On May 15, 1991, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip attended a Major League Baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and Oakland Athletics with then-President George H.W. Bush and first lady Barbara Bush.
At Memorial Stadium in Baltimore as part of a two-week United States tour, Elizabeth and Philip shook hands with players in the dugout before the game and waved to fans from the field.
Oakland pitcher Dave Stewart remembers the day fondly, telling USA TODAY Sports that he tried cracking a joke to the queen.
“I remember like it was yesterday. We were all lined up to meet her in that procession,” recalls Stewart, whose No. 34 will be retired by the A’s on Sunday. “So Three Stooges was one my favorite comedies. … So when she passed (in line), I did like a Three Stooges thing: ‘Queenie, nyuk nyuk.’
“She laughed. Well, cracked a smile. … Put it like that. The rest of the team was cracking up.
“It was cool for me. I’m sure it was for everybody too, but I had to go act like a god-dang fool.”