Ceremonial first pitches have been a professional baseball tradition for more than a century. American presidents, foreign dignitaries, musicians, artists, and other celebrities have taken the mound over the years.
Some of these folks have done quite well, reaching the catcher with no problem. At times like these, the game announcers make tongue-in-cheek comments about how the guest pitcher ought to try out for the team. The crowd cheers. The celebrity strolls off the pitcher’s mound with undeniable swagger.
Unfortunately, not everyone performs so well. Pitches that are supposed to go forward have a strange way of flying erratically into the air or straight at the ground. Rapper 50 Cent epitomized this phenomenon at a recent New York Mets-Pittsburgh Pirates game. His bizarre pitch has been called one of the worst all-time and has made him the butt of numerous jokes.
In honor of the 50 Cent debacle, here’s a look at the seven worst celebrity pitches of all time:
7. John Wall
Wall is an incredible basketball player. He’s currently averaging nearly 20 points a game for the Wizards. It’s tempting to think that Wall’s NBA-proven hoops skills would translate into the throwing of a ball, but his first pitch at a Nationals-Orioles game in 2011 demonstrates that this theory couldn’t be further from the truth.
6. Carly Rae Jepsen
Jepson scored a summer hit in 2011 with “Call Me Maybe.” Tragically, her success didn’t extend to the pitcher’s mound. Her wild pitch nearly took out an innocent photographer.
5. 50 Cent
Unlike many of the celebrity pitchers on this list, 50 Cent didn’t throw a sinker. Instead, his haphazard pitch took off like a rocket. At least the rapper could laugh at himself. After enduring a slew of snarky jokes on social media, he suggested on Instagram that the pitch only looked bad because the catcher had sneakily moved home plate over to the side.
4. Joan Steinbrenner
You may not know who Joan Steinbrenner is, but you’ve probably heard of her husband, George. Steinbrenner took the field for a ceremonial pitch in 2008 and treated the fans to one of the all-time best sinkers.
3. Carl Lewis
Lewis is no slouch. He holds numerous Olympic gold medals and used to be considered the fastest man in the world. As he sauntered onto Safeco Field, the crowd expected a perfect toss. Unfortunately, instead of delivering a perfect toss, he merely proved that there is no athletic link between baseball and track-and-field events.
2. Mariah Carey
This one was doomed from the start, as Carey teetered onto the field in four-inch heels. Her pitch is one of the best examples we’ve ever seen of the infamous “Celebrity Submariner.”
1. Mayor Mark Mallory
Back in 2007, the mayor of Cincinnati was tabbed for the ceremonial first pitch. How bad was it? After Mark Mallory unleashed his bizarre lob, an announcer declared, “That’s one of the worst opening pitches I’ve ever seen!” We couldn’t agree more.
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