Bryce Harper Comments On President Obama’s Pitching Form: ‘Oof’

When President Barack Obama threw the ceremonial first pitch at Nationals Park in Washington on April 5, 2010, Bryce Harper was just a 17-year-old at the College of Southern Nevada. Two months later, he was selected as the No. 1 overall pick in baseball’s amateur draft.

Bryce Harper Comments On President Obama’s Pitching Form: ‘Oof’

Harper did not see the President’s pitch up until this week, after a reporter asked the Nationals outfielder and other major league players to offer Obama some pitching advice ahead of Tuesday’s exhibition game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cuban national team in Havana. (Although POTUS will attend the game at Estadio Latinoamericano, he will reportedly not be throwing the ceremonial first pitch).

“I love his wave,” Harper said after watching a video of Obama’s 2010 pitch. “That’s good. Playing the crowd and stuff, that’s perfect. Let’s see… He’s got a Rawlings glove, I like that. I’m a Rawlings guy, so that’ll help you. He’s got a White Sox hat on, though; I don’t know about that.”

Obama threw a high pitch, which caused ceremonial catcher Ryan Zimmerman to come out of his crouch in order to catch the ball.

“Wow,” Harper said. “I never saw his first pitch. That’s the first time. Oof. I mean, I heard he’s really good at basketball, so maybe he could just shoot it into a hoop.”

Shortly after throwing the pitch, Obama expressed his disappointment with the pitch. “I was a little disappointed with the pitch, it was high and outside,” Obama said in 2010. “I was intentionally walking the guy. Fortunately, Zimmerman’s a tall guy and he had the reach. … The disappointing thing is that you spend all that time warming up. If I had a whole inning, I would have cleaned up.”

Out of everyone, Minnesota Twins pitcher Glen Perkins may have given the best advice for the President.

“I would try throwing it right-handed, that’s the first thing I would do,” Perkins said. Obama is left-handed.

Caption: ST LOUIS, MO – JULY 14: U.S. President Barack Obama throws out the first pitch at the 2009 MLB All-Star Game at Busch Stadium on July 14, 2009 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)