The most nervous moment of George W. Bush's presidency wasn't declaring war on a foreign country or dealing with the aftermath of September 11. It was throwing out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium during the 2001 World Series, he told TIME magazine.
"The adrenaline was just coursing through my veins, and the ball felt like a shot put," he said. "I took a deep breath and threw it, and thankfully it went over the plate, and the response was overwhelming. [It was] really one of the most dramatic moments of my presidency."
Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter didn't do anything to calm the president's nerves, either.
According to Bush, Jeter warned him not to mess up just as he was leaving the Yankees dugout.
"Don't bounce it," the president recalled Jeter as saying. "They'll boo you."
Luckily, he didn't bounce it and the fans didn't boo. Bush ended up throwing a strike.
