The San Francisco Giants held their sixth-annual "Metallica Night" yesterday, April 23rd, where they brought out members of the band to assist with the usual pre-game ceremonies. Kirk Hammett took to the diamond for a fiery solo rendition of the national anthem, while Lars Ulrich handled the opening pitch for the sixth straight year (see footage of that below). The Bay Area natives stuck around to root for the home team, who bested the Washington Nationals 4-2 in that night's game.
Discussing the sixth "Metallica Night" earlier this year, frontman James Hetfield said: "We're blessed to be doing this every year and being a part of the vibe here. You know, when times are good, when times are bad, they need the support."
"It's a good opportunity for us to interact with our home team, hometown and interact with the people of the Bay Area in San Francisco," adds Hammett. "And for me, it's a lot of fun to be able to play the national anthem."
Ulrich discussed the band's newfound custom of throwing the first pitch at "Metallica Night" in an interview with NBC sports. "When you walk out to the mound after they call your name, it's still 15-20 seconds of the loneliest time of your life," he admitted, going on to add, "Six years in, I think most of them [the pitches] have been where they should be. It hasn't ended up in the dugout, or out in the Bay, or anything like that. Six for six is good."
