$360,000,000 Yankees star joins Derek Jeter in mocking Stephen A. Smith: "Aaron Judge walked up to me and said the same thing"
Ahead of the Yankees' game on September 22, Stephen A. Smith of ESPN took to the field ahead of the contest. The well-known sports broadcaster had been selected to dish out the ceremonial first pitch in the Bronx.
Smith, an NBA analyst and native of the Bronx, kept the horrendous deliveries of other high-profile names as he walked to the mound. The 55-year old had but one task: not to make an embarrassment of himself.
Unfortunately, that's exactly what Stephen A. Smith did. Despite a pretty windup, Smith's pitch fell several feet short of the plate, and ended up finishing the rest of the way with a bounce.
"Stephen A. Smith, First Pitch Mechanics." - Bob Friedman
The crowd, who were looking forward to an important divisional game against the Toronto Blue Jays, could hardly contain their amusement. Additionally, several big names took to their respective platforms to make fun of Smith, including rap icon Snoop Dogg, who is no stranger to bad deliveries.
Throwing out the first pitch is an opportunity that many fear. Ahead of the appearance, Stephen A. Smith apparently rang former New York Yankees captain and long-time friend Derek Jeter. According to Smith, Jeter's advice was to the point: "Don't f--- this up man."
Jeter has overseen plenty of first pitches. However, his most important spectacle came in 2001, while the Yankees were about to play Game 3 of the World Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. With the horrid images of 9/11 still fresh in the collective consciousness of the nation, President George W. Bush came to deliver the first toss. Jeter's advice to the sitting president was, apparently, exactly the same.
"49 days after 9/11, George Bush took the mound and threw a perfect strike. Without a doubt, one of the most important first pitches in history" - Shit Bsb Players Say
22 years later, Stephen A. Smith revealed that before his delivery, current Yankees captain Aaron Judge came up to him and said the exact same thing. Unfortunately, the advice seemed to fall on deaf ears, and Smith will never be able to forget this one.
At least Stephen A. Smith was a good sport about it
60 feet is a long way. Often times, celebrities overestimate themselves, only to fall flat. It appears as that, although Smith makes a living by way of sports commentary, he still has a long way to go. Either way, everyone can commend the fact that he was able to showcase his good sportsmanship after the less-than-flattering performance.