Voir 30 for 30 Shorts, Vol. 3 - Episode 12

On the night of October 30, 2001, Derek Jeter walked into the warmup area beneath Yankee Stadium and saw a man practicing for the ceremonial first ball. "They'll boo you if you throw from in front of the mound," he told the 43rd President of the United States. "And they'll boo you if you bounce it." But George W. Bush had a lot more riding on that pitch than just approval from the fans. He was throwing out the first ball of Game 3 of the World Series just six weeks after the World Trade Center bombings, and he was intent on showing the world that the nation—and New York City—would not be deterred. In First Pitch, director Angus Wall relives that anxious night with behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with President Bush, family members, Cabinet officers, Secret Service agents, Billy Crystal, Joe Torre and Jeter. Imagine trying to throw a strike with the weight of the world on your shoulders and a bullet-proof vest under your jacket. That's why it may have been the greatest pitch ever thrown in a World Series.