[UPDATE: It has been announced that Dawson will throw out the first pitch of Game 4 of the 2017 World Series.]
Never say Twitter can’t be used for good! 7 year old Hailey Dawson is on a mission to throw out the first pitch in every MLB stadium, a teams around the league are stepping up to make this a reality.
The Bleacher Report posted a video on Twitter earlier this week detailing her dream, which she can carry out thanks to engineers from the University of Nevada Las Vegas, who provided her with a 3D printed hand. Dawson was born with Poland Syndrome, a birth defect that caused her to be born without three fingers on her right hand.
According to the video, the 3D printed glove allows her to carry out tasks by simply using fishing line to hold it together and give her control. The fingers can then open and close with a flick of the wrist. As a lifelong fan of the sport, Dawson was able to then teach herself how to hold and throw a baseball.
7-year-old Hailey Dawson wants to throw out the first pitch at every MLB ballpark with her 3-D printed hand pic.twitter.com/onStqhEzyB
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 7, 2017
After the video hit Twitter, it didn’t take long for MLB teams to get onboard.
We love this! Can you please DM us Hailey's info so that we can set something up? 👏👏👏
— Oakland A's (@Athletics) September 7, 2017
Sounds great! Can you DM us Hailey's info, so we can reach out?
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) September 7, 2017
Looks like we need to get you to Fenway, Hailey!
Just DM us with your info and we're in! ⚾️
— Red Sox (@RedSox) September 8, 2017
This is the best! DM us her info.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 8, 2017
So far we’ve seen at least half of the teams in the MLB reach out on Twitter, with hopefully more to come. And Dawson has already gotten started. She’s thrown out two pitches in the MLB so far for the Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles earlier this year.
Hailey Dawson, a 7-year-old pitching prospect and your new personal hero, threw out yesterday's 1st pitch with her 3D-printed robotic hand! pic.twitter.com/wCL9xHRt1O
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) June 12, 2017