As a baseball fan, I am always really excited when Opening Day comes around. Baseball - America's Past-Time. For as long as I can remember, opening day has been somewhat of a celebration where I come from. Growing up a Cleveland Indians fan, though, also meant that Opening Day was the beginning of another summer of disappointments. That is until the Tribe moved to their new ballpark in 1994 - then known as Jacob's Field. Had the 1994 season not ended early because of a players' strike - we may have seen our beloved team in the post-season for the first time in 46 years. But we only had to wait another year before we got to see Chief Wahoo in the World Series. Though they lost in Game 6 to the Atlanta Braves - 1995 and the Indians going to the World Series was one of the greatest moments in my young life. I graduated from High School that year and started college. It was a very exciting time of my life.
As I reminisce about the "glory days" of that 1995 season I also think about the traditions. Like the President of the United States throwing out the very first pitch of the new season. Where did that tradition come from? How long has it been happening? The answer: over 100 years ago when William H. Taft was given season tickets by Thomas C. Noyes, owner of the Washington Senators. April 19, 1909 Taft was at the Opening Game for the first time as President of the United States. And - then - a year later - Washington Manager, Jimmy McAleer, had the idea to invite President Taft to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. The invitation was reportedly made to the President by Ban Johnson, Baseball's Commissioner at the time. The date was April 14, 1910 - William H. Taft opened the season as the Washington Senators took on the Philadelphia Athletics - with Washington taking the win 3-0. Taft returned in 1911 to throw the first pitch again.
Over the years, there have been a few times that the season began without the Presidential first pitch - but not too many over the last 104 years!
Here's a list of the Presidents, they years they threw out the first pitch and the location of the game.
| President | Years | Locations |
| William H. Taft | 1910-1911 | Washington D.C. |
| Woodrow Wilson | 1913, 1915-1916 | Washington D.C. |
| Warren G. Harding | 1921-1923 | Washington D.C. |
| Calvin Coolidge | 1924-1925, 1927-1928 | Washington D.C. |
| Herbert Hoover | 1929-1932 | Washington D.C. |
| Franklin D. Roosevelt | 1933-1938, 1940-1941 | Washington D.C. |
| Harry S. Truman | 1946-1952 | Washington D.C. |
| Dwight D. Eisenhower | 1953-1958, 1960 | Washington D.C. |
| John F. Kennedy | 1961-1963 | Washington D.C. |
| Lyndon B. Johnson | 1964-1965, 1967 | Washington D.C. |
| Richard Nixon | 1969, 1973 | Washington D.C., Anaheim |
| Gerald Ford | 1976 | Arlington |
| Ronald Reagan | 1984, 1986 | Baltimore |
| George H.W. Bush | 1989-1992 | Baltimore, Toronto, Arlington |
| Bill Clinton | 1993-1994, 1996 | Baltimore, Cleveland |
| George W. Bush | 2001, 2004-2006, 2008 | Milwaukee, St. Louis, Washington D.C., Cincinnati |
| Barack Obama | 2010 | Washington D.C. |
Baseball-Almanac.com
So, as the season begins - PLAY BALL!
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