Stephen A. Smith finally got his wish to throw out the first pitch at a baseball game. Unfortunately for the ESPN star, he embarrassed himself on national TV. Smith strode up to the pitcher's mound with all the confidence in the world before delivering a pitch that barely made it to the dirt in front of home plate. In fairness, even Smith looked disappointed with his effort. The Yankees went on to beat the Blue Jays 5-3, ending a three-game slump for the team. The Yankees will play a home series against the D-Backs this weekend before closing out the season with road series against the Blue Jays and Royals.
However, what makes the situation even funnier is how much shit Smith has talked about what a great first pitch he would throw. Earlier this year, Smith went on a mini-rant on First Take in which he extolled the perceived excellence of his hypothetical first pitch. "Not only would I throw out the first pitch, I would throw a strike," Smith told his co-hosts back in July. Maybe next time, Stephen.
Smith Joins Victor Wembanyama In Bad First Pitches
Of course, Smith is not the first person to throw a bad first pitch. Hell, Smith isn't the only person in the last few months to throw a bad first pitch. Prior to the NBA Draft, first-overall pick Victor Wembanyama was also invited to throw out the first pitch at a Yankees game. Wearing the home team pinstripes, and his giant hands dwarfing the ball, Wembanyama took up a position on the pitcher's mound. While he attempted something of a wind-up, his lazy throw went wide left, almost missing the batter's box entirely. Accepting his effort, Wembanyama smiled and embraced the catcher.
Both Smith and Wembanyama had bad throws. However, 50 Cent still remains the king of terrible first pitches. Infamously, 50 Cent sort of just threw the ball off to the side while throwing out the first pitch at a 2014 Mets game. Maybe it's just something in the air in NYC?
Read More: Stephen A. dismisses the Cowboy's 2-0 start
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