Gymnast shares inside look at what it’s like to throw a first pitch at Royals game
With 81 games played at Kauffman Stadium each season, it’s not easy to have a standout ceremonial first pitch.
But a memorable one occurred last Friday before the Royals’ game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Leah Finnegan, who lives in Lee’s Summit, represented The Philippines in last year’s Summer Olympics. That’s one reason why she took home sportswoman of the year in the annual Kansas City Sports Awards show.
And it is why Finnegan was given the honor of throwing the first pitch. Finnegan worked in a gymnastics move (an aerial) before firing a strike to the Royals mascot, Sluggerrr.
Finnegan shared a fun behind-the-scenes look at what it is like to throw the first pitch before a game, taking her TikTok viewers through the tunnel underneath Kauffman Stadium, which is an area frequented by the ballplayers.
“Thank you so, so much to the Royals for letting me flip out with y’all,” Finnegan said. “It was seriously the best time ever.”
Here is the video she shared on TikTok.
This story was originally published July 2, 2025 at 9:34 AM.
