Freed American Teacher Marc Fogel to Throw First Pitch at Pirates' Home Opener

Marc Fogel, a Pittsburgh-area school teacher recently released from a Russian prison, will have the honor of throwing out the first pitch at the Pittsburgh Pirates' home opener against the New York Yankees on Friday. The announcement, made by the club on Wednesday, celebrates Fogel's return to the United States after a years-long ordeal. Fogel, a resident of Butler, Pennsylvania, was detained in Russia in 2021 while traveling to work at a school. He was subsequently sentenced to 14 years in prison for possessing medically prescribed marijuana, a charge his family and supporters deemed unjust.

Fogel's release in February was part of a prisoner swap that saw Alexander Vinnik, a Russian cryptocurrency expert facing fraud charges in the U.S., returned to Russia. The Pirates' decision to have Fogel throw the first pitch serves as a symbolic gesture of welcome home and recognition of his resilience after his wrongful imprisonment.