If you’re tired of hearing about Dr. Anthony Fauci, you are not alone.
On Tuesday, the White House’s chief medical adviser was invited to throw out the first pitch at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, where the Mariners were taking on the New York Yankees.
When Fauci was introduced over the loudspeaker, many fans booed.
#Anthonyfauci gets mixed reception when introduced to throw out the first pitch at @Mariners vs @Yankees game in #seattle pic.twitter.com/V9Wom7f0rI
— Matt Markovich (@mattmarkovich) August 10, 2022
Another video showed the mixed reception from another angle, with one fan shouting that Fauci would “miss this [pitch] like you missed the pandemic, loser!”
Fauci mercilessly BOOED in liberal Seattle while throwing out the first pitch at the Mariners game
“You’re going to miss this like you missed the pandemic, loser!”
Video @thehoffatherpic.twitter.com/7TMRCEb4uL
— Mia Cathell (@MiaCathell) August 10, 2022
Fauci’s appearance even led to a gathering of Trump supporters outside the ballpark.
How you know Fauci is at the @Mariners game pic.twitter.com/kMrLqZstov
— Ari Hoffman (@thehoffather) August 10, 2022
Since Seattle is one of the bluest cities in the country, it was a bit surprising to Fauci receive such a cold reception. But given his record as the nation’s coronavirus expert, these fans should not be blamed for their lack of excitement about seeing him at a sporting event.
For one thing, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases spent the better part of the last two years trying to prevent sporting events from taking place.
In September 2021, after fans had returned to many stadiums across the country without any evidence of games becoming “superspreader” events, Fauci attempted to fearmonger about attending them.
According to a CNN transcript, co-anchor Jim Sciutto asked him whether it was acceptable to attend sporting events.
“No, I don’t think it’s smart,” Fauci responded. “I think when you’re dealing particularly — you know, outdoors is always better than indoors, but even when you have such a congregant setting of people close together, first, you should be vaccinated. And when you do have congregant settings, particularly indoors, you should be wearing a mask.”
A little less than a year later, he appears to be fine with attending games — at least when it gives him an opportunity to receive his favorite thing: public recognition.
According to MLB.com, Fauci was presented the Hutch Award before the game. The award was created in 1965 to honor Fred Hutchinson, a former MLB pitcher and manager who died from lung cancer in 1964.
Are you tired of Dr. Anthony Fauci?
It is supposed to be given each year to an MLB player who “best exemplifies the fighting spirit and competitive desire” Hutchinson embodied.
Instead, the 2022 award was given to Fauci, making him just the second non-player to win the award, joining former President Jimmy Carter, according to MLB.com
As for the first pitch itself, it left no question that Fauci is not, in fact, an MLB player.
Dr. Fauci’s first pitch. Servais caught it and then had Fauci sign his mask after. pic.twitter.com/SjOf4alLtE
— Lookout Landing (@LookoutLanding) August 10, 2022
To his credit, he at least got the ball to the catcher, which is more than he could say for his previous first pitch at a Washington Nationals game two years ago.
Dr. Anthony Fauci threw out the first pitch before the Nationals-Yankees game. pic.twitter.com/04Tbkh7Voa
— ESPN (@espn) July 23, 2020
If Facui’s trip to Seattle told us anything, it is that many Americans are sick and tired of him.
