Steve Aoki Throws the Worst First Pitch in Red Sox History
Monday night's Red Sox game at Fenway started off rough.
It turns out the Red Sox are so bad this season that even celebrity DJs who are asked to throw out the first pitch are having a hard time finding the plate. Heck, last night the first pitch barely stayed in the park.
Just before the game kicked off between the Red Sox and the Astros, DJ Steve Aoki was asked to throw out the first pitch. As soon as the EDM and House producer stepped onto the mound, it was apparent that he hasn't spent much time around a rosin bag.
I've seen people walk out halfway between the mound and the plate to throw out the first pitch, which you have to respect. These people knew the limitation of their baseball talent and modified appropriately.
I've been watching baseball for the better part of 40 years. I've never seen anyone wind up behind the rubber for a pitch of any kind, but that's exactly what Aoki did.
Not surprisingly, his mechanics were also in need of adjustment. The release point for the ball was incredibly high and behind his head, launching the pitch over the netting behind the backstop.
I will say this. As someone who has thrown out the first pitch several times at PawSox games, there are two things at play that most people would never know about. First, your nerves are elevated. It's not easy to throw a pitch from the mound in front of a stadium full of people.
I played a ton of baseball when I was younger, but it has been decades since I threw from a mound. Something that you'd do repeatedly when you played on a team, you are now being asked to do as a one-off in front of thousands.
Secondly, all of the throws I've made with a baseball have been done with a glove on my left hand, so I always felt naked throwing a first pitch without a glove. I felt unbalanced.
The guys in the Red Sox press box immediately compared Aoki to 50 Cent's infamous pitch. However, there was some disagreement about whether or not Aoki launched his pitch on purpose.