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NFL Running Back Gets Hilarious Do-Over When Throwing First Pitch At Wrigley Field

Alvin Kamara wasn't satisfied with his first pitch at Saturday's Chicago Cubs game, so he asked for another try.
Jack Ankony|
New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara throws out the ceremonial first pitch prior to a game between the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field.
New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara throws out the ceremonial first pitch prior to a game between the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field. | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

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Chicago Cubs

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara may have made some baseball history on Saturday at Wrigley Field.

Has anyone ever asked to redo their ceremonial first pitch? The tradition takes place before every Major League Baseball game, but I certainly hadn't seen a do-over until Saturday. Even when athletes or celebrities miss the strike zone, they'll try to laugh it off. But Kamara wanted to get it right.

On his first attempt, Kamara –– wearing a No. 41 Cubs jersey –– held onto the ball a bit too long, and bounced it well in front of the left-handed batter's box. Cubs mascot Clark fortunately got his oversized glove to the ball before it could threaten to hit the group of people standing behind home plate.

Kamara's not the first person to throw a bad first pitch. Rapper 50 Cent has gone down in infamy for his awful first pitch at a New York Mets game in 2014. Kamara didn't want to be remembered for his poor first attempt, though, so he stayed on the mound and asked for the ball back.

His second first pitch wasn't a strike either, but at least that time he zipped it to home plate on a line, allowing Clark to catch it in the air. It made for a comical moment before Saturday's game between the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals, and perhaps a first-time occurrence for first pitches.

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Jack Ankony
JACK ANKONY

Jack Ankony covers baseball for “Fastball on SI.” He has been with the Sports Illustrated network since 2022. He graduated from Indiana University's Media School with a degree in journalism in 2022. Follow Jack on Twitter @ankony_jack

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