Cute Dad Tom Hanks did some Cute Dad Comedy at tonight’s Cleveland Guardians game
Tom Hanks and Wilson The Volleyball were on hand to throw the first pitch for the newly-renamed team
Aux News Tom Hanks
Congratulations, human being! You have successfully made it through another week on Earth, the suck planet where awful stuff happens, like, all the time.
As such, you’ve earned yourself a little treat, fellow person. How does seeing Tom Hanks execute the latest installment of his ongoing art project, “I Am America’s Collective Cute Dad, Doing Cute Dad Shit” strike you?
That’s right: The man who brought you “Making an app just to celebrate his love of typewriters” and “hosting his own surf rock radio show just for the hell of it” is back, this time dazzling the crowds with “Bringing Wilson the volleyball from Castaway with him while throwing out the first pitch for a major league baseball team.”
Specifically, Hanks was on the mound tonight courtesy of the newly re-named Cleveland Guardians, who Hanks had previously lent a little bit of his seemingly boundless popularity to by narrating the video where the team announced its new name. Around the same time, Hanks apparently agreed to throw out a ceremonial first pitch for his “adopted hometown team,” celebrating his famous love of the sport.
And dad-joke schtick, apparently! We don’t know whether it was Hanks’ idea, specifically, to have this particular version of Wilson the volleyball apparently be fitted with a remote control that allowed him to frequently roll away from the actor, but we do concede that watching Hanks run after the ball was…well, not funny, exactly, but definitely Dad-Funny.
After throwing the pitch (reasonably well, by 65-year-old actor standards), Hanks also joined Guardians announcers Matt Underwood and Rick Manning in the announcers’ booth. Would it shock you to learn that Hanks is both charming, and a little goofy, as a baseball announcer? Slightly corny, smooth as butter, and genuinely exclaiming, “Oh, doctor!” at the first home run of the evening: It’s pretty much all you could want from a Tom Hanks Cute Dad Moment.
25 Comments
Even though I’m glad the Indians and Redskins names are gone, I think both teams’ new names are really boring.
Turns out Tom Hanks is about as good of a pitcher as the guys professionally pitching for the Guardians.
Currently in first place in the American League Central. At least wait until they’re actually blowing it.
*Second place.
I mean, that joke may seem like low-hanging fruit, but the starting rotation is maybe the one part of the Guardians roster that isn’t cause for concern. Their rotation is pretty damn stacked.
Hey-yo
Hanks’ unabashed love of Cleveland warms my heart (as a NE Ohio native who is used to people who have never been here reflexively shitting on it). He swings through here occasionally, and you’ll hear stories about him buying rounds at bars or buying everyone’s pizzas when he goes to his favorite pizza place. Also, if you live around here and you haven’t ever seen anything put on by the Great Lakes Theater Festival (formerly the Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival), you should check it out. They just finished up an excellent production of with Much Ado About Nothing. But back to Hanks: I just love to listen to him geek out about Cleveland baseball. He’s not faking it. He knows the team and its history. Also, he served as a good buffer between Manning and Underwood, whose dislike of each other is hard to disguise when they’re in the booth with just each other.
When he did “Bachelor Party” and performed the scene where he hit every tennis ball over the fence, he made sure to say, “And Cleveland wins the pennant!” in honor of his adopted hometown team.
That was a stellar moment in movie history and was the first thing I thought of when I saw the headline.
I’m sure Boomer Grandad thinks that everyone finds all of this perfectly enchanting. But, Mr. Hanks, if I ever have a wedding:You’re not invited
Sorry to hear you’re not a fan. If I knew I could get him at my wedding, I would get a divorce and marry someone just so I could invite Tom Hanks!
Lol. I know you don’t mean that 😉
Damn straight! I would invite Bill Murray instead
What is this, 2015?
Chet, it’s one thing to steal an accent from the Caribbean but an entire other thing to steal the name of a well-respected blogger from the AV Club.Hab sum dignity, ya bombaclat!
There is no way this is Chet. First off he kinda comes off as someone who still hates his parents like he’s a teenager despite being a grown adult. Secondly I’m not sure he is literate
No kids grow up screwed up, without something happening at home. I see a lot of families in my job. The nasty kids weren’t born that way.
Huh? I have no idea what you are going on about
Kinda thought my comment was pretty clear: Chet Hanks didn’t become an asshole by himself.
I’ve met a lot of assholes who had perfectly fine parents. I’m sure being raised ultra rich with famous actor parents probably had something to do with how he is now but I’m sure there are a lot of other factors at play in Chet Hanks being Chet Hanks. Honestly being named Chester probably is partially to blame
OK but Jimmy Dugan is RIGHT THERE and his most iconic character.
There’s no volleyballs in baseball!
Receiving the first pitch was Larry Doby Jr, son of the first African American man to play in the American League, he debuted a few months after Jackie Robinson for the (then) Cleveland Indians. Yesterday was the 75th anniversary of Robinson breaking the color barrier and his number 42 has been retired by every team, but every player wore it yesterday.
Should’ve joined the radio team instead. Hammie & Rosie blow Underwood and Manning out of the water. I turn on the radio to accompany the TV broadcast.
Did I know that Cleveland’s team is now called Guardians? I feel like it’s one of those things that I read about, but the news hellscape of the past two years has made me forget it. I honestly thought he was throwing at a AAA team until I saw the stadium.