Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) successfully threw the first ceremonial pitch at the Washington Nationals‘s 18th annual “Night OUT” game on Tuesday night.
Pelosi, who was selected for her commitment to the LGBT community, threw a baseball to Screech, the Nationals’ bald eagle mascot, who was dressed in a rainbow uniform for the occasion. Screech was located just in front of the home plate to receive the pitch.
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Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi throws out the first pitch at tonight’s Nats game during Nats night out. 🏳️🌈 pic.twitter.com/Hj240wc8HS
— Christian Sierra (@CSierra92) June 6, 2023
The Nationals said Pelosi was being recognized for her “long-standing commitment to fighting for the rights and dignities of the LGBTQ+ community” in a statement obtained by Fox News on Monday night. The annual Night OUT event stands as the longest-running LGBT event in MLB history.
The former speaker is a big sports fan, but she claimed she had never thrown a first pitch before Tuesday night.
“I don’t even watch TV except for sports, and so I know better than for a politician to go in front of a sports crowd — who came for that, right?” Pelosi told the Associated Press. “But this tonight, [for] the LGBTQ, that was a whole different purpose, so I was very honored to do that and take whatever came my way.”
Pelosi, who hails from California, said she is a season-ticket holder for both the San Francisco Giants and San Francisco 49ers and regularly attends Golden State Warriors games.
Thousands of fans received complementary items to commemorate the night, including T-shirts and Screech bobbleheads.
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In addition, the Nationals donated $5 for every ticket sold for Tuesday’s game to Team D.C., an organization that educates “the LGBTQ community on the benefits of individual and team sports participation.” June is considered the national LGBT Pride month.
Pelosi attended Tuesday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks as a guest of Team D.C.