Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
At this time the Rob Dibble Show, take someone back
to the sports that once were I don't.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Know.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Here is Ben Donnell with unsolicited sports History. Max. It's
been a wise, it's been too long, and I got
challenged yesterday by the big guy. Dibble and I were
talking to Ryan Priese, our favorite NASCAR driver, number sixty
on the Kroger speaking of drive, and just got a
call from some listeners. We've got a captive audience for
(00:36):
this version of unsolicited sports history because eighty four right
now is a parking lot. If you're trying to go
east or west in the state of Connecticut and you
can avoid eighty four, I've been told that you should
probably do so.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
So Priest Priest might be out there right now.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
He might be going from Boston to mis I'm sure
he went last night. I'm sure he was on a plane.
He probably flies first class and whatnot. But Ryan pre
threw out the first pitch at Fenway yesterday. I just
saw Ricky Stenhouse Junior throw it out in Philly for
that Cubs Philly afternoon game.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Priest was all nervous.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Priest was nervous, then he wasn't nervous, and then I
saw some video of him being infenway finally with the
ball in his hand, and he was really nervous. He
did not bounce it. He threw it over the plate.
I don't know if it was a strike or not
a little bit low, but he got it there and
he did not embarrass himself.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
So he did a great job. And then Dibbs was like.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
When was the first first pitch? When did we even
start this stuff? And then it just started a rabbit
hole for me, and I spent pretty much four hours
last night becoming an aficionado of ceremonial first pitches from
the presidents of the United States. Alec in studio with
me as well, and he has just wandered down a
rabbit hole himself.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Now, Alec, you saw some video, not good video. I mean,
I mean the.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
Video, oh, quality wasn't good because it goes all the
way back to what was Calvin Coolidge is the oldest one.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
On video that we have seen.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
The last one that was I don't I think Herbert
Hoover may been the last one, so they would either way.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
I'm sticking to what I said. Coolidge has the worst pitch. Yeah,
Coolidge does not have an arm. I would not have
Coolidge play any position. I thought Richard Nixon.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
As far as the videos that you showed me, I
thought Richard Nixon was woo.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
It's Woodrow Wilson was the earliest one. Okay, Woodrow Wilson
is the earliest filmed, Yes, one earliest filmed one.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Woodrow Man. I put him on second base. He could
turn two if he wanted to do. It would have
to be like a slow guy running down the first baseline.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
But still it looked like he had some form.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Now we have had some dynamite president first pitches, and
we have some weak president first pitches, and Dibbs was
correct most of these ceremonial first pitches. When it all started,
it was really just like a first throw into the game.
They were sitting down in their little booth and catcher
(03:03):
or a player of sorts would catch the ball. The
one that we saw jfk do. It was like a
bouquet celebration. It's like when you know the bride is
throwing the bouquet.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
There. Everybody wanted that ball.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Everybody wanted that ball, and that probably is a collector's
item to this day, the ball of balls that you
want from the ceremonial first pitch. The very first ever
ceremonial first pitch happened eighteen ninety Toledo, taken on Cleveland
(03:36):
and Governor William McKinley, who became the twenty fifth president.
Eighteen ninety, William McKinley throws out the first ever ceremonial
first pitch.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Now, no one had done it for twenty years.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
As an active president, William Taft, and we found this
out yesterday. William Taft nineteen ten at a Washington Senators game,
became the first active president to start the season. Because
this was like an opening day thing. There was a
couple of days. There was Opening Day and there was
(04:16):
fourth of July. And then now as they had created
all Star games as Major League Baseball progressed, they had
all Star game ceremonial first pitches for presidents as well.
But nineteen ten was the first time an active sitting
president threw out a first pitch. Again, that was Washington
(04:36):
Senator's game, Washington, DC. Threw it to Walter Johnson, so
the first one ever. Eighteen ninety. William McKinley the first
active president active nineteen ten. And then we found out
when was the first time that a president got out
of the booth, out of his seat on the mound
(04:59):
and threw it for reels like we know of today.
