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Chicago Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson Throws Out Perfect 1st Pitch at Cubs Game

Ben Johnson is still new to Chicago, but he endeared himself to Bears and Cubs fans alike by delivering a perfect ceremonial first pitch at Wrigley Field on Saturday.
Sam Connon|
Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson throws out a ceremonial first pitch before the game between the Chicago Cubs and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Wrigley Field.
Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson throws out a ceremonial first pitch before the game between the Chicago Cubs and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Wrigley Field. | David Banks-Imagn Images

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Ben Johnson may be a quarterback at heart, but he still looks plenty comfortable on the mound.

The Chicago Bears' new head coach was the guest of honor at Wrigley Field prior to the Chicago Cubs' Saturday afternoon showdown with the Arizona Diamondbacks. During the pregame ceremonies, Johnson threw out the first pitch with Cubs manager Craig Counsell set up behind the dish.

Johnson wound up and delivered with solid mechanics, using some impressive velocity to get the ball over the plate. Even if it may have been a little low in the zone, the Cubs' mascot, Clark, gave Johnson credit for a strike.

The Bears hired Johnson as their head coach in January, ending his three-year tenure as the Detroit Lions' offensive coordinator. He previously coached for the Miami Dolphins and Boston College after walking on as a quarterback at North Carolina.

The 38-year-old South Carolina native will now shift his focus to the NFL Draft, which gets underway on Thursday.

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  • DON'T RUN ON BARGER: Right fielder Addison Barger notched not one, not two, but three assists in the Blue Jays' win over the Mariners on Friday night. CLICK HERE
  • YAMAMOTO ON HISTORIC TEAR: Yoshinobu Yamamoto shut down the Rangers on Friday night, setting the Dodgers up for a win with his 7.0 scoreless innings and 10 strikeouts. CLICK HERE

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a staff writer covering baseball for “Fastball on SI.’’ He previously covered UCLA Athletics for On SI’s All Bruins site, and is a UCLA graduate, with his work there as a sports columnist receiving awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for On SI’s New England Patriots site, Patriots Country, and he was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk. Sam lives in Boston.

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