The pressure of an honorary first-pitch, especially for a big celebrity, is hard to understand until one has done it. Many great athletes have blown the moment in the past. Carl Lewis, one of the greatest track-and-field athletes in history, rolled the ball to home plate. Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player in history, air-mailed the catcher by about 20 feet – and he played professional baseball at one point in his life.
Even the great Nolan Ryan, major league baseball Hall-of-Famer and the owner of 12 career no-hitters, couldn’t find home plate.
But one Katie Ledecky, queen of the pool, handed off a neck-full of medals to the defending National League MVP Bryce Harper. She then planted herself in front of the mound at Nationals Park on Wednesday afternoon, looking as calm and cool as if she were about to win an Olympic 800 free by 11 seconds, and put the ball right over the plate.
The pitch was, perhaps, a bit low to have been called a true strike “looking,” but in this author’s opinion, the sinking action would’ve been enough to entice most batters to offer at it – maybe swinging over top of it, or perhaps rolling it weakly to the short stop for an easy put-out.
Because of course she did. She’s Katie Ledecky.
The Nationals’ pitching staff didn’t have as much luck that day, giving up 10 runs while falling to the Orioles 10-8, but at least the 39,100 fans in attendance got to see at least one display of athletic excellence on the mound,
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Not the least bit surprised at her athleticism. Might have appreciated a bit more of a wind-up, but did well.
By the way, Nolan Ryan’s no-hitter record stands at 7, not 12?
Meant a period, not a question mark.
Correct, and let’s remember that exaggeration is considered almost a capital offense in the swimming world these days.
It’s actually over-exaggeration that gets people into trouble.
G dub had a good toss too, Barry and 50 cent not so much
We should know by your handle how you feel politically, but can you not leave it out of the feel good swimming posts, please? Swim troll…ugh!
It took almost a minute for Katie to hand over her medals one by one for Harper to hold onto. He must have appreciated the perspective that what Katie did is the rarest of rare.