VIDEO: Former Lions WR Golden Tate rips RBI double in pro baseball debut at bat

On Tuesday, it was announced that former Detroit Lions Pro Bowl wide receiver Golden Tate had signed with the Port Angeles Lefties, a professional baseball team in the West Coast League. Tate, who was a standout baseball player for Notre Dame in college and was drafted twice by Major League Baseball, had spent most of the 2021 NFL season out of football but was eager to start a new career in baseball.

“As a child, my first love was baseball, so I’m excited about the opportunity to compete against some of the best young players in the league,” Tate said in a statement. “I look forward to having a lot of fun and exploring baseball more.”

Tate didn’t have to wait long. On Tuesday night, he made his professional baseball debut with the Lefties, and boy, did he get off to a good start. The Lefties put Tate second in the batting lineup, and after lead-off batter Kemet Brown advanced to first on an error, Tate immediately drove Brown home with a solidly-hit double on the third pitch of his at bat.

Thankfully, cameras caught Tate’s big debut hit:

And here’s from a different angle with some sound and a little Tate celly:

Nice little rip down the first base line.

Tate, who played centerfield for the game, finished Tuesday night going 2-for-4 with that double, an RBI, and a stolen base, as the Lefties took down Bend Elks by a score of 5-to-2. Not bad for a debut of a player who hadn’t played organized baseball in the past 13 years.