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Tate Ratledge flubs ceremonial first pitch ahead of Georgia vs. Arkansas series opener
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Georgia offensive lineman Tate Ratledge is gearing up for the 2025 NFL Draft. And based on recent results, that’s a good thing, because he’s unlikely to get a call from the Atlanta Braves anytime soon.
Across his time playing for Kirby Smart, Ratledge drew various All-American honors as a key piece of the offensive line. He helped lead Georgia to the 2024 SEC Championship and was a 14-game starter for the Bulldogs during their 2022 run to the national championship.
On Friday night, Ratledge was back in Athens to support Georgia baseball in what should be a fantastic weekend series vs. No. 1 Arkansas. The Bulldogs enter as the No. 6 team in the country in Baseball America’s latest rankings, setting the stage for a top-10 series.
It’s a great moment to have Ratledge back and honor a recent star from some of the prolonged football success in Athens. However, it did not work out with a strike from his first pitch.
Instead of popping the catcher’s mitt with a nice fastball, Ratledge’s pitch squirted out of his hand and bounced in the dirt well in front of the plate. The pitch was so wild it skidded all the way to the backstop before the catcher was able to retrieve it.
It elicited an “Ooo” from the packed home crowd but was good enough for a chuckle from Ratledge. Take a look:
It’s safe to say Ratledge won’t be quitting his day job anytime soon.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
