Not-So-Quiet ‘Desperation’

The paparazzi flocked to Angel Stadium on Sunday, and not because the New York Yankees were in town. As “Desperate Housewives” co-star Eva Longoria prepared to throw out a ceremonial first pitch, a team official half-jokingly said the Angels hadn’t seen this many cameras during the 2002 World Series.

In a tunnel adjacent to the Angel dugout, Longoria asked bullpen catcher Steve Soliz for tips on throwing a strike, or at least not bouncing the pitch. Longoria said she was nervous.

“I catch these guys in the bullpen all year,” Soliz told Longoria, “and I’m more nervous about catching your pitch.”

The pitch went off without a hitch. After the ceremony, in recognition of her work as national spokeswoman for the charity Padres Contra El Cancer (Parents Against Cancer), Longoria and boyfriend Tony Parker of the NBA champion San Antonio Spurs took a few swings in the Angels’ batting cage.

“It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Longoria said. “It was exciting to hear the crowd. I’m obviously more into basketball, but this is the great American game.”

Longoria said she followed baseball by rooting for certain players rather than teams. The Angels presented her with an authentic jersey with her name on the back, so she hesitated to say who those players might be.

“Oh God,” she said, with a hint of embarrassment. “They’re on the Yankees.”