In 1910, President Taft began the long held tradition of a guest of honor throwing the first pitch of the major league baseball season. The opening game took place in the Washington ballpark and pitted the Washington Senators against the Philadelphia Athletics. Along with President Taft, dignitaries and members of high society, some 14,000 other spectators were in attendance that day and many believed that it was the largest baseball crowd Washington had ever seen up to that point. This 1910 quarter eagle may have been in the stands to witness the beginning of a baseball tradition.