On Opening Day 1910 President William Howard Taft started a tradition of Presidents of the United States throwing out the Opening Day pitch at a major league baseball game. Since then every president has thrown out at least one Opening Day first pitch except one. Franklin Roosevelt leads the way with eight Opening Day’s. His number would have been a lot higher had it not been for World War II. After the United States became involved in the Second World War FDR wisely chose not to go to Opening Day. The only POTUS who never threw out an Opening Day pitch? Of course it was Jimmy Carter. He has never been much fun.