Michigan's Harbaugh throws first pitch before Tigers game
Jim Harbaugh is a man of many hats. On Tuesday, he wore what he might consider one of his favorites — a Michigan-themed Detroit Tigers hat.
The Wolverines football coach was on hand at Comerica Park to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates, something he said was a dream come true.
"This is very exciting, because I've never thrown a first pitch at any venue, and now I'm doing it for the team I grew up watching," Harbaugh told reporters before the game. "My dad, my brother and I used to come to games in the 70s and we'd watch the game, and then we'd hang out at a bar/restaurant where all the players hung out."
Of course Harbaugh arrived in Motown in style, sporting a No. 20 jersey of his childhood idol Mark Fidrych tucked into his trademark khaki pants.
The former 49ers head coach showed that his talents extend beyond the football field, as he delivered a high fastball to Tigers manager Brad Ausmus. (See above video).
Nerves weren't a factor for Harbaugh, as he said he's been practicing for this moment since he was "about 5 years old."
Harbaugh is apparently pretty handy with the glove too, as he claims to have caught 20 foul balls as a baseball spectator. "I keep track," Harbaugh told FOX Sports Detroit. "My last one was at a San Francisco Giants-Arizona Diamondbacks game, sitting on the first-base side. It was legitimate, not the kind that the players throw to you."
After tossing out Tuesday's first pitch, Harbaugh hung out in the Tigers dugout and chatted with the players, including Miguel Cabrera.
Miguel Cabrera is a class act! Great meeting him and being at the Tigers game with Big Jon Falk! pic.twitter.com/ImCRyaoRiS
— Coach Harbaugh (@CoachJim4UM) June 30, 2015
(h/t FOX Sports Detroit)
