An April 1897 advertisement for the Spalding. The advertisement appeared in several papers across the country–including The Chicago Inter Ocean and The Chicago Daily News.
President McKinley Formally opened the Base Ball Season yesterday at Washington with the Spalding Official League Ball…
It seems very appropriate for the American game of Base Ball to be formally opened by the President of the United States, as was done yesterday at Washington by President William McKinley, in breaking the seal and tossing to the umpire the Spalding Official League Ball.”
While the advertisement ran on April 23 so did a story from The Associated Press which said the president was a no-show:
“It was expected that President McKinley would favor the Senators with his presence, he having promised the Washington players if his duties did not prevent he would toss the first ball to the umpire, but he evidently was too busy entertaining office-seekers, and as a result players and spectators alike were greatly disappointed.”
The Brooklyn Bridegrooms defeated the Senators 5 to 4. It would be 13 years before William Howard Taft became the first president to throw out the first ball on April 14, 1910, in Washington.
William Howard Taft throws out the first pitch in 1910
Baseball History Daily 
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