US President Donald Trump threw a curveball Sunday when he announced he would no longer throw out the opening pitch at a New York Yankees game next month.
"Because of my strong focus on the China Virus, including scheduled meetings on Vaccines, our economy and much else, I won't be able to be in New York to throw out the opening pitch for the @Yankees on August 15th," Trump tweeted, using a term for the novel coronavirus widely decried as racist and fanning conspiracy theories.
"We will make it later in the season!" he added.
Trump had said Thursday during his coronavirus press briefing that Yankees president Randy Levine had asked him to throw out the first pitch at the team's home game against the Boston Red Sox.
The announcement came an hour before Major League Baseball's pandemic-delayed season got underway, with top infectious disease specialist Anthony Fauci throwing out the first pitch for the Washington Nationals.
The reigning World Series champions said Monday that they had invited Fauci, a major fan who can often be seen sporting a Nationals-branded mask, to throw the pitch -- an honor normally reserved for the US president.
Fauci has become increasingly popular during the pandemic, widely recognized as the nation's foremost voice on public health and facing the challenges associated with the coronavirus crisis.
But Trump, who is reportedly irritated by Fauci's popularity and profile, has recently scaled back the scientist's TV appearances.
Fauci has also been attacked by Trump's team in recent weeks, and was not even invited to some of the recent coronavirus briefings.
Trump's invitation to the Yankees game had drawn backlash from several New York City officials, including Mayor Bill de Blasio, who tweeted Saturday at the team, "After CONDEMNING racism, the next step isn't inviting it to your pitcher's mound."
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
"Unstable Uncle": Internet Reacts To Viral Donald Trump Dance Video Donald Trump "Disrespected Sacred Ground' At US Military Cemetery: Kamala Harris Donald Trump Backs Decriminalisation Of Marijuana To Save Taxpayer Dollars PM's Shivaji Statue Collapse Apology Smacked Of Arrogance: Uddhav Thackeray Celebrated "Russian Spy" Whale Hvaldimir Found Dead In Norway: Report INDIA's "Hit With Footwear" Protest In Mumbai Over Shivaji Statue Collapse Maruti Suzuki Retails 1.81 Lakh Cars In Aug 2024 With 4% YoY Decline Israel Vows To Settle Score With Hamas As Bodies Of Hostages Found In Gaza 9 Dead As Rains Continue In Andhra, Floodwater Enters Houses In Telangana Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.