MLB History: William Taft Throws Opening Day First Pitch
For the most part, the President of the United States throwing out the first pitch on Opening Day is an annual tradition. That tradition started on this day in 1910, when William Taft threw out the first pitch before the Washington Senators contest against the Philadelphia Athletics.
Chances are, when one thinks of William Taft, one does not think of his place in MLB history. Known as the heaviest President in the history of the country, Taft is the only person to be President and to serve as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Taft also once got stuck in the bathtub at the White House due to his immense girth, possibly spawning the derogatory term “tubby,” but that is a tale for another day.
What is not as well known is that Taft was quite the baseball fan in his own right. He played in his younger days, and was remembered as an infielder with some power in his bat. Taft even reportedly played third base for the Yale baseball team in the 1870’s, but that is a matter of doubt. The fandom of the sport ran in his family, as his half brother Charles owned the Cubs for three years.
President Taft’s fandom extended into his time as the elected head of the nation. On this day in 1910, he began what has become a tradition on Opening Day, as he threw out the first pitch between the Washington Senators and the Philadelphia Athletics. Unlike the first pitch these days, which comes from the vicinity of the mound, Taft kicked off the MLB season by throwing the ball from his seat, where it was caught by Walter Johnson.
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Johnson, for his part, gave Taft quite a show. Facing off against Eddie Plank, The Big Train had one of the best starts in Opening Day history. In the Senators 3-0 victory, he allowed just one hit, although that could be called into question. Home Run Baker had the only hit for the Athletics as he hit a double, but the ball landed safely when right fielder Doc Gessler tripped over a fan. That fan, meanwhile, ended up on the field after falling out of the overflow seating at American League Park.
Nonetheless, it was quite the performance for Johnson, who also struck out nine batters in the shutout. This would be the first of his 14 consecutive Opening Day starts, and while he had some excellent games, he never quite kicked off the season in the same manner. The Presidential first pitch, however, became quite a tradition for the MLB.
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One may not think of baseball when one comes across William Taft in the history books, but he has an important place in MLB history. Because of his love of the game, we have the Presidential first pitch to kick off Opening Day.