Ceremonial first pitch
The ceremonial first pitch is longstanding ritual of major league baseball. Usually thrown by either a celebrity or a locally significant person, the ceremonial first pitch denotes the end of pregame festivities and the start of the game.
William Howard Taft started the tradition in 1910 at Griffith Stadium, Washington, D.C., on the Washington Senators' Opening Day.
Virtually every President since Taft has thrown out the first pitch of the season, usually with much hoopla.
[edit] 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
- 1930 - Herbert Hoover - Washington Senators
- 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
- 1945 - Harry Truman - 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 - Anaheim Angels
- 1976 - Gerald Ford - Texas Rangers
- 1976 - Gerald Ford - All-Star Game - Philadelphia
- 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 - Anaheim 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 - San Diego Padres - 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. Bush - Milwaukee Brewers - Miller Park
- 2001 - George W. Bush - New York Yankees - Yankee Stadium (World Series)
- 2004 - George W. Bush - St. Louis Cardinals - Busch Stadium
- 2005 - George W. Bush - Washington Nationals - RFK Stadium
- 2006 - George W. Bush - Cincinnati Reds - Great American Ball Park
