Then-Vice President Joe Biden waves to the crowd during a military salute in between innings of the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on July 31, 2012.
Joe Biden is invited to throw out the first pitch for the Washington Nationals on opening day in 2021, the Nats announced as the president-elect delivered his victory speech.
Biden is invited to kick off the season, the team announced in a tweet.
“We’re excited to continue the long-standing tradition of sitting Presidents throwing out the first pitch at the home of the national pastime in our nation’s capital,” they said.
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Biden, a Little League shortstop who later played center, has frequently been around ballfields. He saw the Phillies a few times in the postseason, including the 2009 World Series, watched Philadelphia play at Washington in 2012, has visited the Yankees at spring training and attended the Little League World Series.
William Howard Taft began the tradition of presidents throwing out the first pitch in Washington in 1910. Since then, every sitting president except Donald Trump has thrown out a first pitch when Washington had a major league franchise.
Trump attended Game 5 of the 2019 World Series at Nationals Park and was booed when introduced as Houston played Washington.
When there wasn't a team in Washington, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton tossed baseballs at other big league parks while in office.
"It went in the wrong direction," he said. "I joked around after that I used to be a short stop when I played ball as a young boy, and I thought I was supposed to throw to first base."
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WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 23: Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases walks to the field to throw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game between the New York Yankees and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on July 23, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
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WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 23: Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases walks to the mound to throw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game between the New York Yankees and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on July 23, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
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WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 23: Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci throws out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game between the New York Yankees and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Thursday, July 23, 2020 in Washington, District of Columbia. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
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WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 23: Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases throws out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game between the New York Yankees and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on July 23, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images
WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 23: Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci throws out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game between the New York Yankees and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Thursday, July 23, 2020 in Washington, District of Columbia. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
(Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 23: Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci throws out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game between the New York Yankees and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Thursday, July 23, 2020 in Washington, District of Columbia. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
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WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 23: Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci looks on prior to the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game between the New York Yankees and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Thursday, July 23, 2020 in Washington, District of Columbia. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
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WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 23: Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci reacts after throwing out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game between the New York Yankees and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Thursday, July 23, 2020 in Washington, District of Columbia. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
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WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 23: Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci is greeted by Sean Doolittle #63 of the Washington Nationals after throwing out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game between the New York Yankees and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Thursday, July 23, 2020 in Washington, District of Columbia. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
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WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 23: (L-R) Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases talks with Sean Doolittle after throwing out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game between the New York Yankees and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on July 23, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.
