Nats fan Fauci to throw out the first pitch
NEW YORK: Top US infectious disease specialist Anthony Fauci will throw out the first pitch at Major League Baseball’s opening day game between the Washington Nationals and the New York Yankees tomorrow.
A diehard Nationals fan, Fauci will kick off an unusual MLB season that has been shortened to 60 games and will start without fans in attendance, due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
“Dr Fauci has been a true champion for our country during the Covid-19 pandemic and throughout his distinguished career, so it is only fitting that we honour him as we kick off the 2020 season,” the World Series champions Nationals said in a statement.
Fauci, who sported the team’s logo on his face mask at a Senate committee hearing last month, has previously endorsed the idea of bringing professional sports back without fans and with rigorous testing in place.
MLB is among a handful of prominent North American leagues that will soon return to action, with the WNBA set to kick off its season on Saturday, and the NBA and NHL resuming games next week.
KAPLER TAKES A KNEE Meanwhile, San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler said he would continue to speak out against racial injustice after joining his players in taking a knee during the national anthem before their exhibition game against the Oakland Athletics on Monday.
He became the first MLB manager to kneel during the anthem in a show of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter campaign, which gained momentum after George Floyd’s death in police custody in May.
Kapler kneeled down during the anthem on Monday along with outfielders Austin Slater, Jaylin Davis and Mike Yastrzemski, as well as first base coach Antoan Richardson.