Wolves Stateside | Doherty throws the first pitch

1st August 2024

On Tuesday evening, Matt Doherty swapped the football for a baseball in front of more than 21,000 people, as he threw the first pitch at the Baltimore Orioles game.

Guided pitchside alongside Tom King and Tommy Doyle, the Irishman stepped up for the first pitch – a baseball tradition where a notable person throws a ceremonial pitch to signal the start of a game.

He didn’t let anyone down, receiving a warm reaction from both the Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays supporters, before taking a seat to watch the action close up. Gary O’Neil and his players then watched on as the Orioles won the American League East Division baseball fixture.

The next morning was about resting up and preparing for Wolves’ Stateside Cup game against Crystal Palace in Annapolis on Wednesday evening.

#Summer2024 #WolvesInUSA

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Speaking pitchside after throwing the first pitch at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Doherty was visibly ecstatic after ticking the experience off his bucket list.

Doherty said: “To be able to represent the club in that way was amazing. I thought I was going to be fine, honestly, and I got down to the pitch and my hands were soaking – I was a lot nervier than I anticipated.

“It’s a completely different feel when you play a sport that is not familiar to you – not that I played the game, but I threw the pitch – but it’s like golf, I’ll have one person watch me at the first tee and I’ll absolutely fall apart. When it’s a sport you’re not familiar with, it’s different. Everything felt alright, honestly. Then I looked at some videos back and it doesn’t look alright.

“We swapped tops and I kept the ball I threw the pitch with. It’s an unbelievable experience, I couldn’t be happier. I’m just enjoying the atmosphere and enjoy a different sport. We’ve got a game tomorrow, so we’ll head back and get rested, at the end of the day the reason we’re here is to play a game. This was a fun experience and something I’ll cherish. I’ll never be able to do that again and I don’t need to do it again, I’ve done it once now. I couldn’t be happier.”