is a longstanding ritual at most levels of baseball. The pitch is usually thrown by either a celebrity or a locally significant person. The ceremonial pitcher is given a cap and sometimes a jersey. He or she waves, takes the mound, and throws the ball toward home plate. The pitch often misses wildly or bounces to the plate. The ceremonial pitcher then retreats to the first row where they watch the game.
It is traditional for the President of the United States to throw out the first pitch of the season in one ballpark. United States President William Howard Taft started the tradition in 1910 at Griffith Stadium, Washington, DC, on the Washington Senators' Opening Day. Most Presidents since Taft have thrown out the first pitch of the season. Now that a team has returned to Washington, the President will most likely throw the first pitch there.
| President | Date | Stadium
City | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Notes
|
| William H. Taft | April 14, 1910 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 3 - 0 | Athletics | First presidential first pitch
|
| Woodrow Wilson | April 10, 1913 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 2 - 1 | Yankees |
|
| Woodrow Wilson | April 14, 1915 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 7 - 0 | Yankees |
|
| Woodrow Wilson | October 9, 1915 | Baker Bowl
Philadelphia, PA | Phillies | 1 - 2 | Red Sox | First to attend a World Series, Game 2 of the 1915 World Series
|
| Woodrow Wilson | April 20, 1916 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 12 - 4 | Yankees |
|
| Warren G. Harding | April 13, 1921 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 3 - 6 | Red Sox |
|
| Warren G. Harding | April 12, 1922 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 6 - 5 | Yankees |
|
| Warren G. Harding | April 26, 1923 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 2 - 1 | Athletics |
|
| Calvin Coolidge | April 15, 1924 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 4 - 0 | Athletics |
|
| Calvin Coolidge | June 26, 1924 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 0 - 1 | Athletics | Second game in doubleheader
|
| Calvin Coolidge | October 4, 1924 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 3 - 4 | Giants | Game 1 of the 1924 World Series
|
| Calvin Coolidge | October 10, 1925 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 4 - 3 | Pirates | Game 3 of the 1925 World Series
|
| Calvin Coolidge | April 12, 1927 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 6 - 2 | Red Sox |
|
| Calvin Coolidge | April 10, 1928 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 5 - 7 | Red Sox |
|
| Herbert Hoover | April 17, 1929 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 4 - 13 | Athletics |
|
| Herbert Hoover | April 14, 1930 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 3 - 4 | Red Sox |
|
| Herbert Hoover | April 14, 1931 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 3 - 5 | Athletics |
|
| Herbert Hoover | April 11, 1932 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 1 - 0 | Red Sox |
|
| Franklin D. Roosevelt | April 12, 1933 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 4 - 1 | Athletics |
|
| Franklin D. Roosevelt | October 5, 1933 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 4 - 0 | Giants | Game 3 of the 1933 World Series
|
| Franklin D. Roosevelt | April 24, 1934 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 0 - 5 | Red Sox |
|
| Franklin D. Roosevelt | April 17, 1935 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 4 - 2 | Athletics | The game was scheduled for April 16, but was rained out
|
| Franklin D. Roosevelt | April 14, 1936 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 1 - 0 | Yankees |
|
| Franklin D. Roosevelt | October 2, 1936 | Polo Grounds
New York, NY | Giants | 4 - 18 | Yankees | Game 2 of the 1936 World Series
|
| Franklin D. Roosevelt | April 19, 1937 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 3 - 4 | Athletics |
|
| Franklin D. Roosevelt | July 7, 1937 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | American | 8 - 3 | National | First to attend an All-Star Game
|
| Franklin D. Roosevelt | April 18, 1938 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 12 - 8 | Athletics |
|
| Franklin D. Roosevelt | April 16, 1940 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 0 - 1 | Red Sox | Pitch hit a Washington Post camera
|
| Franklin D. Roosevelt | April 14, 1941 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 0 - 3 | Yankees |
|
| Harry S. Truman | September 8, 1945 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 4 - 1 | Browns | First left-hander
|
| Harry S. Truman | April 15, 1946 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 3 - 6 | Red Sox |
|
| Harry S. Truman | April 18, 1947 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 0 - 7 | Yankees |
|
| Harry S. Truman | April 19, 1948 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 4 - 12 | Yankees |
|
| Harry S. Truman | April 18, 1949 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 3 - 2 | Athletics |
|
