With the exception of baseball obsessives and players who are either trying to get their work in or trying to make a team, nobody takes Spring Training games seriously. Evidence of that can be found in the number of times that celebrities have been able to log plate appearances and field time in the middle of real Major League exhibition games.
In 2008, it was Billy Crystal who stepped into the batter’s box for the Yankees, and of course, there is Garth Brooks (or maybe Chris Gaines), who has spent time playing for the Padres, Mets, and Royals in Spring Training over the years. On Thursday, another celebrity will celebrate their love of baseball by putting on a glove and walking out onto his own field of dreams. Then, he’ll get into a helicopter Deion Sanders-style and fly over to the next one because Will Ferrell, whose Get Hard will premiere at SXSW, is going to put on a show.
Comedian and actor Will Farrell plans to play all nine positions in Cactus League games Thursday, shuttled by helicopter to different parks.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) March 10, 2015
According to SB Nation, Ferrell’s latest stunt is actually an effort to raise cancer awareness in collaboration with Major League Baseball and HBO, who are making a special about Ferrell’s exploits. Will those exploits involve Ferrell playing one inning as Harry Caray at each ballpark? Gosh, I hope so.
(Source: Twitter)