Reagan Makes His Pitch--and Makes It Again and Again

President Reagan threw out the ceremonial first pitch today for the Baltimore Orioles, but he needed three tries. His first toss was short and the second was wild. His third was called a strike.

Reagan, who emerged from the Oriole dugout in the season opener with the Cleveland Indians, shared the spotlight with a teen-age cystic fibrosis patient, Brian Gray, baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth and Orioles owner Edward Bennett Williams, a prominent Democrat.

To chants from the crowd of “Ronnie, Ronnie,” Reagan threw out one limp pitch, tossed a second wild one past catcher Rick Dempsey and made it on target the third time.

The President watched the game from the dugout, although it is technically against the rules for non-players to be there during a game. After the first half inning, in which Cleveland scored a run, Dempsey chatted with the President.