This is how seriously Major League Baseball takes the results of spring training games: Actor and comedian Will Ferrell plans to play all nine positions in the Cactus League on Wednesday. USA Today's Bob Nightengale broke the news in a tweet, saying that Ferrell, 47, would shuttle via helicopter among the eight games scheduled in the Phoenix area Wednesday until he's accomplished his goal. No word if Ferrell were planning to land in center field at each ballpark. He probably wanted to rappel down a rope, or sky dive, but that kind of stunt could be considered over the line.
As you've probably concluded, the joke isn't merely that an entertainer is going to be playing in MLB spring training games — because Garth Brooks has done that. It's that one is going to be setting "a record" by playing all nine defensive positions, as if he's a latter-day Bert Campaneris, Cesar Tovar, Shane Halter or Scott Sheldon, who all did it during regular-season play.
What's in it for MLB, other than the publicity (which it might not need)? It's for charity. One of the games in which Ferrell will play is at Camelback Ranch, where the White Sox host the Giants. From the Chicago Tribune:
The Sox announced last week that their split-squad game was moved to 4:05 p.m. local time to accommodate a cancer awareness and charitable event coordinated by Major League Baseball and HBO, which will film a special. Ferrell’s appearance is part of that event. The Sox release said that four other ballparks will also take part in the live taping.
He's also reportedly playing in Athletics-Mariners and Dodgers-Padres. Five total ballparks, so that's two positions at four different games, plus pitcher at a fifth game? This sounds like a stunt that Bud Selig would not have greenlighted, were he still commissioner. Sure, these games don't count; pitchers run laps in the outfield during play; outcomes can end in ties. But do we have to make it a complete farce? At least Garth Brooks, you know, kind of went through the rigors of spring training. Is this any different than Minnie Minoso coming back to the White Sox, decade after decade? A little — at least Minnie was a real player at one time. Not to sound too much like an old man and his lawn.
Ferrell has lampooned other sports in his films and shows, from NASCAR and ice dancing, to kids soccer and ABA basketball. And he's done baseball too, in "Eastbound and Down," and "The Other Guys" with Derek Jeter. So this passes muster from an "art" standpoint. Ferrell is funny, especially for someone so broadly appreciated. He's got more hits than misses. It's just... all fun and games until somebody gets hurt.
