Throw Out the First Pitch at a Major League Baseball Game
Walk onto the field before a Major League Baseball game, take the ball and make the ceremonial first pitch towards home plate. It is one of baseball’s most recognisable pre-game traditions, usually performed in front of thousands of spectators while the players, cameras and stadium screens are all watching. The throw itself lasts only a few seconds; getting the opportunity is the difficult part. Ceremonial first pitches are generally invitations rather than experiences you can simply buy. MLB clubs use them for celebrities, athletes, community figures, charity representatives, sponsors, competition winners and people being recognised for particular achievements. Some teams and charitable partners occasionally auction or offer first-pitch opportunities through fundraising packages, so becoming sufficiently involved with a club, sponsor or community organisation can create a realistic route onto the mound. If this is a serious goal, choose one or more clubs and look for community programmes, charity auctions, sponsorship opportunities and competitions rather than trying to book a standard stadium experience. If you do get the call, practise throwing from roughly the right distance beforehand; plenty of famous first pitches have gone badly wrong. Add this to your list and work towards earning one of the few moments when an ordinary fan gets the entire ballpark to watch their pitch.