Ceremonial first pitches are as integral to baseball as peanuts and Cracker Jacks. You know the deal: some lucky fan/entertainer/former player/dignitary throws an awful lob from the mound, barely getting over the plate and/or in the strike zone.
Yet, Tom Willis will provide the Washington Nationals with a unique first pitch next Wednesday, May 2, before they host the Arizona Diamondbacks at Nationals Park. Willis will throw out the first pitch with his feet.
See, Willis was born without arms or hands, but is self-sufficient; he can perform daily tasks like driving, writing and yes, pitching, with his legs and feet.
“Who says you need hands to pitch?” Willis said in a press release.
Willis dreamed of being a professional baseball player, but while his disability has made that dream impossible, he calls throwing out a first pitch in a big-league stadium "the next best thing.”
This will not be Willis' first first pitch; he has thrown pitches for 14 other MLB teams.
If you ask me, that is quite the feet.
Sports
Adam Vingan is co-founder and editor of Kings Of Leonsis, a Caps-centric blog. Follow him on Twitter @Adam_KOL and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.