That didn't happen until seventy eight years later, nineteen eighty eight,
Ronald Reagan did it in Baltimore.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Now, this is the end of Ronald Reagan.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
You know, he's already served two terms, and this is
active president Ronald Reagan. Now Ronald Reagan even after his
presidency was over in the eighties and in the eighty
nine eighty eight, those seasons, Reagan did it a lot.
Reagan was at a Cubs game. There's some great footage
of that. Harry Carey does the announcement, and Reagan's got
(05:35):
a nice arm man.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
From what I've seen, Reagan can play. Yeah, I wasn't
disappointment with that one. I mean, not major League Baseball play.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
But like, if we're picking teams and we're picking presidents
on teams, he's not going to be the last guy picked.
That guy looks like he can. He knows what he's
doing out there. Two sitting presidents have never done it,
sitting presidents since Taft, so in nineteen ten, Tafts started it.
Presidents have done it ever since except for two sitting presidents.
(06:06):
And you might hear this as like a trivia piece
or something people say to this day.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
My mom's told me.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
This a couple of times, but she doesn't have the
real all the story. I would say, Donald Trump, Joe
Biden to presidents since nineteen ten, as active presidents have
not thrown out the first pitch. Oh, contrere, monfrere. That's
just active presidencies. Donald Trump actually did throw out a
(06:37):
first pitch in a two thousand and six futures game
at the Trenton thunder Spot because he owned the ballpark
and that's when he started, or that's when he's only
thrown out His one first pitch was in two thousand
and six.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
You remember how that pitch looked?
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Was it?
Speaker 2 (06:52):
I did not see footage of this. Were you able
to find any footage of this?
Speaker 1 (06:55):
I could not that one this. I don't know if
that's been scrubbed from the internet or what. Joe Biden
has thrown out a first pitch as a vice president
under Barack Obama. I think that was two thousand and
nine that he did that. So every president since taff
literally has thrown out a first pitch. It's just Biden
and Trump did not do it. Trump has a chance
(07:17):
to still do it during his presidency. They have not
done it as active presidents who threw out the.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Most first pitches while in office.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
FDR really really and I saw some FDR action.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
Now.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
I know he's in a wheelchair first of all, so
I'm not going to have him play center field anytime soon.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
But weak throw, bro it didn't get better.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
Weak throw, No, it did not. He was a lot
of loft on that one. He doesn't really know how
to bring his arm back. It was rough looking rough. Now,
FDR is not the one to throw it the most.
As far as most now, these two are tied at fourteen.
They've both thrown out fourteen first pitches to Major League Baseball. However,
(08:06):
that fourteen number does not eclipse that FDR because these
two in particular have done it not as presidents a
lot a lot. George HW. Bush thrown at fourteen times.
Rip pour one out, George hw George W. Bush done
it fourteen times. One more for g dub he can
(08:29):
beat his dad and take over the reins as a president,
not active, but a president throwing out a.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
First pitch by the way, George HW. Bush, George W.
Bush Yale baseball. They know what they're doing.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
And now, Alex, you saw what was the two thousand
and one pitch from George w and Yankee Stadium. Is
that the one that you saw right after nine to eleven?
Speaker 3 (08:52):
Yeah, I mean like he throws almost like I don't
want to say perfect pitch, it's a pretty good pitch.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
It's impressive. And seeing that's a month after a nine
to eleven, it's.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
A bb Did we get a mile per hour on that?
By the way, did that inclise eighty five?
Speaker 2 (09:05):
I am. I'm definitely concerned on that. I go back.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
I want to know because that's the stat I could
not find who throws the heat.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
It's gotta be g Dubb. It's got to be him
or or his dad. I saw. I liked how Carter
was throwing duo.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
He did a very good nineteen ninety five Atlanta Braves.
Now he's Georgia guy, George boy, he's a big Braves fan.
I did not know that happened. I saw that one,
and it's like, who was that dude? That's Jimmy Carter President.
