SHEEN’S ‘ WILD THING’ WON’T MAKE PITCH IN WORLD SERIES
Wild Thing will have to stay in the bullpen during the World Series.
While actor Charlie Sheen, who played Ricky “Wild Thing” Vaughn in the movie Major League, offered to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before one of this year’s World Series games, Major League Baseball said the choices have already been made.
A spokesman said Friday MLB has worked with Cleveland to identify “former franchise greats” to throw out the first pitch for the games in Cleveland.
Cleveland hosts Games 1 and 2 on Tuesday and Wednesday. If necessary, Cleveland will host Games 6 and 7 on Nov. 1-2.
There had been a movement on social media for Sheen to throw the first pitch. Sheen responded on Twitter, posting a photo of himself as Vaughn and wrote, “Major League continues to be the gift that keeps on giving! if called upon, I’d be honoured.”
Released in 1989, Major League is a fictional account of Cleveland finishing in first place with an unconventional group of players including Vaughn, who struggled to find the strike zone and warmed up to Wild Thing, a No. 1 hit song in 1966 by The Troggs.
The real Cleveland team took a page from Major League this season. Slugger Mike Napoli and second baseman Jason Kipnis constructed a shrine between their lockers like one in the movie. In the film, character Pedro Cerrano practises Voodoo and prays to an idol named Jobu to help him hit curveballs.
Like Cerrano, Napoli and Kipnis have their own Jobu and have left small bottles of rum and cigars to keep them out of hitting slumps.