Actor Will Ferrell spent Thursday playing 10 different positions for 10 different MLB teams during Spring Training action in Arizona, including a stint at right field with the San Diego Padres in the team’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“There’s no doubt I turned some heads today, even if it was just for a moment,” Ferrell said via Padres.com. “I brought passion to the field, dedication, ability and a lot of ignorance. The ball moves fast out there, a lot faster than it moves on television. It’s like a speeding bullet. It’s horrible, terrifying.”
Ferrell has a special connection with San Diego since playing the role of Ron Burgundy for the movie “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” that takes place in the city.
He donned a No. 19 for for each of the first nine teams he played with to honor former Oakland Athletic Bert Campaneris—played all nine positions in a game in 1965—but switched over to No. 20 before playing right field with the Padres out of respect for Padres icon Tony Gwynn, whose number is retired by the team
Ferrell’s 10-team, 10-position journey helped benefit organizations dedicated to fighting cancer and was also filmed for a movie for his comedy website Funny or Die in partnership with Major League Baseball and HBO.
“It was pretty special, the fact that he’s playing for cancer and it’s a good cause,” right hander James Shields said via Padres.com. “This doesn’t happen very often, so I’m happy Major League Baseball stepped up and let this thing happen.”
Before taking the field for the Padres Ferrell had a brief stint with the Dodgers as a pitcher in which he faced one batter, outfielder Rico Noel, and got one out by retiring Noel on an attempted bunt for a hit.
“I was actually up there wondering if he was going to hit me or not,” Noel said via Padres.com. “But he shook off a few times. I guess he was trying to find the right pitch. And he actually threw a strike, first pitch. I was pretty impressed. So I laid it down and was going to see if he was going to make the play, and he’s actually got a pretty good arm.”
The Padres would go on to lose the game 1-0 thanks to a home-run from Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson in the top of the ninth, which ironically sailed over the head of Ferrell as he was playing right field.