Editor's note: While this may be the first time that the Yankees have had one of their baseballs in orbit, this is not exactly the first time that this sort of thing has happened in space ...

Yanks Plan First Pitch from Space, NY Post

"The Yankees today announced that NASA astronaut Garrett Reisman will throw out the ceremonial first pitch from the International Space Station prior to Wednesday's game vs. the Boston Red Sox. It will be the first ceremonial first pitch ever thrown from space in Yankee Stadium history."

STS-73: "Crew took time out from Spacelab work to tape ceremonial first pitch for Game Five of baseball World Series, marking first time the thrower was not actually in the ballpark for the pitch."

Image: "STS073-E-5135 (26 October 1995) --- Baseball caps from the two 1995 World Series representative franchises float near the cabin windows of the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Columbia, with the Earth in the background."

Image: "STS073-E-5137 (26 October 1995) --- Baseballs from the American and National Leagues float near the cabin windows of the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Columbia, with Earth in the background."

"Expedition 5 Science Officer Astronaut Peggy Whitson presents the 2002 World Series Baseball to Space Center Houston.  Event takes placed at Space Center Houston. The baseball was the first pitch for the 2002 World Series, when Peggy Whitson threw the ball to Expedition 5 Commander on board the International Space Station. Selected photo of this event were published in the Space News Roundup, Volume 42, Number 5 May 2003.  Views include: Whitson presents baseball, a video screen showing the baseball pitch performed on the Space Station can be seen behind Whitson. [click on image to enlarge]

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