Fresh off the first NBA Championship in Dallas history and an NBA Finals MVP, Dirk Nowitzki would seem like the perfect person to  throw out the first pitch for the Texas Rangers when they return home to Texas in this year's World Series.

Not according to Major League Baseball.

Marc Stein of ESPN reported that MLB has told the Rangers that Dirk will not be chosen to throw out the first pitch. Unlike regular season games, MLB has to approve who throws out the first pitch in postseason games.

Stein also reported that, according to his sources, MLB is hesitant to let Dirk throw the first pitch because the MLB owners are standing behind their NBA counterparts in the midst of the now 111-day lockout.

Major League Baseball has denied that the NBA labor negotiations have had any impact on selecting someone to throw the first pitch.

This is just another reason the NBA lockout sucks.

UPDATE: Amid the backlash from fans, MLB has changed their mind and has invited Dirk to throw out the first pitch at any of the Rangers' three home games throughout the World Series. Report from The Dallas Morning News.