While the outcome of the MLB All-Star Game matters, the Celebrity Softball Game is nothing but fun for the players and fans.
Actors, models, musicians and more will try to show just how athletic they really are, competing alongside Hall of Famers and former All-Stars. Of course, Jennie Finch will probably embarrass all of them anyway.
The score isn't important, but every competitor will want to go home with a few plays he or she can be proud of, either at the plate or in the field. Regardless of who does well, we should at least see some memorable moments from both teams.
All-Star Legends and Celebrity Softball Game
When: Sunday
Where: Petco Park, San Diego
Time: Following the MLB Futures Game, which begins at 7 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN (Monday following the Home Run Derby, which begins at 8 p.m. ET)
While the non-athletes always want to show what they can do, the real stars are usually the former baseball players. When you can hit the ball out of a major league park with regularity, it isn't too much trouble to knock a softball out with the fence brought in.
Tim Raines, Ozzie Smith, Andre Dawson and Fred Lynn are some of the hitters to watch during the softball game, although the most fun might be Vladimir Guerrero. The nine-time All-Star made a career out of hitting every ball that was anywhere near the plate. In a game like this, expect him to swing away on every pitch with the possibility of hitting the ball far.
Still, the most popular player in attendance will likely be Trevor Hoffman. The closer spent 16 years with the San Diego Padres, tallying 552 of his 601 career saves, and he is certain to get quite a few cheers from the hometown fans.
As Becki Schildhouse of NBC San Diego also notes, Sunday will be a busy day for the seven-time All-Star:
Meanwhile, a handful of athletes in other sports will try to show their versatility, including soccer star Landon Donovan and Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints.
For Brees, the key might be to avoid getting overconfident. He struggled in his last celebrity softball game, explaining afterward it was the result of a lack of practice.
"I hit every ball hard, I just hit every ball on top of it," the quarterback said, per Joel A. Erickson of the Advocate. "Obviously, I probably should've gotten in the cage a little bit before I got out here, but I feel like I should just be able to pick the bat up and hit it whenever I want, wherever I want on the field."
The rest of the field is filled with musicians such as Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy and Tim Foreman of Switchfoot, as well as actors such as Jamie Foxx and Mark-Paul Gosselaar, also known as Zack Morris from Saved by the Bell.
One sleeper whom fans might want to watch out for is J.K. Simmons, whose strength was on display recently:
He and Terry Crews might battle for the biggest muscles in the game, which could translate to some long balls at the plate.
While all the hitters will need to come up with big showings in order to top last year's 25-21 final, the game should be fun regardless of the outcome.
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