirus. He’s a little busy worrying about slightly more important things like the health of the United States so he gets a break this time.
The first time I watched the horrid first pitch thrown by 50 Cent at the Mets game I thought I’d never see one that bad again. I was wrong. I hate to hate on Dr. Fauci because he’s my guy but yikes. That was bad. I fully expect the Fauci first pitch to be number 1 on Sportscenter’s Not Top Plays. Needless to say, Fauci will never live this down. I have no doubt we will be watching this on the “highlight” reel for years to come.
In the end the Yanks won in 6 due to weather stopping the game. Gerrit Cole took the win while Max Scherzer suffered his first loss this season. Dr. Fauci takes the biggest loss of the game with one terrible first pitch.