Jeopardy! Champion Amy Schneider Responds to First-Pitch Controversy

Schneider said the director of MLB on FOX reached out to her to apologize for the mixup.

A situation involving 40-time Jeopardy! champion Amy Schneider became the subject of controversy earlier this week after Fox Sports neglected to show her throwing the first pitch at the Giants vs. Dodgers game on Saturday, June 11. 

Rather than show Schneider’s first pitch, the broadcast chose to feature the first pitch from NASCAR Cup Series driver Kurt Busch, who took the mound the previous Thursday. 

The situation caused quite a stir, as Schneider is the first transgender contestant on Jeopardy! to participate in the Tournament of Champions. Schneider was chosen to throw out the first pitch on Pride Day at Oracle Park. 

Schneider revealed on Twitter last week that the director of MLB on FOX reached out to her personally to apologize. He reiterated that the broadcast decision had nothing to do with her identity, and that Fox Sports “has never been told how to cover or not cover Pride.”

Schneider said that she believed him and accepted his apology.

“They say that the reason they chose to mislead their viewers had nothing to do with me, so I’ll take them at their word,” Schneider told SFGATE.com.

I believe him, and have accepted his apology. It was just a misunderstanding, so we can close the book on it

— Amy Schneider (@Jeopardamy) June 16, 2022

A Fox Sports spokesman told SFGATE after the game that the network aired a taped first pitch from Busch as part of a promotional package for the weekend’s NASCAR race in northern California and did not mean to “overshadow” Schneider’s first pitch. Giants broadcaster Duane Kuiper also did his best to clear up any confusion the day after the game, setting the record straight and giving Schneider credit for the first pitch.

“Want to make a correction from what I watched yesterday on the Fox broadcast,” Kuiper said. “The broadcast implied that Kurt Busch threw out the first pitch yesterday, which was not true. Kurt Busch threw out the first pitch on Thursday. It was Amy Schneider from Jeopardy! fame who threw out the first pitch on Pride Day yesterday. I just wanted to make sure she got her due.”

Here’s a video of Schneider throwing out the first pitch.

Jeopardy! megachamp Amy Schneider throws out the ceremonial first pitch on Pride Day at Oracle Park. pic.twitter.com/m7ihPTEsze

— Andrew Baggarly (@extrabaggs) June 11, 2022