Former Bulls MVP Derrick Rose to throw first pitch for White Sox on Opening Day
Chicago Bulls legend Derrick Rose will throw the ceremonial first pitch for the Chicago White Sox on Opening Day next week.
The team announced Rose's appearance in a social media video on Thursday.
The video shows Rose donning a White Sox jersey with his nickname "Pooh" and his iconic number 1 on the back, as an organ plays the "charge!" fanfare familiar to baseball fans.
Rose also threw out the first pitch for the White Sox at a game in June 2008 after he was drafted No. 1 overall by the Bulls.
With the White Sox coming off an MLB-record 121 losses last year, Rose will be the biggest Chicago star on the field when the White Sox host the Los Angeles Angels next Thursday (March 27) at 3:10 p.m.
Rose was born and raised in the Englewood neighborhood on the South Side, and led Simeon Academy to back-to-back state basketball championships in 2006 and 2007. In his one year of college basketball for Memphis, he helped lead the Tigers to an NCAA record 38 wins and a berth in the NCAA championship game against Kansas.
He was drafted No. 1 overall by the Bulls in the 2008 NBA Draft, and was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 2009, averaging 16.8 points, 6.3 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game.
In 2011, he became the youngest player ever to win NBA Most Valuable Player, as he led the Bulls to a 62-20 record, winning the Central Division title, and making their first and only Eastern Conference Finals appearance since the Michael Jordan era.
Injuries derailed his career with the Bulls, who traded him to the Knicks in 2016. He officially retired last fall, and will have his No. 1 jersey retired by the Bulls during the 2025-26 season, making him the fifth player in franchise history to receive such an honor.