Jimmy Carter has got some juice. He has got some juice.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
In that arm.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
I don't know, man, if I'm starting pictures right now,
might have to. I think I'm starting Jimmy Carter, and
I'm keeping George W to come in the seventh relief.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Yeah, because he's got some heat. Man.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
He throws a bb You know, you mess up those
batters with some Jimmy Carter seventy seven and then you
hit him with that George W eighty five, eighty eight,
and they're all on til. I mean, I think we're
putting together a pretty good rotation right now. With presidents,
Opening day was usually the day that they get this done.
A lot of presidents continue to carry on the tradition
(10:14):
without any kind of pushback or whatever. They understand that
this is big politically for them. They can win a
lot of votes, win some people over. However, didn't always
go that way. Nineteen thirty, Herbert Hoover is throwing out
the first pitch. We are in the Great Depression, and
we are in prohibition. While Herbert Hoover is on the
(10:35):
mound in nineteen thirty throwing out the first pitch, chance
all throughout the ballpark.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
While he's he wasn't on the mound. I take that back.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
While he is being shown in his little fancy booth
with the red, white.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
And blue ribbons and everything.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
And from what I heard, he left this ballgame and
got out because everyone was chanting, we want.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Beer, we want beer, you want beer. I couldn't think
of a better place in a ballpark to be.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
Chin in that awesome during prohibition and they want their beer.
You're so right, Beer and baseball baby goes hand in hand.
In Herbert Hoover couldn't take that heat.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
It's funny when you say that. When I was reading
through the wiki. Yeah, Franklin D. Roosevelt, when he went
to go throw his pitch, a plane flew overhead, Yes,
and it said the play the game, don't pack the.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Courts, right.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
It was his h added to the Supreme Court and
it didn't go over. And I read the rest of that.
What he wanted to do did not get done. And
they can point back to that day where maybe things
had turned politically and throughout the country.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
As far as that situation.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
Well, that pitch and that plane, well you think it
was like, oh, I'm on FDR side on this.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
As far as politically, oh, man. But look at that pitch.
I think it's that. I think it should be that now, FDR.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
And there was another one that did this as well, Yeah,
Dwight D. Eisenhower. So no excuse me, Truman an FDR
didn't do this. Truman and Gerald Ford they did this
unique thing on both of their first pitches to signify
something politically. And I didn't know this until last night.
Truman was given two balls. He threw one right handed
(12:18):
and threw one left handed to signify the solidarity of
the US government left wing right wing.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
Gerald Ford actually did that as well.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
I don't think it's been duplicated or nobody else has
thought of that, or just those two instances were the
only time that that had happened.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
But that was interesting to me. A couple other little
side notes.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
So Taff started it in nineteen ten, he went back
in nineteen eleven, did it again. Nineteen twelve was when
the first vice president did it, and that was Taff's
vice president, James Sherman.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
Taft didn't show up. Why didn't Taft show up?
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Was he too busy? He was his best bud Archibald
Butt Butt. But Archibald Butt's funeral was the same day,
Archibald Butt died in the Titanic Wow. Him and Taft
were homies, so he had to go to Butt's funeral
and then throughout the vice president. But but, however, James
(13:19):
Sherman becomes the first vice president to ever throw out
a first pitch, and it doesn't happen again until nineteen
sixty six. Hubert Humphrey is tabbed at that date to
make it happen nineteen fifty three, Dwight D. Eisenhower was
supposed to throw out the first pitch. Ike's the man, dude,
(13:40):
look up Dwight D. Eisenhower. As far as sports goes,
you go to West Point. He's playing Jim Thorpe in
the big Carlisle, Pennsylvania versus Army game and gets his
knees torn up by Jim Thorpe because he puts a
move on him.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
You're putting him on your team.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
Ah, yeah, I'm putting Dwight D. Dwight D's running center
field for me, Okay. Dwight D's got the she can
go from left right center. He can really go get it.
And he's just a sportsy guy. He's just a gamer.
On that day, he was scheduled to throw the first
pitch opening day nineteen fifty three.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Sorry, I can't do it. I'm busy. What are you doing?
