Presidential Baseball Famous Firsts

The Presidents of the United States have embraced baseball since George Washington played rounders at Valley Forge.

Baseball Almanac has researched the presidential-baseball relationships and is proud to present a historical breakdown of famous firsts as they relate to baseball and U.S. Presidents.

The Presidents of the United States Famous Baseball Firsts
Date	Event Description
08-30-1865	President Andrew Johnson brought the first organized baseball team (referred to as "a delegation of the National Base Ball Club) to the White House / Presidential Mansion for a visit.
06-26-1869	President Ulysses S. Grant brought the first professional team (all members of the Cincinnati Red Stockings were paid ballplayers) to the White House / Presidential Mansion for a visit.
04-13-1883	President Chester A. Arthur brought the first Major League team (National League's Cleveland Forest Citys) to the White House / Executive Mansion.
06-06-1892	President Benjamin Harrison is the first U.S. President to attend a Major League baseball game AND the first to see an extra inning game as the contest remains undecided until the eleventh inning.
06-25-1892	President Benjamin Harrison attends his second game and becomes the first U.S. President to attend two Major League baseball games while in office.
04-19-1897	The Washington Senators are greeted in the Oval Office by President William McKinley who threw out first pitch as Governor of Ohio. The manager of Columbus is now the Senators manager and the first invitation to throw out the first season opener pitch occurs.
05-16-1907	The National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues issues the first presidential lifetime pass to President Theodore Roosevelt - a non-fan of our national pastime.
05-29-1909	President William H. Taft is the first U.S. President to attend a Major League baseball game at a location (Pittsburgh) other than Washington.
09-16-1909	President William H. Taft attends his third Major League baseball game and is first U.S. President to see three games while in office (He goes on to see fourteen games while in office).
04-14-1910	President William H. Taft threw out the first season Opening Day pitch to Walter Johnson.
05-04-1910	President William H. Taft is the first to attend two major league games on the same day (he was in St. Louis).
05-24-1910	President William H. Taft is the first to be in attendance at a rain shortened major league game.
04-19-1912	Sinking of the Titanic prevents President William H. Taft from attending and V.P. Sherman becomes the first Vice-President to toss the Opening Day pitch.
05-07-1912	President William H. Taft is the first President to see a major league game in his own hometown (Cincinnati).
04-25-1913	President Woodrow Wilson is the first President to attend a three consecutive game series (in Washington who loses 2-of-3 versus the Boston Red Sox).
04-23-1914	President Woodrow Wilson misses Opening Day and the first pitch by a Speaker of the House (Champ Clark) takes place.
10-09-1915	President Woodrow Wilson attends World Series game number two in Philadelphia and becomes the first to attend any Series game.
04-23-1919	President Woodrow Wilson misses another Opening Day game and the first pitch by an active General (Peyton C. March) takes place.
10-04-1924	President Calvin Coolidge throws out the first pitch for the first time at the first game of a World Series.
06-18-1925	President Calvin Coolidge is the first to award the Most Valuable Player trophy to a player - Walter Johnson.
07-07-1937	President Franklin Roosevelt is the first to attend an All-Star Game and throw out the first pitch.
04-15-1946	President Harry S. Truman is the first left-handed President to throw out the first pitch.
08-17-1948	President Harry S. Truman is the first to attend a night game (in Washington).
04-18-1950	President Harry S. Truman is the first to throw out two first pitches - one left-handed and one right-handed.
07-04-1952	President Harry S. Truman is the first to attend a game on the fourth of July.
04-09-1965	President Lyndon Johnson is the first to attend an exhibition game (Astros 2 versus the Yankees 1).
07-15-1969	President Richard Nixon is the first to see a triple play while at a game.
07-14-1970	President Richard Nixon attends the first nighttime All-Star Game and throws out the first pitch.
04-06-1973	President Richard Nixon throws out the first pitch in Anaheim and is the first President to toss an Opening Day pitch outside of Washington.
04-02-1984	President Ronald Reagan is first to watch a major league game from the dugout (Baltimore Orioles).
09-30-1988	President Ronald Reagan broadcasts an inning and a half becoming the first to call play-by-play while in office.
04-10-1990	President George Bush is the first to attend a game and throw a first pitch in Canada.
04-04-1993	President Bill Clinton is the first to throw the first pitch from the pitcher's mound and make it to the catcher.
09-06-1995	President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore attend Cal Ripken's 2,131 game and become first to attend a game together while in office.
01-20-2001	President George W. Bush is the first managing general partner of a Major League team (the Texas Rangers) to become President of the United States.