Browns QB Weeden throws 1st pitch

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CLEVELAND -- Brandon Weeden nervously spun the baseball in his right hand.

"I can't remember the last time I threw one of these," the Browns rookie quarterback said sitting in the Indians' dugout. "It's so small. It feels like a BB."

For one day, Weeden returned to his baseball roots.

Weeden, a former minor league pitcher in the New York Yankees' organization, threw out the ceremonial first pitch Wednesday night before the Indians faced the Cincinnati Reds in the finale of a three-game series. Weeden was anxious to get in some warmup tosses before the taking the mound and showing off his strong right arm.

Once it was his turn, Weeden fired a pitch at Indians pitcher Nick Hagadone that was high and off target -- but had plenty of speed.

Weeden and the Browns' other rookies were on the field for batting practice before they watched the final interleague game between Ohio's two major league teams from a suite.

Earlier in the day, the group toured the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and were given a behind-the-scenes visit of the museum's archives.

"It was cool," Weeden said. "We saw one of Elvis Preseley's guns and the jacket Michael Jackson wore in the "Thriller" video."

As the Indians took BP, Weeden autographed a few baseballs for fans and said being on the field brought back some memories of his days in the low minor leagues. The 28-year-old was drafted by the Yankees in the second round in 2002. He went 19-26 in five seasons before giving up baseball and enrolling at Oklahoma State to re-start his football career.

"I don't miss it," Weeden said of the minors. "If I had made it all the way up here (the majors) I'm sure it would be a different story."

Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press

This story is from ESPN.com's automated news wire. Wire index

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