July 1 (UPI) -- Competitive eater Joey Chestnut held a hot dog in one hand and the baseball in the other hand, before devouring the treat and throwing the ceremonial first pitch at a New York Mets game.
Chestnut showed off his talents before the Mets beat the Atlanta Braves 8-5 Sunday at Citi Field in Queens. The 11-time winner of the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest brought his 2018 championship belt. He draped the trophy over his left shoulder as he held a hot dog in his left hand.
Chestnut took a bite of the hot dog before heaving a baseball toward home plate with his right hand. The pitch was high and wide off of the plate before it landed in the glove of Mets outfielder Michael Conforto, the temporary catcher.
The hot dog eating machine also posed for pictures with Mets players and handed out free hot dogs to fans.
Chestnut set a new record during the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, eating 74 hot dogs in 10 minutes. The 2019 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest takes place at 10:30 a.m. July 4 at Coney Island in New York City. Miki Sudo is the defending women's champion. Sudo ate 37 hot dogs at the 2018 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest.
