HE shunned presidential tradition and declined to make the ceremonial first pitch of the Washington Nationals baseball season, but that doesn’t mean Donald Trump can’t cut it on the pitching mound ... just ask him.

Mr Trump has long rated himself as a baseball talent, tweeting in 2013 he was “said to be the best bball player in NY State”.

“I played football and baseball, sorry, but said to be the best bball player in N.Y. State-ask coach Ted Dobias-said best he ever coached”, was the full Twitter summation from Mr Trump.

Haters will be disappointed to know that Mr Trump’s baseball boasts may not be “fake news”.

I played football and baseball, sorry, but said to be the best bball player in N.Y. State-ask coach Ted Dobias-said best he ever coached. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 3, 2013

But when news broke that Mr Trump wouldn’t make the ceremonial first pitch because of a scheduling conflict, many wondered if the real reason was fears he wouldn’t deliver the ball over the plate.

Wrong. Turns out, according to a number of accounts from his time growing up and at the New York Military Academy, he was standout player “whose solid arm, power at the plate and long frame made him a model first basemen”, CNN reported.

And Dobias, his baseball coach, referenced in Mr Trump’s 2013 tweet said he was a “good-hit and good-field” who in his senior year was scouted by the Philadelphia Phillies.

Dobias even told Rolling Stone once that Mr Trump opted out of a pursuing a professional baseball career “because he wanted to go to college and make real money”.

For more than a century, US Presidents have made the opening toss to launch the campaign of “America’s pastime” and both Barack Obama in 2010 and George W. Bush in 2008 hurled ceremonial opening pitches at Nationals Park, AFP reported.

The tradition began with William Howard Taft in 1910 when he threw out the first pitch for the Washington Senators. In all, 13 US Presidents have made the ceremonial throw from teams from the nation’s capital over the years.

But it appears as the Washington Nationals opened their season, New York Yankees supporter Mr Trump was tied up with activity surrounding him meeting President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt.

Which may have been a good thing, because protesters unfurled a giant “Impeach Trump” sign at the game, The Hill reports.

Protesters unfurl giant "Impeach Trump" sign at Washington Nationals game https://t.co/9GyqY4MmWy pic.twitter.com/eeWONWae9Y — The Hill (@thehill) April 4, 2017