Dr. Anthony Fauci might be an expert in the sciences, but on Thursday, he’ll try his hand at playing a little chin music, when he throws out the first pitch for the Washington Nationals’ opening game. “The Washington Nationals are thrilled to announce that Nat super-fan, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has accepted our invitation to throw out the ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day, Thursday, July 23,†the team posted to its official Twitter account on Monday.
Like most Major League Baseball teams, the Nationals will play in their home stadium sans cheering fans, despite last-minute concerns about quarantine regulations in Washington, D.C., that had the reigning World Series champions exploring other venue options. “Dr. Fauci has been a true champion for our country during the Covid-19 pandemic and throughout his distinguished career, so it is only fitting that we honor him as we kick off the 2020 season and defend our World Series Championship title,†the team concludes in its statement. The Nationals will kick off this year’s extremely strange season Thursday with a home game against the New York Yankees.