WASHINGTON (AP)—A hundred years after President William Howard Taft started a baseball tradition with a low ceremonial first pitch, President Barack Obama went in the other direction Monday, sailing a high, wide toss at the Washington Nationals’ home opener against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Just as Taft’s toss forced pitcher Walter Johnson to make an athletic play, Obama’s required Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman to lunge to prevent a wild pitch.

HISTORIC PITCH— Wearing a Washington Nationals jacket and a Chicago White Sox hat, President Barack Obama delivered the first pitch of the Washington Nationals home opening baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, April 5, at Nationals Park in Washington.

The season had some pomp and ceremony happening prior to the Los Angeles Dodgers taking the field. Pregame festivities profiled the first home game of the season by honoring Pirate outfielder Andrew McCutchen as the 2009 Baseball America Rookie of the Year. Pirates general manager Neal Huntington and Pirates manager John Russell presented McCutchen with a framed print to commemorate the event.

by Stephen D. Riley

Behind their dynamic duo of Tristan Thompson and Cory Joseph, the Findlay Prep Pilots of Henderson, Nev., claimed their second consecutive ESPN Rise National High School Invitational title with a 59-46 rout of the Montverde Academy Eagles of Montverde, Fla. April 3.

LEAD PILOT— Findlay Prep’s Cory Joseph, shown here during the McDonald’s All-American Game March 29, scored 17 points to lead Findlay past Montverde in last Saturday’s ESPN/Rise National High School Invitational title game.

The pair of McDonald’s All-Americans put on a show for a national audience as ESPN televised the game from Coppin State University’s Physical Education Complex in Baltimore.