shutime

Baseball is as American as pickup trucks and Kansas City Barbecue. Few things represent the United States as clearly and effortlessly as the game and while it very well may have been invented in England, (the origins of baseball are not 100% confirmed to have been American) it has long been adopted as “America’s Pastime”. Most presidents since Taft have thrown at least one ceremonial first pitch and some presidents have attended as many as 16 games while in office. Baseball has been strangely interwoven with the oval office for over a century and you can find out all about it in this here Shutime entry. Here’s some random presidential baseball history and some interesting facts you may not have known! 

George Washington was the first president to play baseball (sort of). He played a game called rounders which is similar to baseball and was created overseas in England. Rounders has been the driving force in the argument against baseball being an American invention, and was not uncommon amongst young men in the colonies. George played rounders in some pretty unique ways. The diary of one of his soldiers reveals that he and his men played a version of the game on the fields at Valley Forge. Another soldier wrote, “He sometimes throws and catches a ball for hours with his aide-de-camp”. John Adams and Andrew Jackson have both been documented as presidents who played in similar “ball and bat” games as George Washington.

Abraham Lincoln was notorious for his love of baseball. He would frequently work baseball terms into his speeches, and played the game throughout his life. An 1860 political cartoon displayed Lincoln on the baseball diamond with the political opponents he faced. When a delegation arrived to inform Lincoln he had won the nomination to run for president during a baseball game, he famously said they’d have to wait till he recorded another hit. Supposedly, Lincoln had a painting of that moment hanging in his house post-presidency.  He hosted games on the White House lawn and remained a lifelong baseball fan. His successor Andrew Johnson attended a baseball game with his cabinet.

During Ulysses S. Grant’s presidency, young boys would play baseball games behind the White House and supposedly Grant would join them on occasion. Rutherford B. Hayes grew up in a family of avid Cincinnati Red Stockings supporters, while Chester Arthur was the first president to invite a baseball team to the White House. Arthur is also quoted as saying, “Good ballplayers make good citizens”.

Perhaps the only President to entirely disregard his love of baseball for the sake of his presidential duty, Grover Cleveland never attended a baseball game during his term. Though he did invite the White Stockings to the White House in his second year in office.

Now we come to Teddy Roosevelt, who is one of the very few presidents to openly express his disinterest in baseball. Perhaps the most prestigious honor a fan of baseball can ever receive is a lifetime pass. These extremely secret, solid gold passes are issued to any MLB player who records 8 or more years of service time at the major league level or anyone the commissioner of baseball deems fit. The pass guarantees admission of the holder and one guest to any major league baseball game when shown at the box office. Essentially, it’s a universal ticket to any game. The first recipient of the pass was none other than Theodore Roosevelt, who never once used the pass in his lifetime. Roosevelt was an outdoorsman and disliked the lack of violence in the game, but would eventually come around to it when his son began to play. 

William Howard Taft was the first president to throw a first pitch at an MLB season opener, throwing the ball from the crowd to the pitcher. This type of first pitch wouldn’t change into the traditional first pitch baseball fans are used to today until over 90 years later. Taft played baseball most his life, and may have even played for Yale in college. His half brother at one time owned the Chicago Cubs. While in office, Taft attended two professional baseball games in one day!

Woodrow Wilson made history by being the first president to attend the World Series and became a lifelong Washington Senators fan after his term. But Warren G. Harding made greater history by being the first president to pitch in a game. He threw the first 3 pitches in a minor league exhibition against the Chicago Cubs. He was a lifelong fan who invited Babe Ruth to the White House on several occasions, threw the first ceremonial pitch at the original Yankee Stadium, and even owned a minor league team at one point in his lifetime. Calvin Coolidge followed in his predecessor’s footsteps, throwing out the first pitch of the 1924 World Series. 

Herbert Hoover grew up playing baseball as a shortstop. Eventually, he would play the position at Stanford University before becoming president and throwing first pitches at the 1929, 1930, and 1931 World Series. Babe Ruth opposed Hoover and occasionally campaigned against him publicly.

Franklin Roosevelt has some pretty sweet firsts. He was the first president to attend an All-Star Game, has thrown the most presidential first pitches (8), and was the first president to attend a nighttime baseball game. More than any of that though, FDR was solely responsible for baseball continuing during the second World War. He famously wrote the Green Light Letter to then commissioner Kennesaw Mountain Landis, telling him the country needed baseball to continue on in the midst of the terror worldwide. This provided employment to thousands of young men and a distraction for many American civilians while encouraging able-bodied players to serve in the war.

Despite not being much of a baseball player, Harry Truman attended more games while in office than any other president (16). 

