Opening Day welcomes the new spring baseball season each year, a uniquely America tradition steeped in history and fanfare.
And on this day in history, April 14, 1910, President William Howard Taft became the first U.S. president to throw out the first pitch at a Major League Baseball game.
Taft was first in a long line of presidents to have the honor. Nearly every president since Taft has thrown out the first pitch, with the exception of Jimmy Carter, Donald Trump and Joe Biden, according to National Geographic. (Biden did throw out the first pitch as Barack Obama’s vice president.)
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William Howard Taft was elected 27th president of the United States (1909-1913) and later became the 10th chief justice of the United States (1921-1930). He’s the only person to have served in both offices, according to Whitehouse.gov.
When it came to baseball, Taft had been drawn to the game even as a boy.
“He loved baseball, and he was a good second baseman and a power hitter,” notes The Miller Center at the University of Virginia.
William Howard Taft (1857-1930), 27th president of the U.S. Originally hailing from Ohio, he later served as chief justice of the Supreme Court. (Getty Images)
The groundbreaking MLB first pitch took place in Washington, D.C., ahead of a match-up between two East Coast teams: the Washington Senators and the Philadelphia Athletics. The game-starting pitcher was Walter Johnson of the Washington Senators.
Having President Taft throw out the ceremonial first pitch was something that Washington Senators owner Clark Griffith had wanted for several years, according to History.com.
Taft enjoyed baseball as a spectator and had attended a Senators’ baseball game during the 1909 season, according to MLB.com.
Sportswriters became fans of Taft and his enthusiasm for baseball.
Taft’s philosophy of the game offers an interesting perspective.
“I like [baseball] for…
