(Headline USA) Coronavirus czar Anthony Fauci was loudly booed by fans before he threw the first pitch at Tuesday’s MLB game between the Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees.
Fauci was able to throw the ball to Scott Servais, the manager of the Mariners, who asked Fauci to sign his face mask afterwards.
But the crowd wasn’t impressed, according to the video, which went viral on Twitter.
Fauci booed while throwing out first pitch at Mariners game in Seattle
At least he has worked on his pitching since last time pic.twitter.com/9QqX8YUGwy
— Ari Hoffman (@thehoffather) August 10, 2022
Fauci’s love of baseball has subjected him to ridicule or criticism on at least one prior occasions.
In July 2020, his effort to throw out the opening pitch at a Washington Nationals game veered far off its intended target, an apt metaphor for his critics about his meandering efforts to tackle the COVID pandemic.
At the same game, Fauci appeared maskless while failing to social distance, despite having demanded that others followed draconian protocols to prevent transmission.
Although he had the benefit of pitching to a mostly empty stadium then, many continued to support Fauci at the time, placing their blind faith in his wisdom and experience.
Since then, however, the public has largely soured on Fauci.
Over the past couple of years as he has continued to push invasive, needless COVID-19 restrictions onto the country. Just this month, he complained that his guidance to wear masks indoors and get boosted was being ignored.
“Unfortunately, given the fatigue that we’re at in this country from 2½ years of this, everyone is tired of it,” he admitted.
“So, it’s very difficult, superimposed upon an anti-vax-type feeling among some, superimposed upon the political divisiveness we have in this country … and social media misinformation and disinformation. It’s very difficult to get people to adhere to commonsense public health measures,” Fauci said.
The MLB also has faced criticism for dabbling in partisan issues, notably moving its 2021 All Star Game from Atlanta to punish Georgia for its efforts to pass election integrity laws.
After his pitch this week, Fauci was awarded the Hutch Award by the Mariners.
“The honor was established by his longtime friends and is given annually to an active MLB player who ‘best exemplifies the fighting spirit and competitive desire’ of Hutchinson, by persevering through adversity,” , according to a release posted on the Mariners’s website.
Fauci is the second non-player to ever receive the award. The first was former President Jimmy Carter.
