Murphy gets some boos throwing first pitch for Cranford-Jackson game

TRENTON — At least he did better than Fauci.

Gov. Phil Murphy received a smattering of applause and some boos Friday evening when he threw out the first pitch at the Last Dance World Series game between teams from Cranford and Jackson Memorial.

Murphy's ball landed in the dirt in front of the plate at the Trenton Thunder's Arm & Hammer Park before it bounced into the catcher's glove.

That was still better than the wild pitch that Dr. Anthony Fauci, the national coronavirus expert, delivered last month before the Yankees and Washington Nationals game.

In a video shared by Jersey Sports Zone, you can hear Murphy getting jeered by some in the crowd.

Those booing aren't among the 67% of New Jersey residents who approve of the job Murphy has been doing, according to a Fairleigh Dickinson University poll last month, which also found that 44% of Republicans also approve of Murphy. In April, Murphy's approval was as high as 71%, according to a Monmouth University poll.

That's in contrast to the poll numbers that President Donald Trump has been getting in the state, where a clear majority — 58% — disapprove of the president's performance, according to the FDU poll.

A more recent FDU poll found that two thirds of New Jersey residents favor keeping Murphy's pandemic restrictions in place.

Cranford ended up defeating Jackson, 12-2. The championship was part of a baseball competition run by the United States Specialty Sports Association for high school players from 222 schools in New Jersey.

Murphy, meanwhile, has announced his support for the return of high school sports in the fall.

New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, the governing body of high school sports, announced a limited season that will focus on local and sectional competition. Practice for fall sports begins Sept. 14.

Numerous colleges in New Jersey, however, have canceled their fall seasons.