Dr. Fauci's first pitch social distanced from the strike zone. Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Twitter reacts to awful first pitch tossed by Dr. Fauci

By Zac Wassink | Last updated Jul 23, 2020 7:22 PM ET

While National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci is a hero for attempting to protect Americans amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, he's not much of a pitcher.

Dr. Fauci took the mound on Thursday to toss the ceremonial first pitch before the Opening Day showdown between the Washington Nationals and New York Yankees.

Respectfully, it did not go well for the good doctor:

Anthony Fauci, First Pitch Mechanics. pic.twitter.com/QxszDQJDuu
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 23, 2020

Baseball Twitter couldn't help but roast Fauci for the historically awful delivery:

Dr Fauci’s first pitch pic.twitter.com/nn9Bi1uWhI
— Shooter McGavin (@ShooterMcGavin_) July 23, 2020

Dr. Fauci missed by exactly 6 feet on his first pitch.
— Rich Ohrnberger (@ohrnberger) July 23, 2020

Juuuust a bit outside, tried the corner and missed. pic.twitter.com/0hMmaDVR4k
— Daryl Ruiter (@RuiterWrongFAN) July 23, 2020

A socially distant first pitch.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 23, 2020

Fauci will probably say he was trying to throw a Flattened Curveball.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) July 23, 2020

NOBODY MAKE FUN OF FAUCI'S PITCH HE DID HIS BEST
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) July 23, 2020

If 2020 was a pitch: pic.twitter.com/rX38Bcxs0e
— Eli Hershkovich (@EliHershkovich) July 23, 2020

Some couldn't help but remember and mention an even worse first pitch:

The two best first pitches in MLB history, together. pic.twitter.com/aJXO1LkqMx
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 23, 2020

ON NO FITY CENT IS AN INFECTIOUS DISEASES EXPERT NOW
— Marc Carig (@MarcCarig) July 23, 2020

50 Cent finally seeing somebody throw a first pitch worse than him pic.twitter.com/ttGtaLymD4
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) July 23, 2020

Still better than 50 Cent https://t.co/sR88hDYc91
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) July 23, 2020

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

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