Here’s the Pitch …

Springfield hotel magnate John Q. Hammons prepares to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before Game 2 of the Major League Baseball World Series Oct. 22 in Detroit’s Comerica Park. Hammons was chosen after being given the Kemmons Wilson Service Award from IAHI, the Owner’s Association of InterContinental Hotels Group, the parent company of Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts. Holiday Inn is recognized as the Official Hotel of Major League Baseball. Hammons is no stranger to a ball field – he’s attended spring training for the Cincinnati Reds for the last 50 years.

“Being a part of a World Series game is a lifelong dream I’ve had since I was a boy growing up in the Midwest,” Hammons said in a news release.