Trump says he'll throw out first pitch at Yankee Stadium next month
Yankees faced the National on MLB's opening day Thursday
President Donald Trump said Thursday that New York Yankees President Randy Levine asked him to throw out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium next month, which would be a first for him doing his presidency.
"Randy Levine's a great friend of mine, from the Yankees. He asked me to throw out the first pitch, and I think I'm doing that on Aug. 15 at Yankee Stadium," the president said in the White House briefing room.
Levine served as deputy mayor for Rudy Giuliani, the president's personal attorney, from 1997-2000.
MLB SEASON BEGINS: CORONAVIRUS REVENUE LOSS, PLAYER PAY AND OTHER KEY FACTS TO KNOW
Trump and Yankees legend Mariano Rivera hosted Little Leaguers in the White House Rose Garden Thursday night to celebrate the MLB's delayed opening day.
The Yankees faced off against the Washington Nationals Thursday in baseball's first game of the season. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases who has recently been criticized by some members of the Trump administration, threw out the first pitch in Washington, D.C.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS' JUAN SOTO TESTS POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS
Juan Soto, a star outfielder for the Nationals, tested positive for the coronavirus and had to sit out the opening game, ESPN reported. He'll have to record two negative tests before returning to the field.
The MLB will go ahead with a shortened 60-game season and no fans in stadiums for the foreseeable future. All players will undergo rigorous health screenings to ensure their safety.
"I think Major League Baseball is setting an example by playing to empty stadiums. And so are other sports," Trump said Thursday. "We want to get back to normal. The key is to get back to normal."