Hawk Tuah Girl's viral fame leads to Mets' first pitch, sparking controversy and a crushing loss

Some defended her noting that she didn’t choose to go viral and has made charitable donations after her rise to fame.

The well-known "Hawk Tuah Girl" made a special appearance as the New York Mets' guest on Thursday, where she threw the ceremonial first pitch before their game.

The "Hawk Tuah Girl" is Haliey Welch, a Tennessee native who gained internet fame with her now-iconic phrase. When asked "what move" in the bedroom makes a guy go "crazy," she replied, "Awh, you gotta hawk … tuah, spit on that thang — you get me?" during the Country Music Awards weekend in Nashville.

The clip quickly went viral on TikTok and spread across other platforms. Initially, Welch, 21, maintained a low profile, but she's now embracing the attention. Last month, she reportedly earned $30,000 for an appearance at a pool club in south Florida, where she fittingly wore a Tua Tagovailoa shirsey.

On Thursday, Welch took to the mound, testing her athletic abilities before the Mets' game against the Oakland Athletics. Her appearance sparked mixed reactions online.

One X user criticized the Mets' decision to have Welch throw out the first pitch at a summer "camp day" game, where most of the fans were children. They questioned the team's judgment, saying, "Seriously, what were they thinking? Be better than this." Another user called the decision to give her a platform "awful," while others labeled it "pathetic" and "disgusting."

However, some defended Welch, noting that she didn’t choose to go viral and has since made charitable donations following her rise to social media fame.

The Mets ended up blowing a 5-0 lead, losing 7-6 to the A's in what became the longest nine-inning game in the pitch-timer era (3 hours, 45 minutes). Some fans now believe Welch might have cursed the 2024 Mets, though that remains to be seen. Regardless, Thursday's game is being considered one of the team's worst losses of the season.