Yes, you read that right.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the leading infectious disease specialist in the United States, has just received his own baseball card.
After being invited to throw out the first pitch for the Washington Nationals, Dr. Fauci lobbed a less-than-stellar toss that veered to the side and didn't quite make it to the pitcher.
Just a bit outside ... 🤭
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 24, 2020
Dr. Fauci's first pitch reminded us of another legendary toss. pic.twitter.com/P2eblsDScx
The accuracy of the pitch was not a big deal, according to Topps, who captured the moment on the sold out, limited-edition card.
A strong effort to the plate. 💪 Introducing the instantly iconic Dr. Fauci #ToppsNOW card!
— Topps (@Topps) July 24, 2020
Collect the moment - available for 24 hours only ➡️ https://t.co/ivsCJTR234 pic.twitter.com/0egpJNuyZj
Available for purchase for just 24 hours, Dr. Fauci's card quickly sold out after forcing a historic run of over 51,000 copies. It is currently unclear if there are plans for second release.
Fauci fans are clamoring for more and taking to Twitter to voice their distress. As for the man himself, he's being pretty humble about the whole thing. Check out this clip from a recent interview:
Dr. Anthony Fauci reacts to being put on a limited edition baseball card: “I feel a little embarrassed and humbled. I hope that Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle are not looking up at me, saying, ‘What the heck is going on here?’” https://t.co/ZnvhvX7Wdr pic.twitter.com/f7qlWODryl
— CNN (@CNN) July 28, 2020
In case you were wondering, the card has already showed up on eBay listings, with some bids going over $150.
What do you think about the new limited-edition Fauci baseball card? Did you manage to snag one when they were first released? let us know in the comments!