Baseball has some wonderful traditions, one of which is the ceremonial
first pitch of the game. Everybody from little kids to war heroes to famous
entertainers to U.S. presidents have made that first hurl … some to the delight
of the crowds, some to derision.
But … leave it to a minor league baseball team to try and break a Guiness
world record for the most first-pitches in a ballgame.
In April 2007, the Brevard County Manatees of the Florida
State League opened their gates 13 hours before the game was to start … at 6
a.m. … so fans could stand in a long line, each throwing a ceremonial first pitch. Their
target? Break the record of 5,906.
The Manatees are the A-Advanced affiliate of the Milwaukee
Brewers and play their home games at Space Coast Stadium in Viera, Florida. The
park is also the spring training home of the Washington Nationals.
Don’t ask me who held the record at the time, but they still
hold it. The Manatees fell a few hundred short of the record. Maybe they should
have given free balls to the participants?
I wonder if Manny the Mantee was invited to throw one of
those pitches.
I love minor league baseball promotions.
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