Journalist Michelle Li throws first pitch at St. Louis Cardinals’ 1st AAPI Heritage Night

Key details: Representing the Very Asian Foundation, Li threw a solid pitch across the plate to Cardinals second baseman José Fermín at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Monday to start their game against the Oakland Athletics, which the home team ended up beating 7-5.

“Very Asian”: The KSDK anchor co-founded the Very Asian Foundation in 2022 after a viewer left a racist voicemail complaining about Li talking about dumpling soup during a live New Year’s Day broadcast. Since then, the city has named Jan. 19 — the day the nonprofit was founded — as Very Asian Day.

Additionally, Li and her foundation were awarded the Asian American Journalists Association’s (AAJA) AAPI Community Impact Award last month and the Director’s Community Leadership Award from the FBI in April.