It's a small consolation, but at least he can Dougie.

That was a cruel trick, giving Wall Raul Ibanez youtube videos as how-tos.

Let the "He could be __________'s fourth starter" jokes commence!

One of the kids in the background has a great reaction to the pitch.

Yeah, there was a big "ooh" from the crowd last night. I was pleasantly surprisded by how into the game everybody was-you don't always see that at Nats park.

That was a nice snag by Storen.

Yesterday the local sports talk station had on a "legendary" local baseball coach. The guest has been a HS baseball coach for over 20 years, and is still a successful coach. He said one of the biggest changes over his career is how student athletes now are becoming specialized in one particular sport at such an early age. Instead of your top athletes playing 2-3 sports year round, by the time they are 12 or 13 they have chosen one and focus all their free time on that. Skill camps, conditioning camps, HS off season workout programs, etc. have replaced playing other varsity sports. While his comments were a little get-off-my-lawn-ish, he said he'd prefer his kids to play as many sports as possible as opposed to paying for those specialized camps. The specialization camp philosophy leads to kids, well mostly parents, believing the kids are "stars" because they learned pitching mechanics or proper middle IF footwork from a AA wash out or a college coach.

This is happening in central WV, where there are few D1 or D2 athletes that come out of the area every year, so I can only imagine the specialization that occurs in more populated areas. By the time Wall was 10 he was likely already labeled a basketball phenom and had no reason to play any other sport. I would guess he hasn't played any form or baseball since he was 8 or 9, if he ever did.

If I were in his situation I'd at least try and figure out how to throw a ball in the bullpen before the game, just to not completely embarrass myself.

Nice pick-up by Drew Storen.

I saw Storen in person here in SD one night, closing out the Padres. Hell of an arm, unlike John Wall.

Didn't some politician throw the ball (I am thinking in Cincinnati for some reason) just like that a few years ago? As a matter of fact, I initially thought this was just the same footage.

Didn't some politician throw the ball (I am thinking in Cincinnati for some reason) just like that a few years ago?

Yes (this is a top 10 bad throws; Cincy mayor Mark Mallory is #2 (around 1:45 or so into the clip)).

On Sportcenter, they said that John Wall played shortstop in high school.

On Sportcenter, they said that John Wall played shortstop in high school.

Maybe he got confused and threw Storen a bounce pass! Yeah, that's the ticket, it was a bounce pass!

This is certainly not an original thought, but I've always wondered why athletes or celebrities which don't usually toss a baseball practice a little before these events?

Yes (this is a top 10 bad throws; Cincy mayor Mark Mallory is #2 (around 1:45 or so into the clip)).

I didn't mind number one at all, heck I wish the ball would have taken even longer to get to the plate.

Poor Carl Lewis, he's on both the top 10 bad throws list, and top 10 bad Star Spangled Banner lists.

Wall is an outstanding basketball player; you’d think his grace and agility would transfer to other arenas of sport.

Um, why?

Has he ever had to throw the ball overhand downcourt? It ain't that much different.

I was pleasantly surprised by how into the game everybody was -- you don't always see that at Nats park.

35,000+ on Friday, 36,000+ today -- and on a weekend when the U.S. Open is being played at Congressional (some of them may be Baltimore fans, but the Orioles haven't drawn crowds like this to South Capitol Street since the park opened in '08). I'm guessing Espinosa's walk-off Thursday spurred a bit of extra interest in the Nats. But if you look at attendance figures from June 2005, the last time the team was genuinely this good, the attendance figures at RFK were excellent. Give D.C. fans competent product, and they will come.

On Sportcenter, they said that John Wall played shortstop in high school.


The "high school" Wall graduated from doesn't even have a baseball team. The whole school is literally just a gymnasium. Wall did also attend Garner HS and Broughton HS though, both of which have good baseball programs, but I have never heard that he played baseball at either of those places.

I've always wondered why athletes or celebrities which don't usually toss a baseball practice a little before these events?

Our now-former Congressman did practice with his staff in advance of every time he threw out an Opening Pitch. He still usually bounced it wide of the plate. He just couldn't get it down for some reason. He apparently had been a decent athlete in his younger days (basketball, if I remember correctly), so I don't know if he'd lost it or just was never much of a baseball player.

We can all admit John Wall throws like a sissy.

I've always wondered why athletes or celebrities which don't usually toss a baseball practice a little before these events?

This. When I threw out the first pitch at New Jersey Cardinals game in 2005, I made it point to practice so I didn't embarass myself/hurt my arm. I managed to get the ball over the plate, but any pro hitter would've smacked it a country mile. (Oddly, the guy who caught the ball was not the Cardinals' catcher but this fellow, the second baseman. Well, at least he can tell the grandkids he played pro ball once, a long time ago...)

