It can be hard to stand out among the jam-packed ranks of Hollywood favorites, but there’s no missing Tom Selleck when he chooses to make a cameo. Maybe its the hall of fame mustache, or the patient baritone, but whatever it is, it’s working.
Selleck’s never been as consistent on our screens as some of film and television’s most hard-working stars, but there’s good reason behind the 79-year-old’s more scattered appearances. He’s long prioritized his family and private life over continued fame, and its allowed the Michigan native to pursue a number of side projects, hobbies, and quiet passions.
Like baseball, a sport he’s long admired, alongside hockey and volleyball. Selleck has been fortunate enough to play both volleyball and baseball in a semi-professional capacity, and his partial ownership of the Detroit Tigers was a big culprit behind the latter.
Tom Selleck’s brush with professional baseball
Tom Selleck was never an established professional baseball player, but he did play alongside the Detroit Tigers in the early ’90s. His favorite team since childhood, Selleck purchased a minority stake in the team and even joined them for the occasional practice in the ’80s and ’90s. Those simple practice sessions eventually resulted in an in-game cameo from the Magnum P.I. actor, and it was all thanks to a film role.
In the early ’90s, Selleck was cast as Jack Elliot in Mr. Baseball, a sports comedy following a former Yankees player after he’s transferred to Japan’s Chunichi Dragons. While preparing for his role, Selleck seized the opportunity presented by his stake in the Tigers, and hit up the team for some research assistance. He joined the team during practices over the spring of 1991, and his resulting performance was broadly praised by baseball fans.
Selleck spent weeks training with the Tigers, and even joined them in a match against Cincinnati near the end of his time with them. He was placed in the game as a pinch-hitter, and — despite his comparative lack of skill — he didn’t even strike out immediately. He was in the game just long enough to turn heads, and that — paired with his role in Mr. Baseball — gave birth to theories that Selleck was once a baseball star.
Baseball fan? Absolutely. Baseball star? That’s up to debate. But its undeniable that Selleck did his homework ahead of Mr. Baseball, and in the process he technically debuted as a pro player. Even if it was for only one game.