(PHOTO: Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports)
Celebrities, sports legends, and one honored veteran kicked off the MLB All-Star Game festivities this week at the All-Star Celebrity Softball Game (the game was on Sunday, but ESPN delayed broadcast to late Monday night).
The National League clinched an 8-5 win in six innings after pulling ahead in the bottom of the fifth. It was a close game until this point, but compromised by some errors and questionable defensive plays by the American League team (but it was mostly pop singer Ashanti’s fault, who looked like she’d never seen a baseball game before).
But the American League team did have some veteran power players like White Sox slugger Frank Thomas at the mound and Hall of Famer Ricky Henderson. Even Glee actor Chord Overstreet proved to have some athletic talent. But unfortunately Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers wasn’t quite all in. Or Ashanti. Or Miss America. . .
The National League talent was lead by softball star Jennie Finch and Mets fan favorite Mike Piazza. Comedians Kevin James and George Lopez even looked good out there. But the real hero of the game was Josh Wege, a Marine Corps Veteran who lost both his legs in an explosion in Afghanistan. A member of the Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team, Wege killed the ball off of Frank Thomas to earn the title of co-MVP with Kevin James (James’ head-first slide in to second base was pretty inspirational).
Rosters:
American League
Craig Carton (Radio Personality)
Bernie Williams (MLB)
Rollie Fingers (MLB)
Ashanti (Singer)
Rickey Henderson (MLB)
Frank Thomas (MLB)
Fred Lynn (MLB)
Chord Overstreet (Actor)
James Denton (Actor)
A.J. Calloway (TV Personality)
Gary Valentine (Actor/Comedian)
Mallory Hagan (Miss America)
National League
Boomer Esiason (NFL/Radio Personality)
John Franco (MLB)
Jennie Finch (Softball Player)
Mike Piazza (MLB)
Darryl Strawberry (MLB)
Ozzie Smith (MLB)
Dwight Gooden (MLB)
Andre Dawson (MLB)
Josh Wege (Wounded Warrior)
Kevin James (Actor/Comedian)
George Lopez (Actor/Comedian)
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