These terrible photos might explain why Donald Trump rejected an offer to throw a first pitch

Womp womp. The White House cites a "scheduling conflict."
 By 
Sam Laird
 on 
These terrible photos might explain why Donald Trump rejected an offer to throw a first pitch
Have you ever seen this photo before? Credit: Cj Gunther/EPA/REX/Shutterstock

Womp womp.

Hours after a report Tuesday morning that President Donald Trump was "in talks" to throw out the first pitch at a Washington Nationals game on Major League Baseball's Opening Day, that dream was dashed.

Now we're left with so many questions.

Politico reported Tuesday morning that Trump was "in talks" to throw out the first pitch at Nationals Park on April 3. What exactly "in talks" meant was not clear (more on that in a minute). But by midday Tuesday, the White House cited a "scheduling conflict" to say it would not happen.

The last time a sitting president threw out a first pitch, per CBS Sports, was when Barack Obama did so at a Nationals game on Opening Day in 2010.

Trump, meanwhile ... well ...

He's thrown out first pitches before.

And awkward-looking photos from those ceremonial tosses have become go-to fodder for internet people looking to make fun of him.

Reviewing the images, it's not terribly hard to see why.

Mashable Image
At a Boston Red Sox game in 2006. Credit: Cj Gunther/EPA/REX/Shutterstock

This next one's not quite as bad, but still -- pretty awkward.

Mashable Image
At a New York Yankees game in 2004. Credit: WILLENS/AP/REX/Shutterstock

Meanwhile, it will probably come as no surprise that Trump once boasted on Twitter about being the "best bball player in N.Y." back in his day.

So was it, in fact, a "scheduling conflict" that stopped Trump from throwing out the first pitch at next week's Nationals game?

Or is that simply one of so many "alternative facts" to emerge from the White House since Trump took up residency there two months ago?

Perhaps his handlers were worried about another meme-worthy photo opp. Or more tangibly, there's another possibility.

Washington, D.C., voted 90 percent for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. Nationally, Trump's approval rating just hit a new low. So it's not hard to imagine him being pelted with boos while taking the mound at Nationals Park, a scene White House handlers would surely love to avoid.

Baseball writer Molly Knight reports that every single U.S. president has thrown a ceremonial first pitch at a Major League Baseball game while in office since William Taft started the tradition in 1910. We'll see if Trump gets another invite -- and if he accepts.

Topics Donald Trump

Mashable Image
Sam Laird

Sam Laird is Mashable's Senior Sports Reporter. He covers the wide, weird world of sports from all angles -- as well as occasional other topics -- from Mashable's San Francisco bureau. Before joining Mashable in November 2011, his freelance work appeared in publications including the New York Times, New York Times Magazine, Slam, and East Bay Express. Sam is a graduate of UC Berkeley and UC Santa Cruz, and basketball and burritos take up most of his spare time. Follow him on Twitter @samcmlaird.

Mashable Potato

Recommended For You
'SNL UK' cold open mocking Keir Starmer gets shared by Donald Trump
A worried man sits behind a desk.

Jimmy Kimmel uses a 10-year-old tweet to roast Trump
A man in a suit stands on a talk show stage. An old tweet from Donald Trump is visible at the bottom of the screen.

Seth Meyers responds to Trump insulting CNN correspondent Kaitlan Collins
Seth Meyers presents "Late Night" beside an image of Donald Trump.

Jimmy Kimmel recaps first year of Trump's presidency with embarrassing montage
Jimmy Kimmel on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live.' Overlaid is a quote: "Every country hates us now. It's official. All of them hate us."

Stephen Colbert torches CBS during monologue on Trump's billion-dollar peace board
Stephen Colbert presents The Late Show.

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 3, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 4, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 3, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone

Google launches Gemma 4, a new open-source model: How to try it
Google Gemma

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 4, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!