What’s in the Air, Bud? I write this article on the eve of Buddy attempting to make Major League Baseball history on July 28. We were recently invited by the San Diego Padres to participate in the ceremonial first pitch in an afternoon game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The ceremonial first ball is a longstanding ritual of American baseball, in which a guest of honor throws a ball to mark the end of pregame warm-ups and signal the start of the game. Originally, the guest threw a ball from his/her place in the grandstand to the pitcher or catcher of the home team. At some point, this morphed into the guest standing in front of the pitcher’s mound and throwing toward (but rarely reaching) home plate, though sometimes he or she may stand on the mound as a pitcher would. The recipient of the pitch is usually a player from the home team. President William Howard Taft initiated this ceremony at Griffith Park in Washington D.C. back in 1910. Who would have known that a bit over a century later, a dog would actually participate in this long-running tradition. Buddy’s career is based on breaking new ground and achieving what was thought to be impossible. Buddy catches about 500 pitches a day and has the ability to catch a (dog-friendly) baseball at nearly 90 mph. But as is with the long-running tradition, more often than not, the pitch does not often meet its target, home plate — and more specifically — the catcher’s mitt. This is usually because of nerves, or just the inability to throw. In any event, whether the pitch is perfectly thrown or ends up in the dirt, for the past 100 years, the ceremonial first ball adds an entertainment value to the beginning of the game. In this case, I have the dubious honor of throwing the ceremonial first pitch to Buddy. And although I’ve done this thousands of times, it’s “crunch time” when you get to the pitcher’s mound, look up at the tens of thousands of fans and prepare to sink or swim. I feel confident that we will succeed, and Buddy will go down in MLB history as the first dog to ever catch a ceremonial first pitch. I can’t help but thinking otherwise. Go, Buddy! — Kevin Di Cicco is the owner of Buddy the dog, who is best known for his roles in the long string of “Air Bud” movies and his ball-playing skills showcased on popular television shows. For booking inquiries, contact www.airbud.com.
