But enough about Mike Piazza.
Seriously folks, a quick scan of MLB’s press release (forwarded by Jon Solomon) offers ample evidence that Pedro Martinez is a very wise man to stay the hell out of Detroit next week.
Powerpop combo The Romantics, best known for the 1979 hit “What I Like About You,” will play a 30-minute set before the Futures Game, which showcases baseball’s high-ceiling prospects.
Right after the field is cleared at the end of the Futures Game, DJ-turned-rocker Uncle Kracker will perform two songs on the field before leaving the stage for the Legends and Celebrities Softball Game, which is slated to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET.
(The Dirtbombs – Mick Collins’ invite must’ve gotten lost in the mail)
Celebrities scheduled to play in the game include the Detroit Red Wings’ Chris Chelios, actor Billy Bob Thornton, Richard Schiff of “The West Wing,” “American Idol” winner Ruben Studdard and a trio of Olympic gold medalists: swimmer Amanda Beard and softball players Jennie Finch and Lovie Jung.
Rockers Alter Bridge, who shared a stage with the Red Sox after their historic American League Division Series victory in 2004, will perform live at the Home Run Derby.
The Romantics opening for a Futures game? That’s the kind of broad irony the whole family can enjoy!
Imagine how many version of “That’s What I Like About You” they can cram into 30 minutes?
Though I’ve yet to send a letter of apology to NBA Entertainment, Big & Rich are looking pretty good right about now.
The NBA’s recent lil’-bit-country adventures have the reek of misguided branding about them, but The Romantics and Alter Bridge is just somebody not working hard enough. Even a 30-minute extended remix of “Centerfield” — with extra handclaps — sounds good compared to that Jim Plunkett-lookin’ singing drummer bashing away for half an hour before Yusmeiro Petit takes the mound.
What’s weirdest about this, too, is that MLB seems to be trying to work up a connection with rock music via those soundcheck segments on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball ™. Personally, I’m still holding out for a performance of “Moby Octopad” with Butch Huskey on the ba-ba-ba vocals, but I think many other people would be happy to take in a pre-Futures Game set by one of those baseball-fan musicians who talk about their favorite teams during the Sunday night games.