Inside The Cubs

Did Machine Gun Kelly Have One of the Worst First Pitches Ever Against Cubs?

There have been a lot of memorable ceremonial first pitches Machine Gun Kelly's against the Chicago Cubs may take the cake.

Kade Kistner

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
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There are a lot of memorable ceremonial first pitches in MLB history. Especially when it comes to celebrities and wanting to do it "their way."

Machine Gun Kelly followed in others' footsteps on Tuesday evening when he was given the nod to fire the first pitch for the Cleveland Guardians against the Chicago Cubs.

Instead of attempting to fire it down the middle to the Guardian's mascot Onion, he proceeded to run off the mound and throw it into the crowd.

Maybe this is the old grumpy baseball fan in me but ceremonial first pitches are supposed to be... well ceremonial. And special. They usually represent something more significant than the team or person itself.

And because of that it's okay to bounce the ball once or twice before reaching the catcher or even missing the batter's box as a whole. But to willfully just chunk the ball into the stands is a waste of time.

Perhaps it was all choreographed and that was what was expected. Perhaps that's just how they do things in Cleveland, Ohio.

In the end, it is all up to interpretation on whether or not you think this ceremonial first pitch was acceptable. I think I will stick with the celebrities making a fool out of themselves (on accident) or a community leader getting a once in a lifetime nod to soak in special recognition in front of their favorite team and city.

As for Machine Gun Kelly, I think I will leave that ball right where it landed: in the stands.

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Kade Kistner
KADE KISTNER

Kade Kistner is the publisher and beat writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Cubs. An alumnus of Tulane University, Kade graduated in 2017 with a degree in Latin American Studies and a minor in Spanish. Upon graduation, Kade commissioned into the United States Navy and attended Naval Flight School in Pensacola, Fl. He served as a Naval Aviator and was stationed in Jacksonville, Fl. During his time in school and the Navy, Kade began covering the MLB and NFL with USA Today, SB Nation, and Sports Illustrated. Kade covered the New Orleans Saints, Texas Rangers, and numerous other teams within the Sports Illustrated network before launching Inside the Phillies, Inside the Astros, and Inside the Cubs. You can follow him on Twitter at @KadeKistner, or if you have any questions or comments he can be reached via email at kwkistner@gmail.com.

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