It seems even the more polite reviews are saying the same thing as people on the street.

It’s easy, and tempting, to make fun of the President here. However, regardless of who it is, I see this whole throwing out the first pitch bit as unnecessary punishment for having people know your name, as everyone from the President to local news anchors take part in this tradition (as noted by any article on Obama’s pitch, started 100 years ago by President Taft).

You take some poor guy who A) was never an athlete, or B) was an athlete, but has let his skills decline, put him on a pitcher’s mound (or, in some cases, in front of a pitcher’s mound), with hundreds of people watching, and have him put his athletic skills on display (phrase most use to psyche themselves up for this: “just get it across the plate, just get it across the plate…”). How cruel is that?

“Hey, can you come out and throw the first pitch at our game next month?” “Sure, I’m not busy. I’ll gladly spend a Saturday afternoon being stripped of my manhood!”