{"id":2133,"date":"2015-04-02T13:45:13","date_gmt":"2015-04-02T17:45:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/?p=2133"},"modified":"2025-04-18T11:21:59","modified_gmt":"2025-04-18T15:21:59","slug":"amid-flags-president-set-baseball-precedent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/amid-flags-president-set-baseball-precedent\/","title":{"rendered":"Amid flags, president set baseball precedent"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"President<\/a>
President Taft hurls the first pitch in 1910.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In stadiums around the U.S., as well as one in Canada, these words will soon resound: \u201cPlay ball!\u201d Those venues will be draped with bunting<\/a> and topped with American flags<\/a> as the 2015 baseball season debuts. More than a century ago, a tossed baseball set a precedent that endures.<\/p>\n

It was established by President William Howard Taft, whose successors have copied him for 105 years. On April 15, 1910, Taft attended the season\u2019s opening game between the Washington Senators and Philadelphia Athletics. Besides being a fan, the president had a familial connection to baseball. His older brother, Charles, was owner of the Phillies and Cubs, and is credited with saving the latter team from bankruptcy.<\/p>\n

\"President<\/a>
President Taft, behind bunting, at opening day 1910, when he threw out the first pitch.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As the portly president settled into his seat in a box decorated with American flag bunting, an umpire approached and handed him a baseball. Puzzled, Taft just held it in his palm. Then the ump explained that he was expected to throw out the first pitch of the season. The Senators catcher readied to receive the toss, but the chief executive knew baseball. The pitcher was the chief player, so Taft heaved it to the legendary Walter Johnson.<\/p>\n

\"In<\/a>
In 1916, President Wilson tosses the first ball of the season.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Thus, Taft became the first president to throw out the first pitch at a major league game. Washington won, 3-0. In fact, the A\u2019s managed only one hit off Johnson. In the decades since, Taft\u2019s peers have copied him, if not on opening day, then at post-season tilts.<\/p>\n

In 1914, for example, President Woodrow Wilson had the honor on opening day. One newspaper credited his athleticism and predicted he would outshine his predecessor\u2019s throw. Ten years later, Calvin Coolidge tossed the sphere \u2013 again to Johnson, who again blanked the opposition.<\/p>\n

\"President<\/a>
President Coolidge readies his pitch in 1924. (Library of Congress)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Who was the best hurler from the White House? Famed journalist Bob Considine nominated his choice in 1937. He wrote: \u201cThe best of the six chief executives who have been heaving out those first\u201d balls since Taft \u201cwas Warren Gamaliel Harding, the old Marion, O[hio], sandlotter. Harding threw a \u2018heavy ball,\u2019 as the old-time catchers say.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"In<\/a>
In 2010, President Barack Obama, a southpaw, tosses the first pitch in Washington, D.C. (U.S. Navy photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But Considine could have been wrong. After all, he dated the first presidential pitch to 1912 instead of 1910. Close, but no called strike.<\/p>\n

As for baseball\u2019s lucky charm, the Senators considered President Franklin Delano Roosevelt their guarantee of a win. For a long time, they never lost a game he attended.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In stadiums around the U.S., as well as one in Canada, these words will soon resound: \u201cPlay ball!\u201d Those venues will be draped with bunting and topped with American flags as the 2015 baseball season debuts. More than a century ago, a tossed baseball set a precedent that endures. It was established by President William… continue<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":2139,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[28,48,279,233,280],"class_list":["post-2133","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history-lessons","tag-american-flags","tag-baseball","tag-president","tag-president-woodrow-wilson","tag-william-howard-taft"],"yoast_head":"\nAmid flags, president set baseball precedent<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In baseball stadiums draped with bunting and topped with American flags these words will soon resound: \u201cPlay ball!\u201d\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/amid-flags-president-set-baseball-precedent\/\" 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