Though Donald Trump is expected to attend World Series Game 5, he won’t be tossing out the first pitch.
The Nationals instead gave the honor to chef—and Trump critic—José Andrés, who notably angered the President when Andrés decided to remove his restaurant from the Trump D.C. hotel, FTW reports. The chef is scheduled to throw the pitch at Nationals Park on Sunday.
However, Nationals fans are hoping for a sweep, which would make Game 5 unnecessary. Andrés hopes for the same, tweeting that while he’s “humbled by the invitation,” he “hopes that by Saturday night all of WASHINGTON will be celebrating that the @Nationals are the 2019 @MLB World Series Champions.”
A native of Spain, Andrés is a naturalized American citizen who’s known for his humanitarian efforts. He’s also been a pillar of the D.C. restaurant scene for decades.
According to CNN, ceremonial first pitches are a presidential tradition. Trump now remains the only president who hasn’t thrown out a first pitch to a Major League Baseball game while in office, breaking a ritual that goes back to 1910.
Read reactions to Andrés throwing out the first pitch below.
