Okay, let me just admit that I’m not an athlete. But when the offer came to throw the first pitch for the Charlotte Knights, I said, “Yes,” and I said it without hesitation.
It would be hours still until I realized I had to hurl that ball 60 feet in front of thousands of people… and to a catcher with a smile from ear to ear! Well, word spread quickly through our newsroom that I was throwing the first pitch.
Everyone had the same reaction, coupled with belly laughter: “You are throwing the first pitch?!?!?!?!” They would just laugh and walk away.
And then someone said, “You know, if you don’t get that ball over the home plate, the crowd is going to boo you!”
“What?” I said. “You mean to tell me I’ve signed up for thousands of people booing me?!! I don’t think I can throw that far.”
One by one, “concerned” colleagues stopped by to ask me about it. Concerned is in quotes for a reason. For a week, it’s really been less concern and more fodder for newsroom jokes.
But I have a pretty thick skin and a long memory – I’ll get each and everyone back, including my husband and stepson! When I broke the news to them, they laughed too, and then grabbed a ball and glove and we practiced.
Practice went well. They were surprised that I didn’t throw “like a girl.” (Note to modern young women – “throw like a girl” is a dinosaur term from 1950 describing women in sports, just in case it seemed weird to hear such antiquated turn of phrase). Nine out of 10 throws landed right in the glove.
(And a note to our Human Resources Manager: Please stop reading here.) I also practiced in the newsroom, sent a couple curve balls right across the newsroom!
I was feeling confident, ready to head to Charlotte Knights Stadium and prove the whole newsroom wrong.
When game day arrived, my dad happened to be in town. So Dad, Mike Redding (that’s Mr. Crowley), and I head out to the stadium. I was so nervous. They kept making fun of how nervous I was.
But can I tell you what it’s like to walk out in front of thousands of people to do something you know you are terrible at? Why? Why? Well, because it was all part of an event called Pack the Park for Kids – a portion of every ticket was donated to the Levine’s Children’s Hospital. So a little humiliation seemed a small sacrifice.
So I headed out to the pitcher’s mound, never realizing that all the while, I’d only been practicing at a 50 foot distance. My husband says he was waiving me to move forward, but I didn’t see him. I was so nervous and the announcer read a paragraph-long introduction about me (it only takes that long to talk about the good stuff), so the “handler” said, “when you’re ready.”
I looked at the catcher who was smiling from ear to ear. The crowd cheered. And I wound up and let her fly – All I heard after that was my dad say, “Oh, dear.” The ball was fast as it hit the ground 10 feet on my side of the plate and rolled into the catcher’s mit! The crowd did not boo – instead, it was a most sympathetic. Three thousand people gave a strong, “aw…”
You may have been hoping for a Disney-like ending where the girl makes the pitch that silences her critics. Not in this story! The only life lesson here is to get out there and go for it – even if your ball rolls across the plate (or 20 feet to the left of it)!
After all, it was much better than the time a TV station forced me to be a judge in the Miss Utica Pagent. I’ll save that story for another time!
Slideshow of Anna throwing the first pitch
Anna,
Great story. I threw out the first pitch a few years ago, the school I taught at had a fundraiser night at the stadium. I remember praying that my legs would stop shaking and that I'd be able to throw a strike. Hearing grief from my students was not an option, especially since I played college and pro ball. Was amazed at how nervous I actually was. I did throw a strike, but vowed no more 1st pitches.