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MLB All-Star Celebrity Softball Game: 5 Celebs I’d Like To See

By Bobby Mueller

Apr 23, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; General view of Petco Park exterior. The venue is home of the San Diego Padres and will play host to the 2016 MLB All-Star game. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 23, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; General view of Petco Park exterior. The venue is home of the San Diego Padres and will play host to the 2016 MLB All-Star game. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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San Diego Padres former closer
Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports /

With the 2016 All-Star Game being played at Petco Park in San Diego, this year’s collection of baseball legends include three players with ties to the Padres—Trevor Hoffman, Ozzie Smith, and Rollie Fingers. Hoffman played all but two-and-a-half of his 18 years in the big leagues for the Padres, while Ozzie Smith started out as a Padre before spending the majority of his career with the St. Louis Cardinals. Rollie Fingers and his Hall of Fame mustache was more well known as a member of the three-time world championship teams in Oakland in the early 70s and the Harvey Wallbanger Brewers in the early 80s, but he did spend four years with the Padres from 1977 to 1980.

Ozzie Smith and Rollie Fingers have already earned their plaques in Cooperstown as Hall of Famers, and Trevor Hoffman is on the cusp of entry after getting 67.3 percent of the vote in his first year on the ballot last year. Another legend of baseball this year is Tim Raines, who is also close to gaining the 75 percent of the vote necessary for Hall of Fame induction. Raines got 69.8 percent of the vote last year and has just one more year left on the ballot to get in. Here’s hoping he makes it. One of Raines’ former teammates, Andre Dawson, will also be a part of this year’s game, as well as Vladimir Guerrero, Rickey Henderson, David Wells and Fred Lynn.

The non-MLB celebrity athletes already announced for this year’s softball game include Jennie Finch, the former softball player who has become a fixture at these games; NFL quarterback Drew Brees, who played with the San Diego Chargers before finding success with the New Orleans Saints; and soccer player Landon Donovan, who played with the L.A. Galaxy for many years.

Movie star Jamie Foxx will be participating, along with the incredibly buff J.K. Simmons (Law & Order) and Terry Crews (Old Spice commercials, among other things). Rico Rodriguez, who plays Manny on Modern Family, is one of the celebrity participants but, unfortunately, the lovely and talented Sarah Hyland (Haley on Modern Family) will not be attending. Two Sports Illustrated swimsuit models, Damaris Lewis and Nina Agdal, will show off their athleticism.

There are always a group of celebrities that I’ve never heard of. This year’s unknowns (to me) include stars from the Disney Channel—Rani Rodriguez, Peyton Meyer, Karan Brar and Cameron Boyce. Not only have I never heard of them but, with those names, I’m not even sure of their gender. Their presence is likely an attempt by MLB to market the activity to people much younger than their aging demographic.

So, who should be added to this year’s MLB All-Star Legends & Celebrities Softball Game? Here are the five celebrities who I would like to see.

Next: Jim Parsons and Mayim Bialik

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