Dr. Fauci Will Throw First Pitch at Nationals Season Opener The World Series champions start their year against the New York Yankees on Thursday. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is a big fan of the MLB team. Washington Nationals, via statement Fauci has warned multiple times about U.S. sports starting too early amid the coronavirus pandemic. Last month in a Senate hearing, he dismissed reports saying he believed baseball should not come back in 2020. According to Yahoo! Sports, Fauci's participation in the opener could be an endorsement of MLB's shortened season. U.S. presidents have typically thrown out the first pitch of the MLB season. President Trump declined the invitation in 2017. Fans at the Nationals' stadium also booed him during a game in last year's World Series.