From putting on (or losing) a large amount of weight to changing the way they speak to living in isolation for months, some of Hollywood’s best have gone to great lengths to get ready for a role. While Tom Selleck’s preparation for his 1992 sports comedy, Mr. Baseball, wasn’t nearly as extreme, the lengths the Magnum P.I. star took to play a former World Series MVP properly are remarkable nonetheless.
Back in 1991, when Selleck was on top of the world, he took time out of his career to spend spring training with the Detroit Tigers before filming one of my favorite baseball movies. Not only did he travel with the team, practice with the team, and participate in some pranks with major league players, he even took an at-bat against the defending World Series champions….
Tom Selleck Came In As A Pinch-Hitter For The Detroit Tigers In A 1991 Spring Training Game
Shortly before filming Mr. Baseball, a movie that saw Tom Selleck play a washed-up former MLB player trying to get a new lease on life in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league, the Hollywood leading man spent spring with his longtime favorite team to get in shape and learn the ins and outs of pro ball.
Though he didn’t get any time in the field or put up enough numbers to get called up to “The Show,” Selleck did enter an April 1991 game as a pitch-hitter. There’s a great video of the entire at-bat, which saw the Three Men and a Baby star foul off a couple of balls before being struck out by Cincinnati Reds reliever Tim Layana and his nasty knuckle-curve. Despite not getting a hit, the actor and former college athlete looked like he belonged in the batter’s box.
Years later, Selleck would tell The Athletic about the experience, saying that while he looked “cool and relaxed” while batting, he was “sweating bullets.” But hey, he did at least make contact, which is no easy feat.
This Wasn’t The First Or Last Time Tom Selleck Played Baseball
Though this was the only time Tom Selleck entered a game (spring training or regular season), it wasn’t the only time he played baseball alongside professional players. During the height of his Magnum, P.I. fame, the actor participated in batting practice with the Detroit Tigers, where he hit a home run over the right field wall at old Tigers Stadium (around 325 feet). In a post-homer interview with WAGA TV, Selleck said he routinely followed his hometown team, even if it was difficult getting box scores or getting the Sporting News on time.
Then, in August 1992, Selleck participated in a Detroit Tigers “old-timers game” at the iconic Tigers Stadium. Though this wasn’t a proper game and isn’t in the record books, the Hollywood star did record a hit. However, the next batter hit into a double play and Selleck was thrown out at second.
Based on how Tom Selleck looked in each of these performances, it’s no surprise that he pulled off his portrayal of Jack Elliott in Mr. Baseball so well. Though the movie has an insanely low Rotten Tomatoes score (only 12% of critics liked it), it’s still worth watching all these years later.