Smithsonian showcasing signed Anthony Fauci Nationals mask: 'Infectious disease superstar'

The Smithsonian National Museum of American History has a peculiar MLB artifact on display in Washington D.C. 

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases that led the way on COVID-19 protocols, has the face mask he wore while throwing out the first pitch for the Washington Nationals in the COVID-shortened 2020 season on display in the museum. 

The mask, a blue base with a Nationals "W" that features stars and stripes in it, is signed by Fauci. The Smithsonian says it was a gift from the organization and "The Lerner Family," who owns the Nationals. 

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"Infectious disease superstar Dr. Anthony Fauci threw the first pitch of major league baseball’s COVID-disrupted 2020 season," the description of the display reads. 

"As a deadly pandemic ravaged the nation, major sports leagues found themselves at the center of a debate over 'reopening' the country. Amid a cacophony of misinformation and denial, the advice from Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading epidemiologist, rang true: make the decision about resuming play ‘based on scientific evidence and public health judgment.’ When baseball became the first league to retake the field, Fauci threw the ceremonial opening pitch – wearing a face mask in a stadium empty of fans."

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This mask, however, wasn’t the one he wore to kick off the 2020 season between the Nationals and New York Yankees. Fauci, who grew up a Yankees fan, was wearing a red Nationals mask as he walked on the field in an empty stadium. 

The mask said "World Champions" across the front, as the Nationals had just won the World Series during the 2019 campaign. 

Fauci’s first pitch wasn’t the prettiest, as he hooked it to the left of the catcher, skipping it across the first base line. 

Fauci’s mask isn’t the only one that’s on display at the Smithsonian, as Jill Biden’s inaugural ceremony ensemble, including the masks she wore in 2021, are on display as well. 

The MLB season was the first league to reopen amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as the 30 teams played 60 games – the shortest season since 1878. 

MLB teams dealt with losing players due to contracting the virus, but the season ended up concluding with the Los Angeles Dodgers winning the World Series over the Tampa Bay Rays.