One giant pitch for mankind: Astronaut to hurl Yanks' first pitch from space

NY Daily News ^ | 4/15/08 | Caitlin Millat

[Libloather]

One giant pitch for mankind: Astronaut to hurl Yanks' first pitch from space
By Caitlin Millat
DAILY NEWS WRITER
Tuesday, April 15th 2008, 5:21 PM

Forget The Rocket. A real astronaut will throw the first pitch at Wednesday night's Yankee game.

NASA astronaut Dr. Garrett Reisman will throw the ceremonial pitch from the International Space Station during Wednesday's game against the Red Sox.

Broadcast on the stadium's JumboTron screens, it will be the first ceremonial first pitch in Yankee history thrown from space.

Reisman, a lifelong Yankee fan, carried a Yankee banner, a cap autographed by George Steinbrenner and a pile of dirt from the Yankee Stadium pitcher's mound with him onboard the International Space Station on March 12.

The New Jersey native said throwing the first pitch will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

"I am really honored to have this opportunity, in such a historic season, in the House that Ruth Built," he said.

Reisman, 40, is in the middle of a four-month stay aboard the space station, located more than 200 miles above the Earth's surface. He will return home in June.

Until then, Reisman will remain outer space's biggest Yankee fan.

"From Earth's orbit," he said, "but still deep inside the Yankees universe, let me say, Go Yanks!"

[Libloather]

"Juuuuust a little bit outside..."

[RightWhale]

He better not hit a window.

[johnthebaptistmoore]

That would definitely be some bonus entertainment for all of us T.V. viewers.

[Enchante]

This should be done by a RED SOX fan..... after all, the Sox are the current WORLD Champions :^)

Too bad we couldn’t have slipped a Red Sox jersey into his luggage for the event.......... maybe there’s one already hidden away in the ISS for good luck!

[dirtboy]

I bet he can throw the mother of all hanging curveballs up there.

[Argus]

And when the baseball re-enters the atmosphere it will start a chain reaction that will destroy the protective ozone layer, killing every living thing on Earth, not excluding Al Gore.

Play ball!

[Caramelgal]

This should be done by a RED SOX fan..... after all, the Sox are the current WORLD Champions :^)

Big freaking deal! So the Red Sox win two World Series in nearly a hundred years and all of a sudden they feel like Champions of the World for all times sake?

Win as many tiles as the Yankee have in the last 50 years and then get back to us.

This is coming from a life long Orioles fan BTW.

[Enchante]

Lighten up, I was merely pointing out who won the last series...... my my some people are awfully ....... bitter.

Besides, as an Orioles fan you ought to be more than a bit annoyed by having a jackass like Steinbrenner honored in outer space. Unless you are too busy hating the Red Sox to be bothered by Steinbrenner anymore....

You might be one of those bitter rednecks that Snob-ama was warning us about..... :^)

[Wil H]

after all, the Sox are the current WORLD Champions

Nah, I believe they are the "WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS" - A purely North American domestic series that doesn't include any international competition.

[Onelifetogive]

Lighten up, I was merely pointing out who won the last series...... my my some people are awfully ....... bitter.

I have seen them clinging to something as they come up to bat...

[Billthedrill]

“Sorry, bub. Sixty feet, six inches. And no, I ain’t gonna sweep off the plate.”

[Caramelgal]

Lighten up, I was merely pointing out who won the last series...... my my some people are awfully ....... bitter.

Having attended Oriole games since the mid 70’s, I can tell you, there were no out of town fans more bitter and uptight and without any sense of humor than Red Sox fans before they finally won a World Series, not even Yankee fans who were obnoxious but not without a sense of humor. And after the Red Sox finally won one, they lost their bitterness and replaced it with arrogance and condescension.

Besides, as an Orioles fan you ought to be more than a bit annoyed by having a jackass like Steinbrenner honored in outer space. Unless you are too busy hating the Red Sox to be bothered by Steinbrenner anymore....

I don’t care about one wit about Steinbrenner because as an Orioles fan, I’m too busy hating the current Orioles owner – Peter Angelos – a man so vile and evil that he makes Steinbrenner look like Mother Theresa in comparison

You might be one of those bitter rednecks that Snob-ama was warning us about..... :^)

Hey! We Marylanders are not bitter rednecks. For that sort of thing, I visit family and friends living in Pennsylvania who are Philles or Pirates fans.

[mikrofon]

17,200 +/- 50mph ... now THAT’S a fast ball!

[BenLurkin]

[Enchante]

"17,200 +/- 50mph ... now THAT’S a fast ball!"

I think that they're now going to have to outlaw the "brushback" pitch or else the results will be catastrophic.

[NCC-1701]

This is the second time this has been done. Several years ago, a shuttle was up during the All Star game. Someone aboard threw out the first pitch. The ball slowly drifted out of camera view, then coverage cut to the stadium. It took a little bit but you could follow the ball down to the ground. The catcher didn’t want to have anything to do with catching that ball. It was moving too fast. The ball was dropped from a high flying helicopter. It was a neat effect.

[grey_whiskers]

Did Bill Lee have any comment?

Full Disclosure: "With Skylab falling, you have to pitch faster."

Cheers!

[grey_whiskers]

This is coming from a life long Orioles fan BTW.

Traitor. Brooks Robinson RULES! And Jim Palmer.

Cheers!

[grey_whiskers]

I don’t care about one wit about Steinbrenner because as an Orioles fan, I’m too busy hating the current Orioles owner – Peter Angelos – a man so vile and evil that he makes Steinbrenner look like Mother Theresa in comparison

Hey, how'd that Bob Irsay guy work out with the Colts? ;-)

Full Disclosure: John Elway...

Cheers!

[grey_whiskers]

Remember 1978, when the Orioles were facing Ron Guidry during his 25-3 season?

Doug DeCinces beat him with a homer to the deepest part of the field in Yankee Stadium as the Orioles won 2-1.

Heh heh heh.

Cheers!