Astronaut Victor Glover Throws First Pitch at Angel Stadium

Navy Captain Victor Glover Jr. admits he gets nervous, even after flying fighter jets in combat and piloting a spacecraft around the moon. But on Friday night at Angel Stadium, the 50-year-old astronaut channeled those nerves into throwing the first pitch to Angels superstar Mike Trout during Aerospace Night.

Glover grew up just miles from the stadium in Pomona, California, where he played football, baseball, wrestled, and ran track at Ontario High School. That athletic foundation, he says, proved just as crucial to his astronaut career as his engineering degree and 3,000 flight hours across more than 40 aircraft.

"I give as much credit to athletics as studying engineering and flying jets in the Navy," Glover told reporters. "All of those things came together to help me learn and acquire the skills of astronautdom."

The lesson that stuck with him most from sports? Showing up to do the work regardless of Monday's win or loss. "That's an amazing life skill to build over time," he said.

Glover's recent assignment made headlines worldwide. On April 1, he piloted the Artemis II mission that circled the moon on April 6 before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego on April 10. He's now spent 176 days, eight hours, and one minute in space.

Why This Inspires

Glover's message goes beyond athletic achievement or space exploration. Standing on the field where he once dreamed of playing professionally, he emphasized what his cosmic perspective taught him about life on Earth.

"I don't want to create an elitist perspective of going to space," Glover explained. Only about 700 people in history have left Earth's atmosphere, but that rarity isn't his focus. "What I want you to take away from this is that it taught me more clearly than anything how awesome this place is."

His career has demanded sacrifices, including the simple pleasure of following an entire baseball season. But watching batting practice before the game reminded him of something he values deeply: witnessing people share their gifts with the world.

"I'm a fan of human greatness," said Glover, who roots for the Las Vegas Raiders and enjoys Olympic competition. "I love to watch people with gifts share their gifts."

While Glover remains an active astronaut and could be assigned to another mission after September 1, he's clear about his priority. "Earth is great and earthlings are great, and we should take care of it and take care of each other."