Obama Throws Out First Pitch At 2009 All-Star Game UPDATED VIDEO

***UPDATED*** FROM AP:

Baseball legend Willie Mays says he was so proud the night Barack Obama was elected president that he "cried for most of the night."

The 78-year-old Hall of Fame centerfielder spoke with reporters as he flew with Obama from Michigan to St. Louis for Tuesday night's All-Star game.

Obama threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Mays, who played much of his career with the San Francisco Giants, said he met Obama in Chicago on election night last November. He said he reminded Obama that he had dreamed about the day when someone of their race would be elected president.

Mays and many others began playing pro baseball when segregation was still widespread.

Filled with pride on the night of a historic election that made Obama the nation's first black president, Mays said he stayed up until 7 or 8 o'clock the next morning.

"I reminded him that I cried for most of the night in Chicago," said Mays, still emotional as he spoke about that night eight months ago.

"So that tells me all the things I went through, it was for good things," said Mays, who wore an orange-trimmed, black Giants baseball cap with his suit. "So I'm just proud of him, you know. He may be proud of something else. But I'm proud of him, what he stands for."

Mays said his one bit of advice to Obama for the night's pitch was: "Follow through."

President Obama will throw out the first pitch at this year's Major League Baseball All-Star Game on July 14 in St. Louis.

He will be only the fourth president to throw out the ball in the game - "joining John F. Kennedy (1962), Richard Nixon ('70) and Gerald Ford ('76 and '78), reports MLB.com.

In a statement, MLB Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig said:

"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."

Comments

[sanaaiman]

01:37 PM on 07/16/2009

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vV3jc_OTY6Y : he's just so cute...

[AverageJoeLE]

09:10 PM on 07/15/2009

O please, Obama’s crappy pitch a hit with shoddy reporters only, it seems like-- http://bit.ly/a6bIO

[BitterBosh]

06:45 PM on 07/15/2009

What kind of girly-man do we have in office? Make it to the plate, you're supposed to be the athletic president!

[MossyOak]

05:57 PM on 07/15/2009

Michelle is right...our president is a babe.

[dadd]

02:36 PM on 07/15/2009

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=631knZM9Uiw&feature=related

Pretend it's not the Bush you hate, but check out the camera angle.

[dadd]

02:33 PM on 07/15/2009

Ok here it comes from a conservative point of view.

I could care less how he throws. What I do care about is not seeing the player catch it. Who told the cameras not to focus on the catcher, like they ALWAYS do?

[TishiJo]

01:07 PM on 07/19/2009

That would be Fox News who covered the event, and shot it at an angle so that we could not see that it was a successful pitch. I could care less about how he throws, what I do care about is that Fox News broadcasts only propaganda and so many people are duped. President Obama has the tough job of cleaning up the distastrous messes created by the Bush administration, and deserves the greatest respect for all he has accomplished so far.

[tb92]

01:53 PM on 07/15/2009

I loved his reaction at the end. Despite the stress he's dealing with, he still manages to enjoy his life. That's a good thing in a leader.

[rickey56]

01:26 PM on 07/15/2009

The jealousy that men have for President Obama is really showing. Anytime he doesn't come off as perfect makes them feel more like a man. President Obama just did an interview with Anderson Cooper. They tease Anderson all the time on CNN. I wonder if that is where the homophobic girlie man comments are also coming from? Everything with the GOP is guilt by association.

[CantStopUsNow]

12:57 PM on 07/15/2009

"Follow through". Good advise for this President.

[BobSacomano]

12:56 PM on 07/15/2009

hmm....heard some boos in there. Could that be the 26 percenters?

[CantStopUsNow]

01:03 PM on 07/15/2009

Could be. Or maybe they were booing the jacket. Prob the jacket. He wasn't in Texas or anything.

[greg32]

02:22 PM on 07/15/2009

40 something percent voted for McCain, where does this 26 percenter come from?

An just for the record, my 5 year old could throw a better pitch than that!

[FanofPaine]

02:42 PM on 07/15/2009

Only 26 percent identify as Republican at this time.

[CantStopUsNow]

02:18 PM on 07/16/2009

I could throw your 5 year old like that.

[jaleh]

12:52 PM on 07/15/2009

I love this man. Every time I see him, my heart goes to him. We are so lucky to him as our President.

Obama Rocks!

[didntvote4thedude]

01:40 PM on 07/15/2009

What kind of tingle goes DOWN your leg?

[tb92]

01:47 PM on 07/15/2009

A very NICE one, thank you.

[emstrem]

12:44 PM on 07/15/2009

What is this North Korea or Nazi Germany? I cannot believe Obama became the first president to not have his shabby throw zoomed in on by the cameras so we could laugh at it on SportsCenter later that night. This guy is not a demigod, he does mess up. Get a grip.

[tb92]

01:55 PM on 07/15/2009

There are other videos. You can find them if you want. Some of us are more interested in the positives than the mistakes.

[cliffhammond]

12:31 PM on 07/15/2009

I was such a fan of Willie Mays that I learned to catch fly balls behind my back in Little League!

[jononmy]

11:49 AM on 07/15/2009

The best first pitch I ever seen was game 3 of the world series after 9/11 in New York....Bush walks out and throws a strike. It was pretty cool moment too bad he than started a war in Iraq for no reason.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/2001/worldseries/news/2001/10/30/bush_ap/

[Genep34]

10:57 AM on 07/15/2009

His throw needs work - I am sure he would be the first to admit it.

But we are truly lucky to have him and his family. He is so sharp.