Stephen A. Smith's first pitch at Yankees game invites humorous jabs from MLB fans: "But got a nerve talking about Shohei Ohtani"

ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith climbed the mound to throw out the first pitch at the New York Yankees vs. Toronto Blue Jays game on Thursday night in New York. His pitch bounced off the ground 10 feet before the catchers' glove who had to take it on a hop.

"Then he threw 50 Cent and Snoop Dogg under the bus, saying it wasn't THAT bad 💀➡️#StephenASmith #Yankees #50Cent"

While it wasn't the worst first pitch in history, it certainly wasn't the best, and fans weren't shy about making fun of him for it.

"Bro couldn't throw a ball 60 feet after all that talk," commented one user while the other wrote: "But got a nerve talking about Shohei Ohtani."

"This dude really thinks he's the main character"

Fan reactions.

"Mans playing cricket" "This is the guy lecturing and commenting on Pro sports for millions of dollars a year????"

"Sad night at yankee stadium"

Fan reactions.

Smith posted a video of his brief pitch to Twitter, noting that "it was a changeup!" despite the fact that he appeared to be rather dissatisfied after it.

Stephen A. Smith ranted about Shohei Ohtani

Stephen A. Smith gave a peculiar perspective on two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani. He stated that he didn't think Ohtani was deserving of the possible $500 million contract that some anticipate giving him this winter in free agency.

Ohtani's recent elbow surgery, which will prevent him from pitching until the 2025 season, played a factor in that assessment, but Smith also said that Ohtani isn't deserving of such a large contract because the Angels haven't been successful with Ohtani on the roster.

"The fact is he can't pitch until 2025, he's compromised on what he could do on the field," Smith said. "Did the Angels win? They are not winning anything, so I am not willing to give him that kind of money."

Smith frequently appears on SportsCenter, NBA Countdown, and ESPN's NBA broadcasts as an NBA commentator for the league. Additionally, he has served as the host of The Stephen A. Smith Show on ESPN Radio and co-commentates with host Molly Qerim on ESPN's First Take.