Phoenix Suns rookies don’t embarrass themselves with first pitches

Every year Phoenix Suns rookies throw out ceremonial first pitches for the Arizona Diamondbacks. This year, all three first-year players took the mound for the D-backs. Who threw best and how did their performance stack up against rookies from the last few years?

It is a right of passage, really, for a celebrity new to a city. Do a press conference or two, appear at the trendiest restaurant in town, and throw out the first pitch for the local MLB team. The latter has been a staple for Phoenix Suns rookies for years.

This year was no different, as all three signed rookies, Ty Jerome, Cameron Johnson, and Jalen Lecque threw out oddly synchronized first pitches at the Diamondbacks game Tuesday night.

Look at that form.

The first thing that jumps out is that Lecque goes straight for the rubber. No hesitation. His basketball game is ultra aggressive and clearly that translates to ceremonial first pitches.

Then, the elder statesman with lottery pick status, Cam Johnson, shoos the un-drafted teenager to the side and takes center-mound. The pecking order is clear.

After that, both Johnson and Lecque look at Jerome to start things off in a strangely organized effort to stay in sync, translating his duties as a point guard on to the baseball diamond.

All three pitches hit the catchers’ mitts, which instantly makes them all above average when it comes to non-baseball-players throwing out first pitches.

But who threw best?

None of them exactly brought the heat, but Cam Johnson threw the closest thing that could be considered a strike between the trio.

Ty Jerome was just a bit outside after a delivering a quick pitch but with an excellent follow through.

And Jalen Lecque, well, he threw it as if the catcher was standing up, which isn’t bad considering he stepped toward the dugout during the delivery.

How does this showing stack up to recent years?

It didn’t hold a candle Deandre Ayton’s performance last year.

After either pointing to the heavens for good luck, or being confused about how fast ball signs work (it’s hard to tell), Ayton winds up with a Bugs-Bunny-esque leg kick and hurls a somewhat-awkward floater just off the plate.

Let this be advice to future rookie and celebrity first pitch throwers: if you aren’t good at baseball, go out there and own it like Deandre.

Of course, if you aren’t good at baseball, maybe you practice bit, less you end up like Josh Jackson in 2017.

Jackson nearly missed the entire field and quickly became an Internet meme with direct comparisons to infamous horrible-first-pitch-thrower, 50-Cent. Suns rookies for generations will (hopefully) always be able to say, “At least I wasn’t as bad as Josh Jackson.”

The Phoenix Suns rookies will finally get a chance to be seen in a sport in which they actually excel on October 8th in the team’s first preseason game against the Timberwolves.