Dolphins QB Malik Willis throws embarrassing first pitch at Marlins game: 'I slipped'

The last time the Marlins won a World Series, they turned to a rookie Dontrelle Willis in three of their six games against the New York Yankees. Back then, in 2003, the flamethrowing and high leg-kicking lefty delivered a trio of World Series relief appearances in the first of his five seasons with the then-Florida Marlins.

Another Willis took the mound Friday night in Miami, this one a righty without the velocity or accuracy D-Train possessed.

New Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis was on the bump to deliver the first pitch ahead of a 6-5 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. It landed nowhere near the zone. The ball sailed high and wide of infielder Graham Pauley, who had to retrieve it after it bounced off the backstop.

Here’s a bird’s-eye view, as captured by Marlins reporter Kevin Barral:

A surprised crowd at loanDepot park could be heard groaning during the errant toss. In the comment section of a Marlins Instagram post about Willis throwing out the first pitch, he wrote, “I slipped” with a teary-eye emoji attached to his reply.

Willis, who signed a three-year deal reportedly worth $67.5 million this offseason, has yet to throw his first pass for the Dolphins, but his first pitch didn’t make the best impression; however, he’s not the first NFL player to embarrass himself in this manner.

While some, such as Russell Wilson and Colin Kaepernick, have impressed during their ceremonial deliveries, several others have struggled mightily. JJ McCarthy . The year before that, .