Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 279 › Conversation 279-047

Nixon & Finch on Major League Baseball and Presidential traditions

Wednesday, September 22, 1971 · 6:55 PM–6:57 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Finch, Robert H.Conversation279-047 on Tape 279 (tape position 03:46:09–03:48:57)StartWednesday, September 22, 1971 at 6:55 PMEndWednesday, September 22, 1971 at 6:57 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 279-047 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon consulted with Robert Finch regarding a proposal to shift the tradition of the presidential opening pitch from Washington, D.C., to the home team's stadium in Anaheim, California. Nixon expressed a willingness to travel to Anaheim to participate in the event, provided that the American League schedule was adjusted to accommodate the change. The two discussed the public relations benefits of this move and the logistics required to establish the game as a significant presidential appearance.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Well, Bob, I have a couple of thoughts from here.
You may have heard that I told Dicker about the Senate in Washington.
Now, I could talk to Dicker, but he probably wouldn't.
Yeah, but let me tell you.
I want you to go to Bob Reynolds, and he honored his home president.
It's a very significant thing.
For 71 years, the President of the Republic of America waited on them all the rest of the year when they were throwing up balls in Washington.
The President, in fact, said now that with this change, that each president could throw out the ball in the park of his home team.
Now, what they have to do is to change the American League's schedule, so the first game, you see, the way Washington always plays the first game, will be in Anaheim State.
See?
And I'll come if you're on the ball.
I agree to go.
See?
So I think it's a fairly good thing.
And for them to build that up, you know, I'm pleased, correct?
For them to come and move, you know, and go from the rest of it if you want.
What do you think?
Well, it's sort of the feeling, the feeling of being very big with your home team and all around you.
It just means it's good.
But you can say, first, I will come to the angels over the king, but the angels should make it a capital case.
that their opening game, the president's opening game, must be in Havana.
And you know, it must be the day before the league is coming.
It's like the Washington opening game.
And I'll fly there to go throw the ball off the seat.
It's really a big deal.
OK.

NARA Description

On September 22, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Robert H. Finch met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 6:55 pm to 6:57 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 279-047 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 279-47

Date: September 22, 1971
Time: 6:55 pm - 6:57 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with Robert H. Finch.

[See Conversation No. 9-133]

Also recorded on September 22, 1971

  • 009-131 6:49 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 6:49 pm to 6:51 pm.
  • 009-132 6:51 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:51 pm and 6:55 pm.
  • 279-044 6:51 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:51 pm and 6:55 pm.
  • 279-045 6:51 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:51 pm and 6:55 pm.
  • 279-046 6:51 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:51 pm and 6:55 pm.
  • 009-133 6:55 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Robert H. Finch talked on the telephone from 6:55 pm to 6:57 pm.
  • 009-134 6:57 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:57 pm and 7:03 pm.
  • 279-048 6:57 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:57 pm and 7:03 pm.

All 84 conversations from September 22, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 279-047, September 22, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/279-047 (accessed October 12, 2026).