What are you doing? That's so important?
Speaker 1 (14:19):
Got a chance to play Augusta, and I ain't messing
that up for anybody. So he goes down to Augusta
and bucks the system and doesn't throw the first pitch.
Luckily for him, game got rained out. He was able
to go after the game or after the rain out
and actually throw the first pitch in nineteen fifty three.
(14:40):
But that was just fascinating to me. He's like, nah, man,
I'm playing golf. Sorry, busy. LBJ has the record for
presidents at a ballgame eating hot dogs.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
Four is the number that is a low bar. That
is a fairy low bar.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
I mean four dogs, LBJ. Tip of the cap, sir.
That was nineteen sixty four that LBJ did that. Boo
to everyone else. Boo to everyone else. Man, everyone else
can put down five.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Every other president.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
Yeah, maybe Jimmy Carter, maybe Reagan.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
Them skinny minnies.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
They can't put it down everybody else, No excuse, Oh taft, we're.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
Hot dogs around.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
I don't even know if hot dogs are around with
taft because if that was the case, that dude's putting
down a dog and inning.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
We still don't know what original hot dogs were made
out of, so they.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
Could have been that's true, could have been a little
bit rougher too, back in the back in the day.
The last the last president to throw a first pitch.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Did you see this? This was very interesting to me.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Twenty ten, two thousand and towns, fifteen years ago.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
George W. Bush.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
Since then, George Dubbs has done it six times.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
And that's it.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
There's been no one else except for George W. Bush
since twenty ten, as a active president or a former
president to throw out a first pitch. Now he's a
part owner in the Texas Rangers, and the last time
he did it, the Rangers World Series opening day twenty
twenty three, is the last time a president has thrown
out a ceremonial first pitch.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
So there you go.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
Man's that's pretty much all my research for you, And
I feel like everybody listening now, you know, all y'all
that are stuck on eighty four. Congratulations, you are somewhat
of an expert in presidential ceremonial first pitches in the
world of Major League baseball,
At this time the Rob Dibble Show, take someone back
to the sports that once were I don't.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Know.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Here is Ben Donnell with unsolicited sports History. Max. It's
been a wise, it's been too long, and I got
challenged yesterday by the big guy. Dibble and I were
talking to Ryan Priese, our favorite NASCAR driver, number sixty
on the Kroger speaking of drive, and just got a
call from some listeners. We've got a captive audience for
(00:36):
this version of unsolicited sports history because eighty four right
now is a parking lot. If you're trying to go
east or west in the state of Connecticut and you
can avoid eighty four, I've been told that you should
probably do so.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
So Priest Priest might be out there right now.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
He might be going from Boston to mis I'm sure
he went last night. I'm sure he was on a plane.
He probably flies first class and whatnot. But Ryan pre
threw out the first pitch at Fenway yesterday. I just
saw Ricky Stenhouse Junior throw it out in Philly for
that Cubs Philly afternoon game.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Priest was all nervous.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Priest was nervous, then he wasn't nervous, and then I
saw some video of him being infenway finally with the
ball in his hand, and he was really nervous. He
did not bounce it. He threw it over the plate.
I don't know if it was a strike or not
a little bit low, but he got it there and
he did not embarrass himself.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
So he did a great job. And then Dibbs was like.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
When was the first first pitch? When did we even
start this stuff? And then it just started a rabbit
hole for me, and I spent pretty much four hours
last night becoming an aficionado of ceremonial first pitches from
the presidents of the United States. Alec in studio with
me as well, and he has just wandered down a
rabbit hole himself.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Now, Alec, you saw some video, not good video. I mean,
I mean the.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
Video, oh, quality wasn't good because it goes all the
way back to what was Calvin Coolidge is the oldest one.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
On video that we have seen.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
The last one that was I don't I think Herbert
Hoover may been the last one, so they would either way.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
I'm sticking to what I said. Coolidge has the worst pitch. Yeah,
Coolidge does not have an arm. I would not have
Coolidge play any position. I thought Richard Nixon.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
As far as the videos that you showed me, I
thought Richard Nixon was woo.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
It's Woodrow Wilson was the earliest one. Okay, Woodrow Wilson
is the earliest filmed, Yes, one earliest filmed one.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Woodrow Man. I put him on second base. He could
turn two if he wanted to do. It would have
to be like a slow guy running down the first baseline.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
But still it looked like he had some form.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Now we have had some dynamite president first pitches, and
we have some weak president first pitches, and Dibbs was
correct most of these ceremonial first pitches. When it all started,
it was really just like a first throw into the game.
