On April 10, 1961, In the last opener ever to be played at Griffith Stadium, the Washington Senators play the first game in franchise history. Rookie President John F. Kennedy throws out the longest and hardest thrown ceremonial first pitch in history as the ball sails over the heads of the players lined up in front of the presidential box. The newly elected Commander in Chief, an avid Red Sox fan, stays for the entire game and sees the ‘new’ Washington Senators, the former team having moved to Minnesota, play their first game, losing to the White Sox, 4-3, on Roy Sievers’ sacrifice fly.