BOXING great Manny Pacquiao went back to his first love on Tuesday as he threw the ceremonial first pitch in the game between the New York Yankees and the Oakland Athletics at Yankee Stadium.
The 47-year-old Filipino icon wore a personalized pinstriped jersey over a blue jacket patched with a Philippine flag when he stepped into the mound to a standing ovation before throwing the pitch to Yankees catcher JC Escarra.
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Pacquiao played baseball as a kid, playing as a pitcher long before he took up boxing.
“For the longest time, when I was young, in elementary I used to play baseball. It’s my first sport before boxing,” said Pacquiao when he dropped by the YES Network booth.
The rich history and legend of the Yankees also didn’t escape the eight-time world division champion.
“I’ve always loved the energy of New York sports, to stand on this mound where so many legends have played is a great honor. I might be a boxer, but today, I’m just a fan of the game.”
The Yankees won, 5-3.
Pacquiao’s visit to the Yankee Stadium was just one in a series of sports appearances the Hall of Famer had done in a compact U.S Tour that also saw him watch the IBF mini-flyweight title defense of reigning champion Pedro Taduran in Temecula, California.
He also watched the game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the San Antonio Spurs at the Intuit Dome, where he was also presented with a personalized jersey, and likewise an NHL game between the Los Angeles Kings and the Toronto Maples at Crypto.com. Arena, and the LA Galaxy at the Dignity Health Sports Park.
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