The first presidential pitch

President William Howard Taft makes his pitch 116 years ago today

William Howard Taft becomes the first president to throw out a ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day 116 years ago today in Washington, D.C.

Taft makes his pitch to Walter Johnson, Washington’s future Hall of Fame pitcher, before Johnson tosses a one-hitter and beats the Philadelphia Athletics 3-0 before a Thursday afternoon crowd of 14,000.

Ninety-five years later – after teams twice abandon Washington for Minnesota and Texas – baseball returns to D.C. with the transplanted Montreal Expos, who 21 years ago today play their first game at RFK Stadium as the newly minted Washington Nationals. ‍

The ceremonial first pitch for that game in 2005 – a 5-3 victory over Arizona – is thrown from President George W. Bush to Nationals catcher Brian Schneider.

A slightly larger gathering watches Bush’s first pitch in 2005 than that of Taft in 1910 as a Thursday night crowd of 45,596 sees him throw a strike from the mound to Schneider behind the plate.

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