Many ceremonial first pitches from non-baseball celebrities have wound up in the grass or the dirt over the years, but those are usually unintentional. Rob Groknowski’s first pitch intentionally landed well short of the plate.
The New England Patriots legend and current NFL on FOX analyst brought out his patented “Gronk Spike” when he threw out the first pitch ahead of Monday’s Cleveland Guardians-Boston Red Sox game at Fenway Park. Gronkowski chucked the ball onto the edge of the pitching mound and immediately celebrated in excitement, raising his fist in the air before sharing a celebratory chest bump with Red Sox pitcher Tanner Houck, who was supposed to catch the first pitch.
Monday wasn’t the first time that Gronkowski has had memorable pregame antics. When the Red Sox honored the Patriots after they won their sixth Super Bowl title in 2019, Gronkowski used the Lombardi Trophy as a baseball bat ahead of partaking in the pregame ceremonies at Fenway Park. Gronkowski opted to drop a bunt when Julian Edelman threw him a pitch, which left a dent in the Lombardi Trophy. Gronkowski and Edelman then recreated the moment in the FOX Sports studios last fall after the two were reunited as teammates at NFL on FOX.
Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski relive Gronk’s dented Lombardi Trophy celebration
Off the diamond, Gronkowski has also brought his “Gronk Spike” to the ice rink. After the Patriots won Super Bowl XLIX in February 2015, he spiked the puck during the ceremonial puck drop at a Boston Bruins game.
The former Patriots star actually had a busy Patriots’ Day. Earlier Monday, Gronkowski served as the grand marshall for the 128th edition of the Boston Marathon. After riding from the starting line and through the 26.2-mile route, Gronkowski — of course — spiked a football at the finish line.
Did you expect anything different?
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