Nun throws great first pitch at White Sox game

Meet Sister Mary Jo Sobieck. She doesn’t mess around on the diamond.

It was Marian Catholic High School night at Guaranteed Rate Field on Saturday, and before the Royals beat the White Sox, 3-1, it was her time to shine. She climbed up on the mound, ready for her ceremonial first pitch.

But no, Sister Mary Jo did not mail it in. After a slick arm-bounce move, she wound up and fired a perfect strike to the plate. Just watch it all unfold:

Step aside, Sister Jean. pic.twitter.com/Mazk5IUoN3

– Cut4 (@Cut4) August 19, 2018

And from another angle:

One of the most impressive first pitches of all time. 😱 pic.twitter.com/PA7M4iC9X5

– Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) August 18, 2018

“That was awesome,” Chicago right-hander Lucas Giolito (who caught Sister Mary Jo’s pitch) said after the game. “She had a whole routine. She had it planned out. I was just lucky to be back there. She threw a perfect pitch.”

Giolito could tell she was really into the moment. “Oh, yeah. I think that she played some softball growing up and stuff so she definitely had a background. It ended up being great.”

“She was pretty good, actually,” White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. “We talked to her a little bit but before we were talking to her, she was talking to someone and she wanted to warm up. She had a mitt and a ball. She gave him the mitt. She stepped back at about 45 feet and threw a bullet.

“I’m like, ‘Wait a minute.’ He threw it back to her and she fielded it barehanded. I was like, ‘OK, she looks like she can play a little bit,’ so we started talking to her. I think she said, ‘I played center and short.’ I said to her, ‘Can you play for us?’ She said, ‘Sure.’

“She seems to be a really nice lady. I guess she’s from Minnesota. Cardinals fan, but she wants to be a part of falling in love with the Sox. I told her, ‘Well, we’re going be all right. We’re coming.’”

Can a team sign Sister Mary Jo for some relief help for the stretch run?

Adrian Garro joined MLB.com in 2016. Throughout his travels, both Bartolo Colon and Vin Scully have placed their hands on his shoulders. Not at the same time, though. That’d be amazing.