President Donald Trump will not be throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at the Washington Nationals' baseball opener against the Miami Marlins, as Politico teased in a story earlier this week.
Politico reported Trump was in talks about throwing out the first pitch of the game at Nationals Park on Monday. Politico also said Trump might spend an inning in the announcer's booth as well.
The White House, though, told the Washington Examiner on Tuesday that Trump will not participate in the first pitch ceremony because of a scheduling conflict.
Politico noted that former President Barack Obama didn't throw out a first pitch at the Nationals games until opening day 2010, during his second year in office, but he did throw out the first pitch at the 2009 Major League All-Star Game in St. Louis, noted Major League Baseball.
The New York Daily News noted that Trump had thrown out the first pitch for a game between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park in August 2006.
Politico said every president since William Howard Taft in 1910, with the exception of Jimmy Carter, has thrown out a first pitch on opening day at some point during their presidency.
"If you ever need to convince a friend that baseball really is the national pastime among America's favorite sports, just ask how many times the president of the United States has done the coin flip at an NFL game, the opening tip at an NBA game or the opening faceoff at an NHL game," said Zachary Rymer, the lead MLB writer for The Bleacher Report, in 2014.
"Nope, no traditions there. But the president throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at the old ballgame? That's an ancient one even by baseball standards, born over 100 years ago."
Tom Ley of sports website Deadspin urged Trump to reconsider throwing the first pitch.
"Imagine yourself throwing a heater right over the plate," said Ley. "Imagine the haters crying out in agony as they watch you burnish your legacy with a perfect strike. Imagine the cheers washing over you."
"Do not imagine yourself losing control of your bladder – because you drank a supersized cola with your pre-pitch Big Mac – and leaving a puddle on the mound. You must throw this pitch, Mr. President. Our country needs it."
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