Questions have been raised regarding Hawk Tuah girl being given the honor to throw the first pitch at a recent baseball game.
The tradition of the ceremonial first pitch dates back to 1910, when US President William Howard Taft became the first person to do so.
Since then, numerous presidents and former presidents have had this honor, including George W. Bush, who participated in the 2023 World Series.
However, the privilege of throwing the first pitch isn’t limited to politicians; many celebrities have also taken part in this long-standing baseball ritual.
Over the years, notable figures such as Gordon Ramsay, Snoop Dogg, Matthew Broderick, and Kid Cudi have thrown the first pitch. Korean actor Jeon Jong-seo also had the opportunity at a Los Angeles Dodgers game in March.
Recently, Haliey Welch, known as Hawk Tuah girl, was given the honor at a New York Mets game on August 15, following her viral stardom.
However, many baseball fans were not pleased to see the 22-year-old at Citi Field stadium.
In a video posted on Twitter showing Haliey throwing the ball, one sports fan commented: “What an awful, awful decision to legitimize her and give her a platform.”
Another unhappy Mets fan remarked: “Absolutely disgraceful. Whoever made this decision needs to be fired. Embarrassing.”
Referring to the reason behind Haliey’s fame, a third person wrote: “Really? The @Mets went with the Hawk Tuah Girl for a summer day game where the vast majority of fans are 11-year-old kids at the ballpark on a summer camp trip. Really?”
Echoing similar concerns, another individual added: “All the kids at the baseball game asking their parents and friends what did this girl do to get to throw out the first pitch? Do better MLB!!! This is not a role model!”
In response to the backlash, Haliey explained that her presence at the game was to raise awareness for a specific charity.
On Instagram, she shared a video of her time at Citi Field, stating: “So I guess the baseball community wasn’t too happy to see me yesterday. That’s okay, the main reason I went to the game was to spread awareness and donate to America’s Vet Dogs @americasvetdogs, which pairs dogs with war veterans for a forever home.”
Haliey then encouraged people to visit the link in her Instagram Story to donate to America’s Vet Dogs.