They were sitting down in their little booth and catcher
(03:03):
or a player of sorts would catch the ball. The
one that we saw jfk do. It was like a
bouquet celebration. It's like when you know the bride is
throwing the bouquet.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
There. Everybody wanted that ball.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Everybody wanted that ball, and that probably is a collector's
item to this day, the ball of balls that you
want from the ceremonial first pitch. The very first ever
ceremonial first pitch happened eighteen ninety Toledo, taken on Cleveland
(03:36):
and Governor William McKinley, who became the twenty fifth president.
Eighteen ninety, William McKinley throws out the first ever ceremonial
first pitch.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Now, no one had done it for twenty years.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
As an active president, William Taft, and we found this
out yesterday. William Taft nineteen ten at a Washington Senators game,
became the first active president to start the season. Because
this was like an opening day thing. There was a
couple of days. There was Opening Day and there was
(04:16):
fourth of July. And then now as they had created
all Star games as Major League Baseball progressed, they had
all Star game ceremonial first pitches for presidents as well.
But nineteen ten was the first time an active sitting
president threw out a first pitch. Again, that was Washington
(04:36):
Senator's game, Washington, DC. Threw it to Walter Johnson, so
the first one ever. Eighteen ninety. William McKinley the first
active president active nineteen ten. And then we found out
when was the first time that a president got out
of the booth, out of his seat on the mound
(04:59):
and threw it for reels like we know of today.
That didn't happen until seventy eight years later, nineteen eighty eight,
Ronald Reagan did it in Baltimore.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Now, this is the end of Ronald Reagan.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
You know, he's already served two terms, and this is
active president Ronald Reagan. Now Ronald Reagan even after his
presidency was over in the eighties and in the eighty
nine eighty eight, those seasons, Reagan did it a lot.
Reagan was at a Cubs game. There's some great footage
of that. Harry Carey does the announcement, and Reagan's got
(05:35):
a nice arm man.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
From what I've seen, Reagan can play. Yeah, I wasn't
disappointment with that one. I mean, not major League Baseball play.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
But like, if we're picking teams and we're picking presidents
on teams, he's not going to be the last guy picked.
That guy looks like he can. He knows what he's
doing out there. Two sitting presidents have never done it,
sitting presidents since Taft, so in nineteen ten, Tafts started it.
Presidents have done it ever since except for two sitting presidents.
(06:06):
And you might hear this as like a trivia piece
or something people say to this day.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
My mom's told me.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
This a couple of times, but she doesn't have the
real all the story. I would say, Donald Trump, Joe
Biden to presidents since nineteen ten, as active presidents have
not thrown out the first pitch. Oh, contrere, monfrere. That's
just active presidencies. Donald Trump actually did throw out a
(06:37):
first pitch in a two thousand and six futures game
at the Trenton thunder Spot because he owned the ballpark
and that's when he started, or that's when he's only
thrown out His one first pitch was in two thousand
and six.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
You remember how that pitch looked?
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Was it?
Speaker 2 (06:52):
I did not see footage of this. Were you able
to find any footage of this?
