Earlier this year, Carly Rae Jepsen threw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Baltimore Orioles game … and things went pretty well.
Perhaps emboldened by her (semi) strike, Jepsen returned to the mound in Tampa’s Tropicana Field on Sunday, to toss out the first pitch before the Rays/Houston Astros game. And, let’s just say she probably could have used a few more warm-up pitches.
Yes, in an effort that is already being called the “worst ever,” Jepsen’s throw barely managed to make it past the pitcher’s mound, as the ball slipped out of her hand and went skidding towards a photographer snapping pics on the first base line (the wayward pitch actually smashed into his camera, proving that she does have some accuracy).
The throw — and Jepsen’s embarrassed reaction — quickly got the .GIF treatment, became a viral sensation and even showed up on ESPN’s “SportsCenter.”
Meanwhile, Jepsen has taken it all in stride, posting photos of her receiving a consolatory hug from Rays’ pitcher Matt Moore on her Instagram, and retweeting messages of mock congratulations from her family members.
So what went wrong? Well, MTV News reached out to some baseball experts in an effort to find out … and surprisingly, some of them even responded, including former pro (and current ESPN MLB analyst) Aaron Boone, who recommended that Jepsen re-think her entire pitching routine.
“There’s only one thing she can do and that’s to improve, so she has that going for her,” Boone wrote in an email to MTV News. “One thing I noticed was that she was holding the ball almost like a shot put in her palm with all of her fingers. She needs to pretend the ball is an egg and let the ball come off her fingers.
“She should also consider whether she is really a right hander,” Boone added. “Maybe try left-handed next time.”
That egg advice was echoed by another former pro, Steven Ellis, who has written 11 books about pitching and says Jepsen could benefit from a quick perusal of his “I Am A Pitcher” Facebook page before she attempts to toss another ball.
“I’d definitely agree: that’s certainly one of the worst pitches I’ve ever seen. Looks like she was gripping the baseball a little too firmly. Gotta grip it like an egg, Carly. Like an egg,” he wrote to MTV News. “Let her know if she’s like to hone her accuracy, she should stop on by my Facebook page.”
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