From three-point range, Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors is one of the most accurate players in history with a basketball in his hands. From the side of a pitching mound with a baseball in his hand, not so much.
Steph and Ayesha throw out the first pitch ⚾ pic.twitter.com/MVSdq1iEWv
— NBC Sports Bay Area & CA (@NBCSAuthentic) July 27, 2022
Steph and Ayesha Curry threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Wednesday’s Oakland A’s game because their charity - the Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation - was hosting over 1,000 children from different community organizations in Oakland. Not only did this likely double the attendance for a weekday A’s game, it’s an admirable way for the Currys to give back and help Oakland kids, but the pitches themselves were less than admirable. Ayesha bounced her throw to the plate, while Steph’s pitched veered way down and to the right of the catcher, who had to leap out of his crouch to corral the ball.
There’s a lot of possible reasons for the wild pitches. Maybe Steph and Ayesha knew the trade deadline was approaching, and literally anyone who throws a strike from the Oakland Coliseum is in danger of being traded for prospects this week. Maybe Steph was exhausted from pitching jokes in the writers room for the ESPYs. Maybe he wasn’t used to being so wide open at a game. Maybe Ayesha was worried that Boston fans would mass-produce AYESHA CURRY CAN’T PITCH t-shirts for the 2023 Finals. Maybe Steph would have been more accurate if Draymond Green passed him the baseball and Steph could catch-and-pitch.
Steph explained what happened when he joined the A’s broadcast booth for the fifth inning.
Steph explains what happened on his errant first pitch pic.twitter.com/9ie3Kfo8rl
— NBC Sports Bay Area & CA (@NBCSAuthentic) July 27, 2022
“All of my friends were teasing me a little bit about how bad my pitch was going to be. I wanted to throw some heat! Then I got out there, I felt the presence on my right side, and I didn’t really know how I could really do the release and what not. That’s why I went a little to the right. I’m glad he picked it up out of the dirt and didn’t make me look bad.”
Of course! Ayesha was crowding his landing area, something that’s sure to throw off any quality three-point shooter, and honestly something that could have led to a flagrant foul call. In that case, Steph would have gotten an additional first pitch, plus possession. If Ayesha hadn’t pulled a Bruce Bowen, Steph would have thrown some real heat!
And it’s not even close to the worst wild pitch thrown at the Coliseum this season.
Aside from the ceremonial pitch, it was a great day for the foundation and the kids, who got to take the field for the national anthem, eat lunch at the park, sing “Take Me Out To The Ballgame,” and visit the A’s Stomping Ground, which is a children’s play area near the right field flagpoles.
Eat. Learn. PLAY BALL!
— Oakland A's (@Athletics) July 27, 2022
Thank you to @eatlearnplay co-founders @stephencurry30 and @ayeshacurry for getting things started for us today! pic.twitter.com/XrjDzeRtJ6
Steph explained how nutrition, literacy, and promoting activities are the three pillars of the Currys’ foundation:
“It’s about creating safe spaces and great programs to support kids because sport teaches you so much.”@eatlearnplay | #DrumTogether pic.twitter.com/svsEAhJ1oP
— Oakland A's (@Athletics) July 27, 2022
The day was even more of a success when the A’s held on to take home a 4-2 victory, completing a three-game sweep of the Houston Astros. And if there’s one thing Steph Curry believes in as much as eating, learning, and playing, it’s beating the hell out of a team from Houston.
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