Will Ferrell, the actor and comedian best known for roles in movies like Anchorman and Old School, is set to make an unusual appearance on a baseball diamond.
Ferrell will take the field for ten different teams across five separate exhibition games on Thursday, including stints as a player for the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox. It’s all part of a Funny or Die production that will air exclusively on HBO later this year.
The Hollywood funny man is honoring the historic feat of Bert Campaneris, who five decades ago played every position on the field in the same game for the Kansas City Royals against the then-California Angels. Campaneris is expected to be in attendance at Thursday’s event.
According to Major League Baseball, game-used memorabilia from the event will be auctioned later this year on MLB.com. The proceeds will benefit Cancer for College and Stand Up To Cancer.
“Spring Training affords an appropriate setting where our game can serve as the backdrop for an event that will benefit organizations that fight cancer. Will is a big fan of our game, and many of us in baseball — among our clubs, players and our millions of fans — are big fans of his. Major League Baseball is happy to take part in what will surely be a fun and memorable day for a great cause,” said new MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, who recently replaced long-time Commissioner Bud Selig.
Below is a complete list of the games in which Ferrell will be playing:
- 12:05 p.m. – Seattle Mariners at Oakland Athletics (HoHoKam Stadium)
- 1:10 p.m. – Chicago Cubs at Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (Tempe Diablo Stadium)
- 2:10 p.m. – Cincinnati Reds at Diamondbacks (Salt River Fields at Talking Stick)
- 4:05 p.m. – San Francisco Giants at Chicago White Sox (Camelback Ranch)
- 6:15 p.m. – Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego Padres (Peoria Stadium)
Image Credit: Gage Skidmore, flickr
