Wrigley Field First Pitch
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton faces online roasting after throwing first pitch at Wrigley Field
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Key Points
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Haliburton’s pitch was caught by Cubs mascot Clark after forcing the mascot to “stand up to catch it,” and he wore a Cubs jersey with his last name and the number “0” on the back.
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Ahead of the first pitch, Haliburton had limited recent baseball experience: he served as a captain in the Pacers Foundation Charity Softball Classic, went “4-for-5,” and acknowledged he “hadn’t touched a bat for years” before that event.
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The “longer quest” included Haliburton showing up in baseball outfits while sidelined: during his Achilles recovery in 2025, he wore a Kyle Tucker Cubs jersey when the Brewers played the Cubs in Game 5 of the NLDS and a Shohei Ohtani jersey when Milwaukee played the Dodgers in Game 1 of the NL Championship Series—after which “the Cubs and Dodgers offered Haliburton the opportunity” for an MLB moment.
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On X, Haliburton and the Bucks pod host Nathan Marzion traded specific lines: Marzion posted, “If the Cubs lose, this is why,” then after Chicago won 2-1 Haliburton replied, “We won, so what does that mean Nathaniel?”—before Marzion escalated further by calling him “someone who goes out of his way to be an asshole towards Milwaukee.”
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Wrigley Field before the Cubs beat the Brewers 2-1, turning the moment into peak sports theater. The Oshkosh native wore full Cubs gear—including a custom jersey with his name and number 0—a deliberate jab at his Wisconsin roots and his history as a Brewers fan, jsonline.com reported.
The pitch itself became instant comedy fodder online. Cubs mascot Clark had to stand up to catch the high throw, and fans quickly mocked Haliburton's form across social media. The moment capped off a months-long quest for an MLB spotlight that included showing up in baseball jerseys during his Achilles injury recovery and sparking a heated X exchange with a Bucks podcast host.
Wisconsin Native Trolls His Hometown Team
Haliburton had openly mocked the Brewers before. The Milwaukee organization rescinded his first-pitch invitation after he helped eliminate the Bucks in the 2025 NBA playoffs. So he showed up wearing Cubs gear instead—a direct middle finger to the fanbase that raised him, sheboyganpress.com reported.
This wasn't accidental. Haliburton wore a Kyle Tucker Cubs jersey during the Brewers-Cubs NLDS matchup while recovering from injury. He repeated the bit with a Shohei Ohtani Dodgers jersey during Milwaukee's NL Championship Series game. After that pattern, both the Cubs and Dodgers offered him a first-pitch moment.
The Pitch That Launched a Thousand Memes
Haliburton's actual baseball experience was razor-thin. He served as a captain at the Pacers Foundation Charity Softball Classic and went 4-for-5 there. But he admitted he "hadn't touched a bat for years" before that event, fdlreporter.com noted.
The ceremonial pitch reflected that gap. The ball sailed high enough that Cubs mascot Clark had to rise out of his crouch to haul it in. Online critics wasted no time comparing it to throws from people with zero athletic training. Still, Haliburton did get it over the plate—technically a success.
Online Beef With Bucks Podcast Host Turns Ugly
The real fireworks came on X. Bucks podcast host Nathan Marzion posted before the game: "If the Cubs lose, this is why." After Chicago won 2-1, Haliburton fired back: "We won, so what does that mean Nathaniel?"
Marzion escalated immediately, calling Haliburton "someone who goes out of his way to be an asshole towards Milwaukee." The exchange underscored the genuine tension beneath the first-pitch theater—this wasn't just friendly trash talk, but a real wound between the NBA star and his hometown region.
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