CHICAGO – Mary Ruich anticipated control issues.
"I knew it wasn't going to be good, but I thought I'd be close," she said Wednesday. "It was scary."
The rookie righthander threw one of the most wayward ceremonial first pitches ever when she plunked a team photographer standing close by, between the mound and first base line, before Tuesday's game against the Kansas City Royals.
The ball went right off Darren Georgia's lens, nowhere near the plate.
Ruich, a server in one of the Guaranteed Rate Field restaurants, earned the honor as a Chicago White Sox employee of the homestand, the team's version of employee of the month. She had no time to warm up or prepare — and it showed.
Georgia was startled and swung toward the plate as pitcher Evan Marshall — who was supposed to catch the pitch — put his glove up to try and hide his laughter.
"When I saw the camera get bobbled," Ruich said, "I was like, 'Oh my God! Maybe nobody saw that. I'll just run away.' "
No chance of that happening.
