heavy trek to Dodger Stadium to throw out the ceremonial first pitch of the LA Dodgers and the San Diego Padres on Wednesday night.For a pro surfer, Slater displayed decent form with his fastball to the plate. According to Kelly, he threw a laser beam straight into the catcher's glove, "He didn't even move it," said an ecstatic Slater. "I haven't thrown a pitch since little league, but I wasn't about to throw it from the grass. I was pretty pumped, but I haven't seen any footage of it yet. I need to find somebody who's got it on video!"
Slater said he was nervous stepping out in front of 35,000 fans. Truth be told, ceremonial first pitch throwers get little respect from the players, who encourage them to throw from a shorter distance to prevent embarrassment.
Slater, of course, would have none of that. He kept his back foot on the rubber during his windup. "The catcher told me to aim right for his head and it would probably make it across the plate," he laughed. "And it did! He told me that was the first strike he's seen in three years...so that was cool."
Slater stayed to watch the Dodgers actually manhandle the division leading Padres, the favorite team of his buddy Taylor Knox.
Once his nerves were calmed, he thoroughly enjoyed his evening. "I was way more nervous about that pitch than I was my heat that day, for sure."
We're happy the champ represented well. Here's what he had to say about the ordeal...