| Harry S. Truman | April 18, 1950 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 8 - 7 | Athletics | Threw out two first pitches; one left-handed and one right-handed
|
| Harry S. Truman | April 20, 1951 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 5 - 3 | Yankees |
|
| Harry S. Truman | April 15, 1952 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 0 - 3 | Red Sox |
|
| Dwight D. Eisenhower | April 16, 1953 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 3 - 6 | Yankees |
|
| Dwight D. Eisenhower | April 13, 1954 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 5 - 3 | Yankees |
|
| Dwight D. Eisenhower | April 11, 1955 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 12 - 5 | Orioles |
|
| Dwight D. Eisenhower | April 17, 1956 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 4 - 10 | Yankees |
|
| Dwight D. Eisenhower | April 15, 1957 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 6 - 7 | Orioles |
|
| Dwight D. Eisenhower | April 14, 1958 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 5 - 2 | Red Sox |
|
| Dwight D. Eisenhower | April 18, 1960 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 10 - 1 | Red Sox |
|
| John F. Kennedy | April 10, 1961 | Griffith Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 3 - 4 | White Sox |
|
| John F. Kennedy | April 9, 1962 | D.C. Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 4 - 1 | Tigers | First game at D.C. Stadium
|
| John F. Kennedy | April 8, 1963 | D.C. Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 1 - 3 | Orioles |
|
| Lyndon B. Johnson | April 13, 1964 | D.C. Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 0 - 4 | Angels |
|
| Lyndon B. Johnson | April 12, 1965 | D.C. Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 2 - 7 | Red Sox |
|
| Lyndon B. Johnson | April 10, 1967 | D.C. Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 0 - 8 | Yankees |
|
| Richard Nixon | April 7, 1969 | RFK Memorial Stadium
Washington, DC | Senators | 4 - 8 | Yankees |
|
| Richard Nixon | July 14, 1970 | Riverfront Stadium
Cincinnati, OH | National | 5 - 4 | American | 1970 All-Star Game
|
| Richard Nixon | April 6, 1973 | Anaheim Stadium
Anaheim, CA | Angels | 3 - 2 | Royals | First opening day pitch outside of Washington, DC
|
| Gerald Ford | April 9, 1976 | Arlington Stadium
Arlington, TX | Rangers | 2 - 1 | Twins | Threw 2 first pitches
|
| Gerald Ford | July 13, 1976 | Veterans Stadium
Philadelphia, PA | National | 7 - 1 | American | Threw right-handed to Johnny Bench and left-handed to Carlton Fisk
|
| Ronald Reagan | April 2, 1984 | Memorial Stadium
Baltimore, MD | Orioles | 2 - 5 | White Sox | Threw out first pitch then watched game from the dugout.
|
| Ronald Reagan | April 7, 1986 | Memorial Stadium
Baltimore, MD | Orioles | 4 - 6 | Indians |
|
| Ronald Reagan | September 30, 1988 | Wrigley Field
Chicago, IL | Cubs | 9 - 10 | Pirates | Threw 2 first pitches, broadcast 1½ innings on the radio
|
| George H. W. Bush | April 3, 1989 | Memorial Stadium
Baltimore, MD | Orioles | 5 - 4 | Red Sox |
|
| George H. W. Bush | April 25, 1989 | Anaheim Stadium
Anaheim, CA | Angels | 1 - 8 | Orioles |
|
| George H. W. Bush | June 28, 1989 | Memorial Stadium
Baltimore, MD | Orioles | 2 - 1 | Blue Jays |
|
| George H. W. Bush | April 10, 1990 | SkyDome
Toronto, ON | Blue Jays | 2 - 1 | Rangers | First to attend a game and throw a first pitch in Canada
|
| George H. W. Bush | July 16, 1990 | Memorial Stadium
Baltimore, MD | Orioles | 7 - 6 | Rangers |
|
| George H. W. Bush | April 8, 1991 | Arlington Stadium
Arlington, TX | Rangers | 4 - 5 | Brewers |
|
| George H. W. Bush | April 6, 1992 | Camden Yards
Baltimore, MD | Orioles | 2 - 0 | Indians | First game at Camden Yards
|
| George H. W. Bush | July 14, 1992 | Jack Murphy Stadium
San Diego, CA | National | 6 - 13 | American | Threw first pitch with Ted Williams
|
| Bill Clinton | April 5, 1993 | Camden Yards
Baltimore, MD | Orioles | 4 - 7 | Rangers | First president to throw first pitch from the pitcher's mound
|
| Bill Clinton | April 4, 1994 | Jacobs Field
Cleveland, OH | Indians | 4 - 3 | Mariners | First game at Jacobs Field
|
| Bill Clinton | April 2, 1996 | Camden Yards
Baltimore, MD | Orioles | 4 - 2 | Royals |
|
| George W. Bush | April 6, 2001 | Miller Park
Milwaukee, WI | Brewers | 5 - 4 | Reds | First game at Miller Park
|
| George W. Bush | August 14, 2001 | Coors Field
Denver, CO | Rockies | 5 - 4 | Braves |
|
| George W. Bush | October 30, 2001 | Yankee Stadium
New York, NY | Yankees | 2 - 1 | Diamondbacks |
|
| George W. Bush | April 5, 2004 | Busch Stadium
St. Louis, MO | Brewers | 8 - 6 | Cardinals |
|
| George W. Bush | April 14, 2005 | RFK Memorial Stadium
Washington, DC | Nationals | 5 - 3 | Diamondbacks |
|
| George W. Bush | April 3, 2006 | Great American Ball Park
Cincinnati, OH | Reds | 7 - 16 | Cubs |
|
| George W. Bush | March 30, 2008 | Nationals Park
Washington, DC | Nationals | 3 - 2 | Braves | First game at Nationals Park
|
| Barack Obama | July 14, 2009 | Busch Stadium III
St. Louis, MO | National | 3 - 4 | American | 2009 All-Star Game
|
| Barack Obama | April 5, 2010 | Nationals Park
Washington, DC | Nationals | 1 - 11 | Phillies | 100th anniversary of W.H. Taft's first pitch
|
