In Defense Of Gerald Ford

Let's WIN, which is to say, Whip Ignorance Now!  Nick Gillespie of Reason claims that, however lame Obama's All Star first pitch may have been, it was better than Gerald Ford's effort in 1976.  The evidence on offer is a Fox clip which shows Ford making an Obama-esque toss with his left hand.

But not so fast!  Per the NY Times, Gerald Ford made two ceremonial tosses in a gesture of bipartisanship Obama should take to heart:

President Gerald R. Ford also tossed two first pitches, but took it up a notch by throwing one right-handed to Bench and one left-handed to Carlton Fisk.

Ford was ambidextrous (and an All-American football player) who once said this:

"For as long as I can remember, I have been left handed sitting down and right handed standing up, and as strange as it may sound, I throw a football with my right hand and write with my left."

I assume there is a general consensus that Ford didn't look great throwing lefty.  And we can't dispute this from Mr. Gillsepie:

It's exactly this sort of half-ass effort that gave rise to Jimmy Carter's historic "malaise" speech a few years later on this very day.

Comments

[bad]

I would look almost Obamaesque throwing with my left hand.

But he couldn't touch me when I'm throwing with my right.

And I wouldn't be caught dead in public in jeans like that....

[Appalled]

TM:

I really do not want to remember the 70s, thank you. I have this bad feeling that Obama is going to have us recollecting those days of polyester, malaise, and stagflation soon enough.

[Blue Ox]

"President Onehopper McMomjeans"

Hah!

[Neo]

I was at that 1976 All-Star game. From my vantage in "standing room only" in the last walking aisle at the very top of Veterans' Stadium, the pitch(es) looked just fine.

Of course, I wouldn't swear that in a court of law since he looked like an "ant" and it could have been Nelson Rockefeller as far as I know.

[bad]

LOL Blue OX

[Danube of Thought]

Ford's only significant act was inflicting John Paul Stevens on us for re past thirty-plus years.

Blue Ox, are you related to the double-black-diamond run at Vail?

[Blue Ox]

DOT,

Sorry, no. Hometown reference.

LUN

[DrJ]

as strange as it may sound, I throw a football with my right hand and write with my left.

Not so odd. A lot of lefties have mixed dominance, where hands used for fine and gross motor skills differs. My ex was that way, and in the same sense as Ford was.

I've been on the road with very spotty Internet connections, so I've not been here for a bit.

[hit and run]

After I had "retired" from college baseball, but was attending another college, we went on a beach trip. And on the beach a buddy and I started throwing a baseball. And then stepping back a few steps each time until he could no longer throw it all the way. Then I stepped back until I could no longer make the throw.

And I threw my shoulder out. To this day, I can maybe throw 50%* of what I once could.

But...though my baseball career had ended, I knew my softball career was just beginning.

So I taught myself to throw right handed as well. My right hand throws are maybe 50% of what my left hand throws once were.

So, I figure, together, I'm still at 100%.

And now I can play all the infield positions to boot.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

OT and for DOT:

Two Generals Joined Cook Case On Obama Citizenship... Just Before It Was Dismissed.

[caro]

OT. On talk radio today (Rush) local ads are running thanking one of Utah's congressmen, the (D)one, Jim Matheson, for his support of biomedical research. It is sponsored by the Pharmaceutical Reasearch and Manufacturers of America and asks that we call and thank him.
It seems like there is an ulterior motive and I am trying to figure it out. Cover for voting FOR the ObamaCare bill?

[Charles Shackleford]

I can shoot with my left hand, I can shoot with my right hand, I'm amphibious.

[Ignatz]

--Not so odd. A lot of lefties have mixed dominance, where hands used for fine and gross motor skills differs.--

True for me DrJ.
I'm completely mixed on throwing a frisbee, shooting and dribbling a basketball, etc.
Writing is about the only thing I can't do reasonably well with either hand.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

My Mother was ambidextrous with no discernible difference in strength or accuracy from her dominant right hand and her left.

She attributed it to hours upon years of playing the violin and fingering those scales with her left hand to the point that it was as strong as her dominant hand.

[bad]

An older friend was born left-handed but the teacher said she needed to be right- handed so she learned to write right-handed. She knits right-handed but is left dominant in everyting else.

I'd bet there are plenty from that generation who are "amphibious" because someone wanted to fix them from the evil curse of left-handedness.

[DrJ]

I'd bet there are plenty from that generation who are "amphibious" because someone wanted to fix them from the evil curse of left-handedness.

I think you meant "ambidextrous." Reputedly I started hammering and writing with my left hand as a tot, but was changed over to the right hand. In the old world one simply was not left handed. While there is some residual mixed dominance, I'm strongly a "rightie" now.

[MikeO]

bad,

I have a former co-worker who is late-40s now who underwent the same "remediation" for left-handedness.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

She knits right-handed but is left dominant in everyting else.

Hmmm. I'm right-handed but knit left-handed. My Grandmother said it wasn't left-handed knitting, it was German Style. It got me a badge in Girl Scouts when my left-handed girl friend couldn't get the teacher's right-handed knitting instructions and I was able to show her the way I learned (from my Grandmother) and she got it right away.

My daughter is left-handed. That is the least of her problems, and it is a problem in this right-handed world. But, to me she thinks backwards and sees the world upside down from the rest of us. I think it is a left brain right brain thingy, but all I know is she used to drive me crazy sometimes and I blamed it on her left-handed approach to the world. ::smile::

[Rick Ballard]

"I think you meant "ambidextrous."

Hmph. Obviously she meant ambiguous, as did Mr Shackleford. What has dexterity to do with being right? I sense a sinister element at play here.

