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You wouldn’t think someone who played baseball for a living would be in contention for the worst ceremonial first pitch of all time, but former Yankees outfielder Paul O’Neill entered the conversation by botching his throw in impressive fashion ahead of Game 4 of the World Series.
Baseball teams have been tapping notable names to throw out the first pitch at games since the end of the 19th century, and while plenty of people who been given that honor haven’t had any problem tossing a strike, there are also a number of celebrities who’ve succumbed to the pressure that comes with trying to hit the mitt.
That includes Carly Rae Jepsen’s disastrous attempt at a Rays game in 2013 and John Wall’s equally dismal throw at a Nationals game a couple of years prior, although it’s very, very hard to top the one 50 Cent has still failed to live down after the Mets invited him to throw out the first pitch 2014.
All three of those people have one fairly obvious trait in common: they never played professional baseball, which is not the case with Paul O’Neill, who spent 17 seasons in the MLB and is best known for his contributions to a New York Yankees team that won five World Series with the outfielder on the roster.
On Tuesday, O’Neill was tapped to throw the ceremonial first pitch ahead of Game 4 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium, and the 61-year-old who currently works for YES Network failed to rise to the occasion with a throw that sailed over A.J. Burnett’s head before he demanded a do-over that was a bit more accurate.
Paul O’Neill throws tonight’s ceremonial first pitches in the general direction of A.J. Burnett: pic.twitter.com/kZs7WgLUlp
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) October 30, 2024
Good job, good effort.