Speaker 1 (06:55):
I could not that one this. I don't know if
that's been scrubbed from the internet or what. Joe Biden
has thrown out a first pitch as a vice president
under Barack Obama. I think that was two thousand and
nine that he did that. So every president since taff
literally has thrown out a first pitch. It's just Biden
and Trump did not do it. Trump has a chance
(07:17):
to still do it during his presidency. They have not
done it as active presidents who threw out the.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Most first pitches while in office.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
FDR really really and I saw some FDR action.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
Now.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
I know he's in a wheelchair first of all, so
I'm not going to have him play center field anytime soon.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
But weak throw, bro it didn't get better.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
Weak throw, No, it did not. He was a lot
of loft on that one. He doesn't really know how
to bring his arm back. It was rough looking rough. Now,
FDR is not the one to throw it the most.
As far as most now, these two are tied at fourteen.
They've both thrown out fourteen first pitches to Major League Baseball. However,
(08:06):
that fourteen number does not eclipse that FDR because these
two in particular have done it not as presidents a
lot a lot. George HW. Bush thrown at fourteen times.
Rip pour one out, George hw George W. Bush done
it fourteen times. One more for g dub he can
(08:29):
beat his dad and take over the reins as a president,
not active, but a president throwing out a.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
First pitch by the way, George HW. Bush, George W.
Bush Yale baseball. They know what they're doing.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
And now, Alex, you saw what was the two thousand
and one pitch from George w and Yankee Stadium. Is
that the one that you saw right after nine to eleven?
Speaker 3 (08:52):
Yeah, I mean like he throws almost like I don't
want to say perfect pitch, it's a pretty good pitch.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
It's impressive. And seeing that's a month after a nine
to eleven, it's.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
A bb Did we get a mile per hour on that?
By the way, did that inclise eighty five?
Speaker 2 (09:05):
I am. I'm definitely concerned on that. I go back.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
I want to know because that's the stat I could
not find who throws the heat.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
It's gotta be g Dubb. It's got to be him
or or his dad. I saw. I liked how Carter
was throwing duo.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
He did a very good nineteen ninety five Atlanta Braves.
Now he's Georgia guy, George boy, he's a big Braves fan.
I did not know that happened. I saw that one,
and it's like, who was that dude? That's Jimmy Carter President.
Jimmy Carter has got some juice. He has got some juice.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
In that arm.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
I don't know, man, if I'm starting pictures right now,
might have to. I think I'm starting Jimmy Carter, and
I'm keeping George W to come in the seventh relief.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Yeah, because he's got some heat. Man.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
He throws a bb You know, you mess up those
batters with some Jimmy Carter seventy seven and then you
hit him with that George W eighty five, eighty eight,
and they're all on til. I mean, I think we're
putting together a pretty good rotation right now. With presidents,
Opening day was usually the day that they get this done.
A lot of presidents continue to carry on the tradition
(10:14):
without any kind of pushback or whatever. They understand that
this is big politically for them. They can win a
lot of votes, win some people over. However, didn't always
go that way. Nineteen thirty, Herbert Hoover is throwing out
the first pitch. We are in the Great Depression, and
we are in prohibition. While Herbert Hoover is on the
(10:35):
mound in nineteen thirty throwing out the first pitch, chance
all throughout the ballpark.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
While he's he wasn't on the mound. I take that back.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
While he is being shown in his little fancy booth
with the red, white.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
And blue ribbons and everything.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
And from what I heard, he left this ballgame and
got out because everyone was chanting, we want.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Beer, we want beer, you want beer. I couldn't think
of a better place in a ballpark to be.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
Chin in that awesome during prohibition and they want their beer.
You're so right, Beer and baseball baby goes hand in hand.
In Herbert Hoover couldn't take that heat.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
It's funny when you say that. When I was reading
through the wiki. Yeah, Franklin D. Roosevelt, when he went
to go throw his pitch, a plane flew overhead, Yes,
and it said the play the game, don't pack the.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Courts, right.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
It was his h added to the Supreme Court and
it didn't go over. And I read the rest of that.
What he wanted to do did not get done. And
they can point back to that day where maybe things
had turned politically and throughout the country.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
As far as that situation.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
Well, that pitch and that plane, well you think it
was like, oh, I'm on FDR side on this.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
As far as politically, oh, man. But look at that pitch.
