McShane Blesses Posada, Tosses First Pitch at Yankee Stadium

Though it’s been a long time since Fordham University has sent a baseball player to the major leagues, a Ram had the honor of taking the mound at Yankee Stadium on July 1. Fordham’s President Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., threw out the ceremonial first pitch in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of Fordham baseball.

Once on the field, McShane, wearing a Yankees cap, jokingly blessed Yankee catcher Jorge Posada before lobbing a slow changeup to the five-time all-star. The gesture garnered laughs from the crowd and a spot on ESPN’s SportsCenter, but didn’t help Posada, who went 0-4 with two strikeouts in the Yankees 4-2 win.

While McShane’s pitching ability may not have been cause for celebration, the ceremony did bring attention to Fordham’s role in the history of the game, a role that began in 1859 with a contest between Fordham and Xavier College. In the years since, Fordham has sent Hall of Famers like Frankie Frisch, “The Fordham Flash,” to the majors, along with other greats like Estaban Bellan, the first Latino major leaguer.

For the record, McShane is the first Ram to pitch at Yankee Stadium since Pete Harnisch, FCRH ’87, of the Baltimore Orioles threw seven innings in a 3-1 loss on Aug. 24, 1989.

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