President Trump announced Thursday that he will launch the opening pitch at Yankee Stadium on August 15.
Trump told reporters at a White House coronavirus task force briefing that his friend Randy Levine, president of the New York Yankees, asked him to launch the pitch.
The president made the announcement when he received Yankees Hall of Fame relief pitcher Mariano Rivera at the White House.
“They say, ‘What is the crowd going to be like?’ And you know, it’s like you don’t have a crowd, there was no such thing that was interesting, “Trump said.
The president also gave reporters a briefing on Rivera’s nickname “Sandman.”
“Mariano Rivera, you know he is the Sandman, right?” Trump said. “My wife said, ‘My dear, why do you call him Sandman? I said, you know, they play the song. It just puts the hitters to sleep and that’s exactly what happened. So having Mariano here is a great honor. ”
Trump said he and the Baseball Hall of Fame honoree would greet minor league baseball players after the press conference.
The president hosted the Yankees legend as Anthony Fauci, a member of the White House coronavirus workforce, prepared to launch the opening day pitch around 7 p.m. as the Yankees challenge the Nationals in DC.
Trump introduced Rivera as he pushed for schools to reopen in the fall.
“I have a very special person who loves children and I think he is one of the best athletes of all time,” said Trump. “A lot of people say that the best pitcher of all time, known as a relief pitcher, could have been what he wanted. He is the best reliever of all time, with much more rescue than anyone. “
Trump awarded Rivera the Medal of Freedom in 2019.
“He recently won the Presidential Medal of Freedom,” Trump reminded reporters. “I am reading these statistics. I knew he was the best. I knew it was great, but I didn’t know it was almost twice as much as anyone. But he is a man who loves children, has children, loves children, works hard with children. Let’s go out and be with some little league players.
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