More proof that Jordan Spieth says all the right things: “After the Rangers, I root for the Red Sox. And I always root against the Yankees.”
That was Spieth talking before he took the mound Tuesday night at Fenway Park, where he threw out the first pitch prior to the fiercest rivalry in baseball.
Sure, the outcome impacted the Rangers (the Yankees and Rangers are battling for a wild card spot), but the feeling was genuine.
Prior to trotting to the mound, Spieth spent about 90 minutes wandering around the old stadium, soaking in its history and taking in the fan experience of Landsdowne Street and Yawkey Way and its neighborhood pubs. He also warmed up for what was the second time he has thrown out the first pitch in a game this summer.
The pitch was high -- Spieth learned to throw lefty from his dad Shawn, who played baseball for Lehigh University; he plays right-handed because he learned to hit standing across from his dad -- but no one cared, least of all Spieth.
He has been on Letterman, to the top of the Empire State Building, been on the field at Fenway and in Arlington, has had dinners with Tony Romo and other Dallas Cowboys players. He even met former President Bill Clinton.
These are the things that happen when you win two majors, nearly complete the Grand Slam and reach No. 1 in the world.
“To be able to go out there and throw a pitch is something I never thought I’d be able to do,” Spieth said Tuesday night. “This is really cool.
“It’s cool to use this position to have these opportunities off the course. I haven’t thought much about the year on the course because been we’ve been so focused on what’s going on the next week. It’s been awesome. The times I really notice it are times like this. That’s when you notice how special it is. If you wanna keep doing it, you’ve got to keep doing what you’re doing on the course, right?”
The only thing that didn’t go right was the outcome: The Yankees won, 3-1.