Bob CollinsWe’re all pretty excited here at MPR. We’ve organized an outing (we almost never have newsroom and staff outings) to the Minnesota Twins game tonight because legend Gary Eichten is throwing out the first pitch.
Truth is, of course, not many people pay attention to the person who throws out a first pitch at baseball games, but there’s plenty of pressure nonetheless.
A few years ago, before a Saint Paul Saints game in which I threw out the first pitch (maybe MPR paid for the honor, I don’t know), so was Al Franken and then congressional candidate Erik Paulsen, and about four others. Franken brought a campaign staffer and insisted on warming up in the bullpen. The rest of us stood around, practiced nothing, and then threw BB’s to the plate. Franken might’ve bounced his pitch.
Then he got elected senator. See? Nobody remembers the first pitch.
Unless, of course, you really blow it. No pressure, Eichten.
