President Donald J. Trump plays catch with former New York Yankees Hall of Fame pitcher Mariano Rivera during the filming of an ESPN Opening Day for Major League Baseball spot on the South Lawn at the White House on Thursday, July 23, 2020 in Washing …
President Donald Trump, who had said he was invited by the New York Yankees to throw out the first pitch at a game on August 15, now says he will not go, citing his “strong focus” on COVID-19.
“Because of my strong focus on the China Virus, including scheduled meetings on Vaccines, our economy and much else, I won’t be able to be in New York to throw out the opening pitch for the @Yankees on August 15th,” he tweeted on Sunday afternoon.
Trump originally had said he was invited to toss out the opening pitch by Yankees President Randy Levine on July 23, while celebrating the Opening Day of the coronavirus-delayed 2020 MLB season with Yankee legend Mariano Rivera.
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Yankee fans cheer on their team as baseball season begins
Yankee fans gathered at a bar near Yankee Stadium to cheer on the Bronx Bombers as the 2020 MLB season kicked off on Thursday.
The news sparked a fierce backlash, including a tweet from Mayor Bill de Blasio.
“After CONDEMNING racism, the next step isn’t inviting it to your pitcher’s mound,” de Blasio tweeted.
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. had also slammed the Yankees for the invite in a press release on Friday.
“We all deserve better than a careless major league baseball organization that consistently ignores the surrounding community while pandering to an unapologetic white supremacist like Donald Trump," Diaz said.
So far, Trump is the only modern sitting President who has not thrown out the first pitch at an MLB game.