President Barack Obama To Throw Out The First All-Star Pitch - Rod_Carew29's Blog

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President Barack Obama To Throw Out The First All-Star Pitch

Posted on June 23, 2009 at 09:26 PM.

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President will be fourth in office to perform ceremonial honor

By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com

06/23/09 7:31 PM ET

President Barack Obama will throw out the ceremonial first pitch for the 2009 All-Star Game at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on July 14, Major League Baseball announced on Tuesday.

Obama will be the fourth U.S. president to throw out the first pitch in the Midsummer Classic -- joining John F. Kennedy (1962), Richard Nixon ('70) and Gerald Ford ('76 and '78) -- and will be the seventh president to attend an All-Star Game. The first was Franklin D. Roosevelt, in 1937.

"Major League Baseball is truly honored that President Obama will be in attendance to throw out the first pitch at the 80th All-Star Game on July 14 in St. Louis," MLB Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig said in a statement. "The central theme of the 2009 All-Star Game is community service, celebrating the extraordinary work being done by ordinary people. We are thrilled that we can come together with President Obama, who has encouraged a renewed spirit of national service, and illustrate a call to action in our communities. President Obama will continue a great tradition that joins our nation's leader and the national pastime."

The All-Star Game will be nationally televised on FOX Sports, with pregame ceremonies beginning at 8 p.m. ET. ESPN Radio will provide exclusive national radio coverage, while MLB.com will provide extensive online coverage.

On April 22, MLB dedicated this year's All-Star Game and surrounding events to raising funds and awareness for charitable initiatives and community service. The charity and community-service initiatives, themed "Going Beyond," will be the most extensive in MLB All-Star history.

In addition, MLB is supporting Obama's call for community service through "United We Serve," a program that encourages Americans to engage in community service. Obama is encouraging all Americans to visit www.serve.gov to find service opportunities in their area.

Alden Gonzalez is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.