I didn't mind number one at all

you try pitching in 5-inch heels!

Has he ever had to throw the ball overhand downcourt? It ain't that much different.

For a guy with hands that size I would say yes, yes it is.

I've seen Kevin Reimer make worse throws.

We can all admit John Wall throws like a sissy.

The word "sissy" is offensive to me, and I wish you'd stop using it.

The correction is to rephrase to say that John Wall throws like a girl. That's totally okay.

That's what I was going to say. Gripping a baseball can be tricky if you're not used to it. I play a fair amount of softball, and on the rare occasions that I actually get to handle a baseball it feels strangely tiny.

Yes (this is a top 10 bad throws; Cincy mayor Mark Mallory is #2 (around 1:45 or so into the clip)).

I actually think the dinosaur in that clip did pretty well, all things considered.

What about "throws like a spaz"? Can we still say that?

"You spaz!" was a lethal epithet when I was in grade school. It was considered extremely stinging, and definitely up there on the wit scale. The kid who coined "Spazmo!" became an instant legend.

Your school was probably hell for poor Jimmy Spazzarelli.

The Chris Rock ceremonial pitch is the internet's version of Nessie-- the legend grows yet the image can ne'er be seen.

I've always wondered why athletes or celebrities which don't usually toss a baseball practice a little before these events?

If you haven't learned how to throw as a kid, I doubt practice would help much. Imagine trying to throw with your off hand. If I had to throw out a pitch lefthanded tomorrow, it's not going to look pretty, no matter how much I practice,

Thanks for the top 10 video, that was great. I think more catchers should respond like the parrot in #10.

Our now-former Congressman did practice with his staff in advance of every time he threw out an Opening Pitch. He still usually bounced it wide of the plate. He just couldn't get it down for some reason.

Lotta that going around with former Congressmen.

It's also probably worth mentioning that throwing off of a ML pitcher's mound and trying to hit the strike zone in front of 20-35K people is actually harder than going out in the back yard and playing long toss with your roomies. And it might easily lead a professional athlete who wants to look reasonably competent to over grip and hold onto the ball a little longer, basically trying to overcompensate for the tendency to throw high off of the mound. Which seems to be what Wall does in this video.

Not really surprised with the bad first pitches. Most of these people are 80 yr old women or team mascots. Wall is surprising because he is a pro athlete..

How about some good first pitches? Here is my vote
Amazing eephus pitch!

The SportsCenter quote was wrong (either on the show or transcribed here): Wall played shortstop until he was 13, but gave it up when he went to high school.

And probably could throw a baseball 60 feet 6 inches 95 times out of 100 without any issue.

If i ever threw out a first pitch, i think i would go with a breaking ball, im a lefty after all!

Yeah, my father threw out the first pitch at a Naturals game recently, and he practiced. Hit the glove a little outside, and the radar gun said 65 MPH, which isn't bad. Of course, he pitched in high school, too.

Anyone else besides RMc thrown out the first pitch at a professional game?

(And also, am I the only one that finds it brutally ironic that RMc threw out the first pitch at a CARDINALS game?) :)

Wall is an outstanding basketball player; you’d think his grace and agility would transfer to other arenas of sport.

Um, why?

You're kidding right? Most people that are professional athletes have absolutely freakish timing, balance, rhythm and eye-hand coordination which translates to doing most other sports quite well without much practice. It looks like his big basketball hands just overgripped the ball. I'd be very surprised if Wall, after a few tries, couldn't throw a baseball farther then most of us.

You're kidding right? Most people that are professional athletes have absolutely freakish timing, balance, rhythm and eye-hand coordination which translates to doing most other sports quite well without much practice. It looks like his big basketball hands just overgripped the ball. I'd be very surprised if Wall, after a few tries, couldn't throw a baseball farther then most of us.

pretty much. I'm not 1/10 the athlete Wall is, but I know when I pick up a tennis racket my 3 sport playing in HS and baseball in college laid a solid foundation for it.

When I was mayor of my city, I had to throw out the first pitch in a number of tourneys and season openers. I was generally pretty good at it, except for when I'd have to throw for the Little League openers. Then, the catcher was usually about 50 pounds, with a target about four inches off the ground. Those throws would come in a little too high, and alittle too fast, for him, and once he basically landed on his behind trying to catch it. That was a little awkward...

If i ever threw out a first pitch, i think i would go with a breaking ball, im a lefty after all!

That would be way cool -- a big, slow one?
Me, I'd go all Kent Tekulve, SUBMARINE, BABY!

Anyone else besides RMc thrown out the first pitch at a professional game?

No, but I was one of the racing pierogis at a Pirates game a few years back.

I won, too. Beat my dad and two 50-something women.