[Ignatz]

BTW, it might be noted that Gerald Ford was well into his sixties when making his tosses as opposed to 47 year old Barry bringin the heat.

[Thomas Collins]

Let's hope TM doesn't get any ideas about combining this thread's discussion on left and right handed dominance with TM's post on a certain type of "medical" advice given by the British National Health Service.

[Ralph L]

I write and throw balls left handed. I throw frisbees only right-handed, the left makes it wobble badly and drop. Everything else I do right handed, except wanking.

My right-handed parents produced 3 lefties and no righties. Their parents were righties, too. We're also extremely near sighted which none of them were. Genetic freaks.

[Danube of Thought]

I bat and throw lefty but write, shoot a rifle and pistol, use a saw and shoot pool righty. Wear my watch on my right hand.

I heard the other day about a young major league phenom (missed his name) who can stand at the plate and throw it to the foul pole with either hand. That's a new one on me.

[Rick Ballard]

"We're also extremely near sighted which none of them were."

There you go, TC. Next up: Longitudinal studies of genetic differences correlated with home delivery of ice and milk.

[Danube of Thought]

Sara, it was a retired two-star and a reserve colonel. I have no idea on what basis they thought they had standing to sue.

[Ralph L]

throw it to the foul pole
That's an interesting euphemism.

[Jane]

Blue Ox, are you related to the double-black-diamond run at Vail?

I've skied that - back in the day. (assuming I am recalling correctly)

[Stephanie]

I write lefty, bowl lefty, golf righty, throw righty, shoot lefty (but with a righty stance - weird), putt either (I don't even notice which way I'm putting at the putt-putt course), bat either ... maybe it was the 18 years of ballet and dance plus 10 years of gymnastics - you have to do everything equally well from both sides.

In golf (supposedly) playing opposite is better as the lead arm is the more critical and using your dominant arm as the driving arm produces longer better drives...

I learned to play golf righty; because, those were the only clubs they had available in the college PE course I took.

[Ignatz Ratzkywatzky]

--Everything else I do right handed, except wanking.--

WTMI

[bad]

DrJ, I was going with Chaco's "amphibious" because it seemed fun...and had less letters to type.

my bad

[DrJ]

I was going with Chaco's "amphibious"

??? This must have come up over the last few days. If so, I've been out, and missed the joke.

[Porchlight]

I write left-handed but do everything else with my right hand. I can write right-handed pretty well, too, especially on a chalk or white board.

Oh, I think I smoke left-handed, too. I can never remember.

Blue Ox, you mentioned a hometown reference - Bemidji by any chance?

[DrJ]

Ah, bad, a different Charlie. I missed it; sorry!

[Porchlight]

Oh, and sorry to be so late to join in the congratulations, (we are traveling so I have limited JOM time) but happy anniversary to the MayBees, the Hits and the Bads! Hope it was sweet.

[bad]

Thanks Porchlight. We've missed you. Hope the trip is fabulous.

[maryrose]

Happy Anniversary,Hits Maybees and Bads!

[bad]

Thanks Maryrose. You have such a beautiful name.

[Patrick R. Sullivan]

As someone else noted, Ford was 63 in 1976, not 47. And, I'd be willing to bet that Sarah Palin could get her heater to the plate, as George W. Bush memorably did in reopening the 2001 baseball season after 9-11, with a strike.

[DrJ]

happy anniversary to the MayBees, the Hits and the Bads

Yes indeed!!! My anniversary was three days ago too.

[bad]

Congratulations, DrJ. May you have many more.

[Ignatz Ratzkywatzky]

--Blue Ox, you mentioned a hometown reference - Bemidji by any chance?--

Porch,

If you click Blue's LUN it takes you to the Bemidji site.

[MayBee]

Happy anniversaries, all. Including me.
I think my birthday may be coming up as well. It seems like it's been about 2 months.

[Stephanie]

Happy Anniversaries, Birthdays, and all other celebrations of JOMers...

Think I'll open the "The Dark Side Bakery" when we get to that island. I see a need for cookies, cakes and assorted treats...

[Jane]

I think my birthday may be coming up as well. It seems like it's been about 2 months.

It was last week wasn't it?

Time sure flies.

Happy anniversary Dr. J

[bad]

How remiss of me, Maybee. Of course it's your birthday. Happy Birthday!!

[cathyf]

My right-handed parents produced 3 lefties and no righties. Their parents were righties, too. We're also extremely near sighted which none of them were. Genetic freaks.

Was the mailman left handed?

[DrJ]

Thanks all. And jet lag is calling me to bed.

[Ralph L]

Since we were born on alternating coasts, that mailman must have got around.
Actually, there's no question we're all related. We all got Dad's head and hair on Mom's tall & skinny body. My parents were 5th cousins, too.

[Ann]

Happy Anniversary, Maybees, Bads and DrJs!

According to the NSA tapes, Hits anniversary is May 14. But what the heck, I'll give a shout out to Hit for just being Hit!!! Happy Hit Day!

And a miss ya to Porchlight!

[comatus]

Sarah Palin gets her heater to the plate. As they say at that other place, "Bunk."

One of America's senior distinguished master smallbore riflemen, a repeat national champion and a member of the Roberts Team, is right-handed as can be, and shoots left-handed. It is a weird and strange phenomenon to watch all them little boo-lits go through the same hole, 100 yards away, in the wind.

[MayBee]

Ford was the best President ever, and I don't want any of you to argue with me on that.

[Ralph L]

William Henry Harrison! All 30 days! And deathly ill for most of them.

[daddy]

Sycophants, 'sicko-pants', whatever.

They're both wrapped around Obama's groin section, and all of them are repulsive.