I was tempted to go with the ill-omened Strasburg figurine, being given away by the Nats' Triple-A affiliate Friday night -- no word if the promotional item will now come with a little sling. But I really had to go with the chance to be in a movie with not just Jose Canseco and his brother Ozzie, but Matthew Lilliard, Dean Cain, Annabel Gish and Barry Bostwick -- forever a cult icon, for his role as Brad in Rocky Horror.
Sadly, this is no sequel -- The Rocky Horror Picture Show 2 filmed at Coors Field yesterday, and stars the Atlanta Braves. No, it is a baseball movie, Home Run Showdown. Here's the synopsis: "12-year-old Lorenzo Moore, a young baseball player who's determined to play ball in the local Colt league, joins a team of misfits coached by Joey Deluca that competes against other teams for the chance to shag balls in the upcoming Major League Home Run Derby."
Heartwarming, huh? One can only wonder what self-admitted juicer Jose Canseco is doing in this. Anyway, filming is taking place at the Toledo Mud Hens park, Fifth Third Field, from Thursday through Saturday, and participants are requested to avoid wearing any clothing, caps, etc. with logos. I'd bring a book. I'm not exactly Cecil B. DeMille, but from my limited experience of the cinematic process, expect a great deal of sitting around between takes.
Another thing -- as far as I know, film companies generally pay extras. While the piece is strangely quiet on the issue of compensation, under the "Frequently Asked Question" section of the site, one of the queries is "How much does it cost?" to which the answer is "It's free!" How very generous of the club ... All told, I think I'd rather have the Strasburg figurine, season-ending injury or not.