Browns rookie Johnny Manziel was a standout high school baseball player, and the former Aggie quarterback even flirted with the idea of taking the diamond while at Texas A&M.
Now a full-time NFL employee, Johnny Football gets to be Johnny Baseball for at least one night. The Indians announced that Manziel will throw out the first pitch before Wednesday night's game against the Red Sox.
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"I do miss (baseball)," Manziel told SI.com last year. "I would love to play. But I chose a different path. Football became center stage in my life when I always thought I would play baseball."
Manziel has thrown out first pitches before, including a Rangers game and a Padres game last year, so he has experience. That first-pitch experience combined with Manziel's baseball history leads us to believe we'll see a strike, and not something like the flail rapper 50 Cent displayed at a Mets game last week, which may or may not have been the worst ever.
Notable ceremonial first pitches (Twitter)
"Manzielmania" has already hit Cleveland with full force, even though training camp won't open until late July. Fans will get their first glimpse of the celebrated Heisman Trophy winner when he takes the mound at Progressive Field.
Manziel's presence has already created quite a stir in a town that's been waiting for a franchise quarterback. The Browns' season-ticket base has grown by over 4,000 since the draft. His No. 2 jersey is on store shelves in the Cleveland area and is already one of the league's top sellers.
The Browns are already expecting huge crowds to watch Manziel in training camp, which will be held in suburban Berea, their year-round training headquarters. The team has announced plans to have fans register online to attend camp to deal with the anticipated demand.
Contributing: The Associated Press