Phillies: NL East rival Nationals deserve kudos for this move
By Matt Rappa
Dr. Anthony Fauci has accepted the Phillies division rival Nationals’ invite to throw the ceremonial first pitch of the 2020 MLB season
The COVID-19 crisis has been tough on everyone. That is why it is called a pandemic, because everyone is affected — including fans of the Philadelphia Phillies and of the 29 other teams in Major League Baseball.
The pandemic is far from over, but, baseball will attempt to take it first step back toward some sense of normalcy with Opening Day this week. And, before the first regular season game, Thursday evening between the Phillies’ rival Washington Nationals and the New York Yankees, one of the well-known faces in recent months will take the mound.
The Nationals announced on Thursday that “super-fan” Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), has accepted the team’s invitation to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
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“Dr. Fauci has been a true champion for our country during the Covid-19 pandemic and throughout his distinguished career,” the Nationals wrote in their press release. “So, it is only fitting that we honor him as we kick off the 2020 season and defend our World Series Championship title.”
Since 1984, Dr. Fauci has led the NIAID; his research portfolio includes the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of established infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS, respiratory infections, tuberculosis and malaria, Ebola, Zika, and more; he has advised six U.S. Presidents during his tenure.
Dr. Fauci has been a well-known name throughout the current COVID-19 pandemic; his voice and advice has helped navigate the U.S. through unprecedented times, and he remains committed to doing so.
The Nationals inviting their “super fan” who has offered so much to the country for decades, especially now, is surely a classy move, to say the least. While Phillies fans have had several differences with those of the Nationals over the years, Dr. Fauci throwing out the ceremonial first pitch of the 2020 Major League Baseball season can be something any fan can get behind.