Before he was the Supreme Commander of the Allied forces, Dwight D. Eisenhower played centerfield in a Kansas minor league system under the pseudonym “Wilson” (allegedly). He did this to keep his amateur status so he could eventually play college football at West Point. If this fact became known, he could have potentially been discharged from the Army, so he kept his baseball stint a secret throughout his life. While fishing at a young age with a friend in Kansas, Ike and his friend shared their career aspirations. The friend shared he dreamed of being the President of the United States, while Ike dreamed of becoming a professional baseball player. “Neither of us got our wish,” Eisenhower later said. 

John F. Kennedy grew up a Boston Red Sox fan, but threw plenty of first pitches at Washington Senators games. One of those included the first ever pitch at what would later become Robert F. Kennedy stadium after his brother’s assassination. His successor Lyndon B. Johnson grew up an avid ballplayer and attended the first ever game at the Astrodome in Houston. He also used to hang out at the ballpark with the Washington Senators.

Prior to his resignation, Richard Nixon may have been the most beloved president to ever grace the world of baseball. Second only to Harry Truman, Nixon attended 13 baseball games while in office. Nixon played baseball through high school with a few men that ended up in the major leagues. Jackie Robinson was an avid Nixon supporter throughout his first campaign loss, but eventually had a change of heart after disagreeing with his handling of various civil rights issues. Nixon famously released a list of his personal all-time greatest players at each position, creating two hypothetical all-star teams in 1972. At one point in time, Nixon was widely regarded as the most likely candidate to assume the role of Commissioner of Baseball after he completed his term. Nixon threw the first pitch at the legendary Candlestick Park, which has since been demolished.

Gerald Ford was a star in the annual congressional baseball games, playing catcher and hitting an inside-the-park homerun in one of the contests. He attended the game where Hank Aaron hit his 714th home run to tie Babe Ruth. Ford attended two major league games as president, throwing the first pitch in both of them. He also signed a bill allowing girls to play in little league baseball games! His presidential library has an entire section dedicated to the link between baseball and the presidents.

Jimmy Carter pitched for a small amount of time while in the Navy. He was mostly disinterested in the game, but oddly had a strong passion for the game of softball. His secret service members felt intense pressure to perform well in their pickup games with him. His only Major League appearance was at the 1979 World Series Game 7 in Baltimore. 

Ronald Reagan once got a job as a radio announcer for the Chicago Cubs. It was this job that brought him to southern California for Spring Training and launched his movie and television career. He was largely responsible for the conclusion of the 1981 strike, using a federal mediator to solve the issue. He threw the ceremonial first pitch at the first ever Oakland A’s home game.

George H.W. Bush frequented Houston Astros games before becoming Commander in Chief. A great fielding first baseman, Bush Sr. played all through college at Yale University. While there, he played in the first two College World Series and met Babe Ruth. At the end of his life, he threw out the first pitch of the 2017 World Series.

Bill Clinton signed the Curt Flood act of 1998, benefitting the Major League player’s Association and helping to prevent strikes. He attended 7 major league games and was the first president to throw a ceremonial first pitch from the pitcher’s mound.

Before becoming president, George W. Bush once owned a minority stake in the Texas Rangers. Similar to Nixon, Bush was once considered as a potential candidate for the commissioner of baseball role as well. He often hosted t-ball games on the white house lawn, threw out a plethora of first pitches at games, and was very vocal in his opinions on baseball issues like steroid use. 

Barack Obama is more widely known as a passionate basketball player and fan. Throughout his tenure, he hosted countless pickup games with high-profile athletes and celebrities. A notable Chicago sports fan, he has expressed his preference for the south-side White Sox over the Cubs. In 2009, the minor league Brooklyn Cyclones played one game as the Baracklyn Cyclones. 100 years after William Taft threw the first ever ceremonial first pitch, Obama threw a ceremonial first pitch at the Washington Nationals home opener. Obama made access to the MLB easier for Cuban born players. His final baseball-related act was hosting the World Champion Chicago Cubs at the White House.

Donald Trump was a great athlete who hit for power as a catcher in his youth. He was scouted by both the Phillies and Red Sox before opting for the college route. While president, he did not throw out a ceremonial first pitch but did attend the 2019 World Series in D.C.. Trump has had many controversial relationships with various MLB players, but largely has avoided the game after being outspoken against the MLB’s decision to move the 2021 All-Star game from Atlanta after the passing of the election integrity act. Trump continues to receive a great deal of criticism for not throwing a first pitch during his term, despite the fact that his successor will likely do the same.

Current president Joe Biden played both football and baseball in high school, while supporting the Philadelphia Phillies all his life. He attended Spring Training while Vice President, and may be the first to do so. He has not thrown out a ceremonial first pitch while President, leaving the 2024 MLB season as his last opportunity this term.