Dr. Anthony Fauci has officially completed his mission of redemption after completely botching his first pitch attempt in a 2020 game between the New York Yankees and Washington Nationals.
On Tuesday, Fauci threw out the first pitch at T-Mobile Park before the Mariners took on the Yankees. His throw was much better this time around.
Dr. Fauci! https://t.co/HCKJJ8fBkR pic.twitter.com/A64OsnyVt6
— Marly Rivera (@MarlyRiveraESPN) August 10, 2022
While the pitch wasn't perfect, Fauci made sure the ball got to home plate as he tossed it to Mariners manager Scott Servais. Servais even asked Fauci to sign his face mask following the throw.
During his first go-around at Nationals Park in 2020, Fauci threw the ball completely wide of home plate.
Dr. Anthony Fauci threw out the first pitch before the Nationals-Yankees game. pic.twitter.com/04Tbkh7Voa
— ESPN (@espn) July 23, 2020
Considering that his first attempt was in the height of the COVID-19 pandemic back in 2020, Fauci heard quite a few social distancing jokes due to the fact that his pitch didn't even reach home plate. However, he clearly put in the work and perfected his craft prior to tossing out the first pitch this time around. Fauci gave a fist pump to the crowd at T-Mobile Park after the throw.
Fauci was in Seattle to accept MLB's Hutch Award, which is traditionally given "to an active MLB player who best exemplifies the fighting spirit and competitive desire... by persevering through adversity," according to MLB.com. The award was created in 1965 in honor of Fred Hutchinson, an MLB pitcher and manager who died from lung cancer in 1964.
Fauci was treated to quite an intriguing game as the Mariners topped the Yankees, 1-0, in 13 innings.
