Trivial Matters

Political Pitches

The First Fan

In keeping with tradition, President George W. Bush threw out the first pitch at the Washington Nationals' home opener last Thursday--95 years to the day after William Howard Taft became the first commander in chief to make an Opening Day toss. (Taft threw out the first pitch in the Washington Senators' 3-0 win over the Philadelphia A's at Griffith Stadium.) Taft, however, wasn't the first president to attend a major league game. Who was?

a. Grover Cleveland

b. Benjamin Harrison

c. William McKinley

d. Theodore Roosevelt

 

He's Not Game

Since Taft's pitch, only one president did not throw a ceremonial Opening Day first pitch at a major league game while in office. Who was it?

 

Call to Order

Place these players in order of the number of Opening Day presidential pitches they caught.

a. Rick Dempsey

b. Chris Hoiles

c. Walter Johnson

d. Johnny Sain

ANSWERS

THE FIRST FAN: b. Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd president, was the first to attend a major league game. He saw the Reds beat the Senators 7-4 in a National League game at Boundary Park on June 6, 1892.

HE'S NOT GAME: Jimmy Carter never threw out a first pitch during his term in office (1977-81).

CALL TO ORDER: Johnson (four: Taft, Wilson, Harding, Coolidge); Hoiles (three: G.H.W. Bush, Clinton twice); Dempsey (two: both Reagan); Sain (one: Eisenhower)