Of all the traditions of baseball games—hotdogs, fly balls into the stands, the national anthem (I assume—I haven’t actually been to many games)—the ceremonial first pitch is surely one of the most treasured (right?). The event allows spectators to gawk at celebrity attempts at athleticism, and in turn provides these celebrities with more of the spotlight they crave. Win win.
But as Japan has co-opted America’s former national past-time as one of their own favorite forms of recreation, the country has also imbued the game with a unique flare. Case in point: Japanese actor Rina Takeda decided to up the ante for her first pitch by displaying her gung-ho martial arts skills.
At a game on Sunday, she displayed the ferocity of her skull by breaking a stack of blocks with her head before her comparatively lackluster pitch. I don’t know what the blocks were made of, but the sound of the breakage makes it seem legit. Of course, lots of bowing ensues after both activities. Those Japanese, so respectful!
Wouldn’t you like to see an American actor pull this kind of feat before a pitch? Kim K? Britney S? Scarlett J? Someone’s got to get this done. If they fail to master the technique, they might smash-in their heads, which would be unfortunate and probably career-ending, but it's probably worth the risk.
Image: Youtube screenshot
