Punxsutawney Phil makes ceremonial first pitch appearance at Pirates game
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Apr 30
Punxsutawney Phil makes ceremonial first pitch appearance at Pirates game
8 articles · Updated · Fox News · Apr 30
Before Friday's game against the St Louis Cardinals at Pittsburgh's PNC Park, one of Phil's handlers threw the ball after showing it to the famous groundhog.
The Pirates also presented Phil's handler with a team jersey as the club staged an unusual pregame ceremony featuring the Pennsylvania weather-predicting mascot.
Phil, best known for Groundhog Day appearances each 2 February in Punxsutawney, joined a long line of celebrity first-pitch guests, though he needed a human surrogate.
Will Punxsutawney Phil's new family change his public duties, or will his offspring be groomed for the spotlight?
When a folk hero throws a first pitch, where is the line between cultural celebration and commercial exploitation?
With science proving his forecasts are mostly wrong, why does the world's faith in a groundhog weatherman continue to grow?