First pitch

Ceremonial first pitch being thrown by a Navy Sailor

The ceremonial first pitch is a longstanding ritual at most levels of baseball. The pitch is usually thrown by either a celebrity or a locally significant person. The ceremonial pitcher is sometimes given a cap and sometimes a jersey, but most often just gets to keep the baseball as a souvenir. He or she waves, moves to the general vicinity of the mound, and throws the ball toward home plate. The pitch often misses wildly or bounces to the plate. The ceremonial pitcher then retreats to his or her seat to watch the game. For many years however, the first pitch was most often thrown from a box seat in the first row of the stands, and not from the field itself; this is still done on occasion.

It is traditional for the President of the United States to throw out the first pitch of the season in one ballpark. President William Howard Taft started the tradition in 1910 at Griffith Stadium, Washington, DC, on the Washington Senators' Opening Day. Most Presidents since Taft have thrown out the first pitch of the season at some point. With the return of Major League Baseball to Washington in 2005, it has made it easier for the President to again throw the first pitch of the season, something done twice by George W. Bush and once by Barack Obama, the latter on the 100th anniversary of President Taft's first appearance. Jimmy Carter did not have that convenience, but made it to nearby Baltimore, MD for Game 7 of the 1979 World Series. Donald Trump is the only sitting president since Taft not to have thrown the ceremonial first pitch of a major league game at some point during his tenure.

