SI

Gronk 'Threw' the Most Gronk First Pitch Before Red Sox Game at Fenway Park

The former Patriots great turned in a memorable first pitch.

Kyle Koster

Rob Gronkowski
Rob Gronkowski /
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The Boston Red Sox are currently hosting the Cleveland Guardians for their annual Patriots Day morning baseball game. They were able to secure Rob Gronkowski, an actual former Patriot, to handle first pitch duties at Fenway Park.

The synergy paid off because Gronk did exactly what you'd expect him to do: spike that baseball deep into the Earth's crust to triumphant applause.

A classic bit that we can all expect for decades. Gronkowski will be spiking anything he can get his hands on going forward. That's just the way it is.

And honestly, this is a pretty smart move. Tossing a first pitch is sort of a thankless job because the only time anyone cares is if it goes hilariously awry. Just obliterating the ground 53 feet shy of the dish is a great way to avoid going viral for the wrong reasons and to go viral for the right reasons.

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Kyle Koster
KYLE KOSTER

Kyle Koster is an assistant managing editor at Sports Illustrated covering the intersection of sports and media. He was formerly the editor in chief of The Big Lead, where he worked from 2011 to '24. Koster also did turns at the Chicago Sun-Times, where he created the Sports Pros(e) blog, and at Woven Digital.

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