VIDEO: Dr. Anthony Fauci’s First Pitch Brings New Attention to Gary Dell’Abate’s Infamous 2009 Throw

“To go into the weekend with Baba Booey trending, the fucking joy that brought me,” actor Michael Rapaport tells Howard

July 27, 2020

Leading coronavirus expert Dr. Anthony Fauci may have thrown a less than stellar first pitch to kick off the 2020 Major League Baseball season but the attention nationwide quickly turned to Stern Show executive producer Gary Dell’Abate, whose own pitch at Citi Field in 2009 was a bit of a stumble.

“Tony Fauci starts trending number one and then five, 10, maybe 15 minutes later Baba Booey starts trending number one in the country,” actor and noted Gary critic Michael Rapaport told Howard on Monday morning. “After a week of riots in Portland, all the things we’re dealing with with COVID, to go into the weekend with Baba Booey trending – the fucking joy that brought me and I’m sure it brought the rest of the country.”

Rapaport went on to use a sports analogy to actually praise Gary. “As much as I get on those big fucking teeth and everything that comes with Baba Booey, I just appreciate this man so much,” he gushed to Howard. “You’re great, Robin’s great, but Booey … is the real MVP.”

Between references on ESPN from announcer Matt Vasgersian and on Fox from known Stern Show fan Joe Buck, Gary was well aware of the renewed attention. “It broke the record for most people watching an Opening Day baseball game which was like four million,” he recalled. “Half the country probably goes, ‘What the fuck is Baba Booey?’”

“Gary, they fucking know,” Rapaport insisted of the executive producer’s notoriety in sports.

Still, after all these years Gary remains a good sport about the attention his pitch still receives. “Am I supposed to go, ‘Oh, thank you?’” Gary remembered with a laugh of the email Buck sent after making his reference. “It was funny.”

Relive both Dr. Fauci’s and Gary’s pitches in the video (above).