The Bucket List Family throws out first pitch during opening weekend
Mar 28, 2025
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- Opening weekend is in full swing and baseball traditions are back in action!
During opening night, Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman threw out the ceremonial first pitch for the Padres.
To begin the second game of the season, the Padres picked The Bucket List Family to th
row out the first pitch.
The Bucket List Family consists of Garrett and Jessica Gee, with their three kids, Dorothy, Manilla and Calihan. In 2015, when Dorothy was just two-years-old, and Manilla wasn't even one year old, the Gee family sold everything and started travelling around the globe.
In the ten years, the family of travel journalists have documented their journey across social media and have gained millions of followers, who live vicariously through their trips of a lifetime.
From around the globe, their latest adventure brought them from where they have semi-settled with a home base in Hawaii, to America's Finest City.
“I think as a family together we’re at about 95 countries," Garrett Gee said.
“It's been on my personal bucket list to eventually have them out to America’s number one ballpark, I’m so glad this day has finally arrived," said Chris Connolly, San Diego Padres Chief Marketing Officer.
“We’ve never ever been to a professional baseball game as a family," said Jessica Gee, adding an opportunity like this is a bucket list moment for them.
To add on to the excitement, Garrett is a Padres fan.
“I've been a Padres fan for a long time,” Garrett said, after 'unfortunately' being a fan of that one blue team in Southern California that San Diegans really shouldn't mention.
Once they were asked to throw out the ceremonial first pitch, they then had to decide which one of the five of them were going to have the honor of throwing out the ceremonial first pitch during Friday's game.
“We were asked to throw out the first pitch and then it came down to who is going to be it and we honestly kind of held tryouts, and Dorothy’s got a pretty good arm,” Jessica said.
“I'm kind of excited and kind of nervous about throwing out the first pitch," Dorothy Gee said.
As with their travels, the Padres experience has been a family affair. The youngest of the Gee family, Calihan has been practicing to make the iconic call.
“Play Ball!" Calihan said.
After the game, they have quite a few places to check off their San Diego bucket list too.
On the top of Calihan's bucket list? The San Diego Zoo and Legoland of course.
They also planned to go to the Plunge in Mission Beach, and have an event at the San Diego Air and Space Museum where they will be revealing the cover of a new travel-themed children’s book that's been in the works for years.
During the interview, FOX 5 and KUSI's Zara Barker said she had to ask each of them what their favorite place they've ever traveled to has been, they all had a different answer!
“I always say New Zealand, I love New Zealand," Jessica said.
"My favorite is Japan," Dorothy said.
"My favorite is the Maldives," Manila said.
"Australia," Calihan said.
After much consideration, Garrett said, "I really love Tonga."
We asked the Padres Chief Marketing Office Chris Connolly who else is in the lineup to throw out the ceremonial first pitch this season, but he said, "you're going to have to come out to the ballpark to find out." ...read more read less