The Washington Nationals have made their pitch to President-Elect Joe Biden. This weekend, the 2019 World Series Champions invited Biden to throw out the first pitch on Opening Day for the 2021 season. The Nationals’ first home game is set for April 1 against the New York Mets.
“We look forward to hosting President-Elect Biden on Opening Day of the 2021 season,” the Nationals wrote on Twitter. “We’re excited to continue the long-standing tradition of sitting Presidents throwing out the first pitch at the home of the national pastime in the nation’s capital.” Biden has experience throwing out the first pitch as he did it as the vice president in 2009 when the Baltimore Orioles faced the New York Yankees on Opening Day at Camden Yards.
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According to ESPN, the tradition of presidents throwing out the first pitch in Washington began in 1910 with William Howard Taft. After that, every sitting president except Donald Trump threw out the first pitch when Washington had a major league club. However, Trump did attend Game 5 of the 2019 World Series at Nationals Park and received a wave of boos. In July, Trump claimed he was going to throw out the first pitch at an upcoming Yankees game.
“Randy Levine (Yankees President) is a great friend of mine from the Yankees,” Trump told reporters at the time “And he asked me to throw out the first pitch, and I think I’m doing that on Aug. 15 at Yankee Stadium.” Trump then postponed his trip to Yankees Stadium and the Yankees then said they never invited Trump to throw out the first pitch.
“Because of my strong focus on the China Virus, including scheduled meetings on Vaccines, our economy and much else, I won’t be able to be in New York to throw out the opening pitch for the [Yankees] on August 15th,” Trump wrote at the time. “We will make it later in the season!” Biden is set to become the 46th President of the United States. Once he learned the news of his projected win, Biden sent a message to the American citizens.
“In the face of unprecedented obstacles, a record number of Americans voted. Proving once again, that democracy beats deep in the heart of America,” Biden wrote. “With the campaign over, it’s time to put the anger and the harsh rhetoric behind us and come together as a nation. It’s time for America to united. And to heal. We are the United States of America. And there’s nothing we can’t do if we do it together.”
