During his NFL career, Rob Gronkowski was known for making catches, not throws.
So, it’s perfectly understandable when given the chance to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before Monday’s Boston Red Sox game, his throw came up short — very short.
The retired New England Patriots star tight end took to the hill wearing a custom Red Sox jersey with the number 87 and his nickname ‘Gronk’ across the back.
He wound up and kicked his leg to deliver his pitch towards home plate, but instead of a strike, Gronk threw a spike.
It was a classic Gronk Spike if we’ve even seen one and the fans at Fenway Park went wild for it as the future NFL hall of famer raised his fist in the air to bask in the cheers as he celebrated while walking off the field.
During his 11-year NFL career, Gronkowski had plenty of practice doing the Gronk Spike. He scored 106 total TDs for the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers with another football legend — Tom Brady — playing a big part in that number.
Brady, who recently threw a little doubt into whether or not he truly is retired from football, gave the spike his seal of approval.
“Love seeing that Gronk Spike!!!!” Brady commented on his friend’s viral first pitch.
Brady wasn’t the only one that loved the clip online and many took the opportunity to have some fun with it.
“Angel Hernandez calls this a strike,” one reply said, making a jibe against the much-maligned umpire.
Another user posted: “Torn UCL out until 2025,” which may hit a bit close to home for some MLB fans.
Others were quick to compare Gronk’s antics with fellow tight end Travis Kelce, who has been living his best life this off-season.
“Gronk and Travis Kelce trying to out bro each other this week,” they wrote.
One thing we do know for sure is that whatever energy Gronk provided the Red Sox before the game didn’t last. Boston lost the contest 6-0 to the Cleveland Guardians to drop its record to 9-8 on the season.