Best moments from the All-Star Celebrity Softball Game
Adrian Garro
@adriangarroLOS ANGELES -- There¡¯s just something about Los Angeles in the summertime. The weather¡¯s perfect, the beaches are packed, and, most importantly, there¡¯s baseball at Dodger Stadium.
This season, the All-Star Game returns to the legendary ballpark for the first time since 1980 -- and with it, the MGM Rewards All-Star Celebrity Softball Game.
Being in the heart of the Hollywood area, this year¡¯s hard-fought contest featured some of the biggest names in entertainment, spanning music, movies, television, and more, with a handful of living legends from baseball and softball as well.
The stacked roster included:
Bad Bunny
Quavo
JoJo Siwa
Chloe Kim
Action Bronson
Andre Ethier
Anthony Ramos
Bryan Cranston
CC Sabathia
Coi Leray
Desus Nice
Hunter Pence
Jennie Finch
Jerry Lorenzo
J.K. Simmons
Lauren Chamberlain
Lisa Fernandez
Natasha Watley
Shawn Green
Simu Liu
The Kid Mero
The Miz
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
Before it was time to battle between the chalk lines for bragging rights, several of the stars took their hacks in the batting cages, taking some time out to answering some important questions about the game ... and plenty of other things, too.
Here are some of the best moments and takeaways from the day ¡
1) Everybody -- everybody -- loves Bad Bunny
As much excitement as fans at Dodger Stadium showed all of the celebrity softball participants, nobody received earth-shaking screams on the level of the Puerto Rican rapper/singer/megastar. It was the sort of reception that gives you goosebumps, and prompted on-field host Stephen Nelson (of MLB Network) to remark that the musician's reception was louder than cheers he's heard at the World Series.
2) Guillermo from "Jimmy Kimmel Live" breaking a camera
Jimmy Kimmel's beloved sidekick/roving reporter, Guillermo Rodriguez, got in the box against "Breaking Bad" star Bryan Cranston to work on his hitting, and, well:
Guillermo picked up a few hits in the game itself, so all that practice definitely paid off.
3) Hunter Pence heartily booed by Dodgers fans -- but he gets the last laugh
The longtime Giants outfielder/current broadcaster was a thorn in the side of Dodgers fans for years. Taking the field as an MLB legend on Team Brooklyn, Pence brought down a cascade of boos from the stands when he flexed his Giants workout shirt under his softball jersey.
He then promptly stepped up and crushed a two-run homer to deep left-center -- juuuust missing an actual homer over the real outfield seats.
4) Vladimir Guerrero and David Ortiz showing up unannounced
For each of his first two at-bats in the game, Bad Bunny called to the bench for pinch-hitters ... a pair of Hall of Famers in the elder Guerrero and Big Papi.
When Ortiz approached the plate, softball legend/Team Brooklyn captain Jennie Finch remarked, ¡°I¡¯m ready -- it¡¯s a good thing I¡¯m not out there,¡± which could either mean "because I'd strike you out" ... or appreciating the fact that she didn¡¯t have to face him from the pitcher¡¯s mound
5) The Miz would make a great coach
WWE superstar The Miz is known for his huge personality in the ring -- and that exuberance extends to celebrity softball practice sessions, too!
When asked to name ¡°the greatest baseball movie ever made,¡± the wrestler (a proud Guardians fan who came to the event in a button-down shirt with the ¡°Major League¡± logo on it) said without hesitation, ¡°'Major League' and 'Major League 2.'¡±
He made it clear, though, that this honor did not extend to 1998's "Major League: Back to the Minors."
6) JoJo Siwa never stops moving
Seriously, she doesn't. Whether bouncing around in the batting cage singing along to Taylor Swift or running down the left-field line during the actual game to autograph a fan's arm, the dancer/YouTube star is just all energy, all the time. It's fantastic.
She also hit an inside-the-park home run.
7) Action Bronson would undo the D-backs¡¯ 2001 World Series win
Bronson, the Queens-based rapper/chef/entertainment mogul, was all business during batting practice, showing up in a ripped muscle tee and working on his line drives (which carried into the game when he slapped a bases-clearing triple off the wall in his first at-bat).
¡°To be honest, this is how I look every day,¡± he said of his style choice. Since I¡¯ve been lifting weights, I don¡¯t even wear sleeves anymore. It¡¯s got me hyped up.¡±
What was his pregame workout routine?
¡°This morning, I swung the mace probably 1,500 times, did a bunch of sprints. I¡¯m ready to go, man.¡±
A loud and proud New Yorker (and even louder Yankees fan), Bronson had a quick answer when asked which one play he would undo in baseball history:
¡°That single up the middle by [Luis] Gonzalez for the D-backs against the Yankees, 2001.¡±
8) Bryan Cranston¡¯s walk-up music? Silence.
Cranston, one of the most visible celebrity Dodgers fans with a warm, catching-up-with-an-old-friend personability, is known to the world for portraying Walter White on "Breaking Bad" -- an iconic character known for his steely intensity and unflinching seriousness.
Seriousness like this:
When asked what he'd pick as his walk-up music, Cranston took a long pause before replying, simply, ¡°Silence. Silence is golden.¡±
As for which play in baseball history he would change, as a lifelong Dodgers fan?
¡°Bobby Thomson¡¯s home run,¡± he said with a hearty laugh.
Which character from "Breaking Bad" or "Malcolm in the Middle" would make the best umpire?
¡°Jane Kaczmarek, who played my wife, Lois, on 'Malcolm in the Middle.' I think she would make an awesome umpire. No nonsense. You just open your mouth, she¡¯d throw you out.¡±
9) Joel McHale prefers the Dark Side
Comedian/actor/"Community" star Joel McHale raved about his hometown Mariners and their ¡°extraordinary¡± All-Star rookie Julio Rodr¨ªguez, a key reason the club is the talk of baseball with a 13-game winning streak after play Saturday.
McHale's instant answer for what he'd pick as his walk-up song? ¡°The Imperial March¡± from "Star Wars" -- undeniably a solid choice.
All of these engaging personalities added up to a powerhouse showcase of L.A.'s star power, and it made for an epic All-Star Celebrity Softball Game -- a nailbiter won by Team Brooklyn, 15-13.