List of Presidential First Pitches

President	Date	Stadium City	Home Team	Score	Away Team	Notes
William H. Taft	April 14, 1910	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	3 - 0	Athletics	First presidential first pitch
Woodrow Wilson	April 10, 1913	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	2 - 1	Yankees
Woodrow Wilson	April 14, 1915	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	7 - 0	Yankees
Woodrow Wilson	October 9, 1915	National League Park Philadelphia, PA	Phillies	1 - 2	Red Sox	First to attend a World Series, Game 2 of the 1915 World Series
Woodrow Wilson	April 20, 1916	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	12 - 4	Yankees
Warren G. Harding	April 13, 1921	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	3 - 6	Red Sox
Warren G. Harding	April 12, 1922	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	6 - 5	Yankees
Warren G. Harding	April 18, 1923	Yankee Stadium New York, NY	Yankees	4 - 1	Red Sox	Inauguration of Yankee Stadium
Warren G. Harding	April 26, 1923	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	2 - 1	Athletics
Calvin Coolidge	April 15, 1924	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	4 - 0	Athletics
Calvin Coolidge	June 26, 1924	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	0 - 1	Athletics	Second game in doubleheader
Calvin Coolidge	October 4, 1924	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	3 - 4	Giants	Game 1 of the 1924 World Series
Calvin Coolidge	October 10, 1925	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	4 - 3	Pirates	Game 3 of the 1925 World Series
Calvin Coolidge	April 12, 1927	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	6 - 2	Red Sox
Calvin Coolidge	April 10, 1928	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	5 - 7	Red Sox
Herbert Hoover	April 17, 1929	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	4 - 13	Athletics
Herbert Hoover	April 14, 1930	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	3 - 4	Red Sox
Herbert Hoover	April 14, 1931	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	3 - 5	Athletics
Herbert Hoover	April 11, 1932	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	1 - 0	Red Sox
Franklin D. Roosevelt	April 12, 1933	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	4 - 1	Athletics
Franklin D. Roosevelt	October 5, 1933	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	4 - 0	Giants	Game 3 of the 1933 World Series
Franklin D. Roosevelt	April 24, 1934	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	0 - 5	Red Sox
Franklin D. Roosevelt	April 17, 1935	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	4 - 2	Athletics	The game was scheduled for April 16, but was rained out
Franklin D. Roosevelt	April 14, 1936	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	1 - 0	Yankees
Franklin D. Roosevelt	October 2, 1936	Polo Grounds New York, NY	Giants	4 - 18	Yankees	Game 2 of the 1936 World Series
Franklin D. Roosevelt	April 19, 1937	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	3 - 4	Athletics
Franklin D. Roosevelt	July 7, 1937	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	American	8 - 3	National	First to attend an All-Star Game
Franklin D. Roosevelt	April 18, 1938	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	12 - 8	Athletics
Franklin D. Roosevelt	April 16, 1940	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	0 - 1	Red Sox	Pitch hit a Washington Post camera
Franklin D. Roosevelt	April 14, 1941	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	0 - 3	Yankees
Harry S. Truman	September 8, 1945	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	4 - 1	Browns	First left-hander
Harry S. Truman	April 15, 1946	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	3 - 6	Red Sox
Harry S. Truman	April 18, 1947	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	0 - 7	Yankees
Harry S. Truman	April 19, 1948	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	4 - 12	Yankees
Harry S. Truman	April 18, 1949	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	3 - 2	Athletics
Harry S. Truman	April 18, 1950	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	8 - 7	Athletics	Threw out two first pitches; one left-handed and one right-handed
Harry S. Truman	April 20, 1951	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	5 - 3	Yankees
Harry S. Truman	April 15, 1952	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	0 - 3	Red Sox
Dwight D. Eisenhower	April 16, 1953	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	3 - 6	Yankees
Dwight D. Eisenhower	April 13, 1954	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	5 - 3	Yankees
Dwight D. Eisenhower	April 11, 1955	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	12 - 5	Orioles
Dwight D. Eisenhower	April 17, 1956	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	4 - 10	Yankees
Dwight D. Eisenhower	April 15, 1957	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	6 - 7	Orioles
Dwight D. Eisenhower	April 14, 1958	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	5 - 2	Red Sox
Dwight D. Eisenhower	April 18, 1960	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	10 - 1	Red Sox
John F. Kennedy	April 10, 1961	Griffith Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	3 - 4	White Sox
John F. Kennedy	April 9, 1962	D.C. Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	4 - 1	Tigers	First game at D.C. Stadium
John F. Kennedy	April 8, 1963	D.C. Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	1 - 3	Orioles
Lyndon B. Johnson	April 13, 1964	D.C. Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	0 - 4	Angels
Lyndon B. Johnson	April 12, 1965	D.C. Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	2 - 7	Red Sox
Lyndon B. Johnson	April 10, 1967	D.C. Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	0 - 8	Yankees
Richard Nixon	April 7, 1969	RFK Memorial Stadium Washington, DC	Senators	4 - 8	Yankees
Richard Nixon	July 14, 1970	Riverfront Stadium Cincinnati, OH	National	5 - 4	American	1970 All-Star Game
Richard Nixon	April 6, 1973	Anaheim Stadium Anaheim, CA	Angels	3 - 2	Royals
Gerald Ford	April 9, 1976	Arlington Stadium Arlington, TX	Rangers	2 - 1	Twins	Threw 2 first pitches
Gerald Ford	July 13, 1976	Veterans Stadium Philadelphia, PA	National	7 - 1	American	1976 All-Star Game Threw right-handed to Johnny Bench and left-handed to Carlton Fisk
Jimmy Carter	October 17, 1979	Memorial Stadium Baltimore, MD	Pirates	4 - 1	Orioles	Game 7 of the 1979 World Series
Ronald Reagan	April 2, 1984	Memorial Stadium Baltimore, MD	Orioles	2 - 5	White Sox	Threw out first pitch then watched game from the dugout.
Ronald Reagan	April 7, 1986	Memorial Stadium Baltimore, MD	Orioles	4 - 6	Indians
Ronald Reagan	September 30, 1988	Wrigley Field Chicago, IL	Cubs	9 - 10	Pirates	Threw 2 first pitches, broadcast 1½ innings on the radio
George H. W. Bush	April 3, 1989	Memorial Stadium Baltimore, MD	Orioles	5 - 4	Red Sox
George H. W. Bush	April 25, 1989	Anaheim Stadium Anaheim, CA	Angels	1 - 8	Orioles
George H. W. Bush	June 28, 1989	Memorial Stadium Baltimore, MD	Orioles	2 - 1	Blue Jays
George H. W. Bush	April 10, 1990	SkyDome Toronto, ON	Blue Jays	2 - 1	Rangers	First to attend a game and throw a first pitch in Canada
George H. W. Bush	July 16, 1990	Memorial Stadium Baltimore, MD	Orioles	7 - 6	Rangers
George H. W. Bush	April 8, 1991	Arlington Stadium Arlington, TX	Rangers	4 - 5	Brewers
George H. W. Bush	April 6, 1992	Camden Yards Baltimore, MD	Orioles	2 - 0	Indians	First game at Camden Yards
George H. W. Bush	July 14, 1992	Jack Murphy Stadium San Diego, CA	National	6 - 13	American	Threw first pitch with Ted Williams
Bill Clinton	April 5, 1993	Camden Yards Baltimore, MD	Orioles	4 - 7	Rangers	First president to throw first pitch from the pitcher's mound
Bill Clinton	April 4, 1994	Jacobs Field Cleveland, OH	Indians	4 - 3	Mariners	First game at Jacobs Field
Bill Clinton	April 2, 1996	Camden Yards Baltimore, MD	Orioles	4 - 2	Royals
George W. Bush	April 6, 2001	Miller Park Milwaukee, WI	Brewers	5 - 4	Reds	First game at Miller Park
George W. Bush	August 14, 2001	Coors Field Denver, CO	Rockies	5 - 4	Braves
George W. Bush	October 30, 2001	Yankee Stadium New York, NY	Yankees	2 - 1	Diamondbacks
George W. Bush	April 5, 2004	Busch Stadium St. Louis, MO	Brewers	8 - 6	Cardinals
George W. Bush	April 14, 2005	RFK Memorial Stadium Washington, DC	Nationals	5 - 3	Diamondbacks
George W. Bush	April 3, 2006	Great American Ball Park Cincinnati, OH	Reds	7 - 16	Cubs
George W. Bush	March 30, 2008	Nationals Park Washington, DC	Nationals	3 - 2	Braves	First game at Nationals Park
Barack Obama	July 14, 2009	Busch Stadium III St. Louis, MO	National	3 - 4	American	2009 All-Star Game
Barack Obama	April 5, 2010	Nationals Park Washington, DC	Nationals	1 - 11	Phillies	100th anniversary of W.H. Taft's first pitch

Further Reading

• Frederic J. Frommer: "Under Biden and Trump, the presidential first pitch has disappeared", The Washington Post, April 1, 2024. [1]