Gotta Watch: Presidential first pitches; remembering Selena
It's opening day for Major League Baseball so we're looking at a history of presidential pitches.
March 31st, 2011
11:29 AM ET

Gotta Watch: Presidential first pitches; remembering Selena

It's a throwback kind of day in more ways than one. Baseball season starts today, making it the perfect time to reflect on a century's worth of presidential pitches. Also in today's Gotta Watch, we mark the 16th anniversary of singer Selena Quintanilla-Pérez's death.

Perfecting the presidential pitch – For once, this is a presidential pitch devoid of any politics. Check out how the presidents measure up when it's time to throw out the first pitch. From 20th century presidents to more modern day leaders like Ronald Reagan pitching 1984, see who threw it best.

We have video of George H. W. Bush winding it up in 1991 and 1992. We also threw in Bill Clinton's 1992 pitch, George W. Bush's 2001, 2005 and 2009 pitches. And of course, there's president Barack Obama from 2009 and 2010.

Remembering Selena – Selena may have been one of the earliest pioneers in the 1990s Latin music explosion. The tejano singer already had a devoted following for her Spanish-language music, but she attained crossover success when her first English-language album was released posthumously. Two years after her death, the murdered Grammy winner helped ignite Jennifer Lopez's career. J. Lo played Selena in a 1997 biopic that bore the slain singer's name.

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Filed under: Barack Obama • Baseball • Bill Clinton • George W. Bush • Gotta Watch • Politics • Sports
soundoff (49 Responses)
  1. ole lady

    LMAO scottish mama

    April 1, 2011 at 1:30 am | Report abuse |
  2. Good Girl

    I live in El Paso, Tx where her music was very popular. There was no mention of her death her either. Not in the local paper, or on the local news. Not a fan of her music, or any mexican music for that matter. I think its ridiculous the way people acted when she died. She was just a singer, not a saint or something. Just goes to show you how things fade away and are no longer important. I dont see anyone going crazy/crying/screaming now, like they did back then. Thank God b/c it made me want to laugh. Sorry

    April 1, 2011 at 6:20 am | Report abuse |
  3. Obamamaniac

    President Obama is the ruler of the world so you peons bow down and show some respect to Obama the GREAT!

    April 1, 2011 at 11:14 am | Report abuse |
  4. vicky

    see

    April 22, 2011 at 1:07 am | Report abuse |
  5. RockStar

    A lot of people always say "Selena's been dead for a while get over it" but you know there was something special about that 23 year old that had everyone at her feet, she treated everyone with respect, and at the end her kindness was what got her killed. I will always remember her no matter how many years go by, no matter what anyone says, I can care less. She will always be in my heart. We miss you and love you forever Sel.

    April 22, 2011 at 1:10 am | Report abuse |
  6. ROSS TROVATO [SELFAN4EVR]

    I AGREE WITH "ROCK STAR" COMPLETELY. IT'S UNBIELEVABLE HOW SO MANY IN OUR SOCIETY FEEL THAT GREAT ARTISTS SUCH AS SELENA SHOULD NOT BE GIVEN THIER DUE SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY ARE NO LONGER PHISICALLY PRESENT.IN A SOCIETY WHICH IS BECOMING MORE SOULLESS AND SELF-CENTERED EVERY DAY,AND IN WHICH MEDIOCRITY IS FAST BECOMING THE NORM,IT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER TO REMEMBER THE LIVES AND ARTISTIC CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE TRUE LEGENDS IN MUSICAL HISTORY,WHO INSPIRE MILLIONS TO THIS DAY.SELENA IS ONE SUCH PERSON.

    February 21, 2012 at 4:44 pm | Report abuse |
  7. Ross Trovato

    @GoodGirl – "No mention" of Selena's passing in EL PASO? You may not be a fan, but you sound a bit delusional – Even in New York, it made the front page of The Times for 2 days, and was, in fact, covered by news agencies from around the world. NO WAY was it NOT MENTIONED in EL PASO. You sound like a Howard Stern fan – in denial of reality.

    January 12, 2014 at 2:31 am | Report abuse |
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