I think it's that. I think it should be that now, FDR.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
And there was another one that did this as well, Yeah,
Dwight D. Eisenhower. So no excuse me, Truman an FDR
didn't do this. Truman and Gerald Ford they did this
unique thing on both of their first pitches to signify
something politically. And I didn't know this until last night.
Truman was given two balls. He threw one right handed
(12:18):
and threw one left handed to signify the solidarity of
the US government left wing right wing.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
Gerald Ford actually did that as well.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
I don't think it's been duplicated or nobody else has
thought of that, or just those two instances were the
only time that that had happened.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
But that was interesting to me. A couple other little
side notes.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
So Taff started it in nineteen ten, he went back
in nineteen eleven, did it again. Nineteen twelve was when
the first vice president did it, and that was Taff's
vice president, James Sherman.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
Taft didn't show up. Why didn't Taft show up?
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Was he too busy? He was his best bud Archibald
Butt Butt. But Archibald Butt's funeral was the same day,
Archibald Butt died in the Titanic Wow. Him and Taft
were homies, so he had to go to Butt's funeral
and then throughout the vice president. But but, however, James
(13:19):
Sherman becomes the first vice president to ever throw out
a first pitch, and it doesn't happen again until nineteen
sixty six. Hubert Humphrey is tabbed at that date to
make it happen nineteen fifty three, Dwight D. Eisenhower was
supposed to throw out the first pitch. Ike's the man, dude,
(13:40):
look up Dwight D. Eisenhower. As far as sports goes,
you go to West Point. He's playing Jim Thorpe in
the big Carlisle, Pennsylvania versus Army game and gets his
knees torn up by Jim Thorpe because he puts a
move on him.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
You're putting him on your team.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
Ah, yeah, I'm putting Dwight D. Dwight D's running center
field for me, Okay. Dwight D's got the she can
go from left right center. He can really go get it.
And he's just a sportsy guy. He's just a gamer.
On that day, he was scheduled to throw the first
pitch opening day nineteen fifty three.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Sorry, I can't do it. I'm busy. What are you doing?
What are you doing? That's so important?
Speaker 1 (14:19):
Got a chance to play Augusta, and I ain't messing
that up for anybody. So he goes down to Augusta
and bucks the system and doesn't throw the first pitch.
Luckily for him, game got rained out. He was able
to go after the game or after the rain out
and actually throw the first pitch in nineteen fifty three.
(14:40):
But that was just fascinating to me. He's like, nah, man,
I'm playing golf. Sorry, busy. LBJ has the record for
presidents at a ballgame eating hot dogs.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
Four is the number that is a low bar. That
is a fairy low bar.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
I mean four dogs, LBJ. Tip of the cap, sir.
That was nineteen sixty four that LBJ did that. Boo
to everyone else. Boo to everyone else. Man, everyone else
can put down five.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Every other president.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
Yeah, maybe Jimmy Carter, maybe Reagan.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
Them skinny minnies.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
They can't put it down everybody else, No excuse, Oh taft, we're.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
Hot dogs around.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
I don't even know if hot dogs are around with
taft because if that was the case, that dude's putting
down a dog and inning.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
We still don't know what original hot dogs were made
out of, so they.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
Could have been that's true, could have been a little
bit rougher too, back in the back in the day.
The last the last president to throw a first pitch.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Did you see this? This was very interesting to me.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Twenty ten, two thousand and towns, fifteen years ago.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
George W. Bush.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
Since then, George Dubbs has done it six times.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
And that's it.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
There's been no one else except for George W. Bush
since twenty ten, as a active president or a former
president to throw out a first pitch. Now he's a
part owner in the Texas Rangers, and the last time
he did it, the Rangers World Series opening day twenty
twenty three, is the last time a president has thrown
out a ceremonial first pitch.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
So there you go.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
Man's that's pretty much all my research for you, And
I feel like everybody listening now, you know, all y'all
that are stuck on eighty four. Congratulations, you are somewhat
of an expert in presidential ceremonial first pitches in the
world of Major League baseball,
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