Fri, Sep 09, 2005
Batter Up!
The astronauts who returned the Space Shuttle to flight aboard
Discovery will throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Houston
Astros' game September 13th.
Opening ceremonies for the 1905 CDT game against the Florida
Marlins will include a video highlighting the relationship shared
by NASA and the Houston Astros. NASA Johnson Space Center Director
Jefferson D. Howell Jr. will join the seven Discovery astronauts on
the field.
Howell will present Astros owner Drayton McLane with
NASA’s Public Service Medal during pre-game ceremonies. The
NASA Public Service Medal is the highest honor presented by NASA to
a non-civil servant. It is presented in recognition of
exceptional contributions to the mission of NASA.
In addition to presenting the medal,
NASA will return Houston Astros memorabilia flown on Discovery's
recent mission. The items, a baseball, cap and jersey, were
presented to NASA during the Astros' 2003 Opening Day ceremony
honoring the astronauts who lost their lives in the Columbia
accident.
Throughout the 2003 season, the Astros paid tribute to the
Columbia crew by wearing the STS-107 patch on their jerseys.
Several astronauts were recognized in their hometowns and threw out
ceremonial first pitches in remembrance of the Columbia crew.
Astronauts threw out the first pitch at Astros' games in New York,
Boston, Phoenix, Chicago, St. Louis and Pittsburgh.
The Astros club has been tied to NASA since the Colt .45s
changed their name to Astros in 1965 and moved to the Astrodome.
NASA and the Astros have participated together in community events
and host NASA Nights each year. Past nights included
ceremonial first pitches by Astronaut Dan Bursch as a tribute to
the International Space Station in 2002; Astronaut David Leestma in
a pre-game celebration of space exploration and NASA Explorer
Schools in 2004; and, in 2005, by the astronauts who will fly the
next Shuttle mission, STS-121.
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