First-Pitchgate Redux: Barack Obama, For All His Faults, Already Clearly a Better President Than Gerald Ford

Say what you (and by you, I mean me) will about President Barack Obama's underwhelming Eephus pitch at yesterday's MLB All Star Game.

The video below, tagged by reader anon in past comments, offers a second view of the pitch, which clearly shows Albert Pujols scooting up to snag the toss well before it hit the dirt before home plate.

The same clip, however, reminds us of just how lame past presidents have been at the All Star Game. The last prez to toss the inaugural horsehide at an All Star Game was Gerry Ford in 1976. He couldn't even be bothered to leave the seats before giving the sort of spaz toss that would have sent him packing from the Bad News Bears in the trequel movie with Tony Curtis, fer chrissakes. 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. That, and all those checked pants and the stovepipe hats. And Thurman Munson's flying skills. And the fact that Bake McBride didn't get to play.

Just how lame was Gerry Ford at chief executive? Even his finale ultimo Bicentennial Minute clocks in at just 41 seconds.