MLB Celebrity Softball Game 2018: Winners, Twitter Reaction and Highlights
July 17, 2018
The American League earned a 14-10 win over the National League in the 2018 All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.
WWE star The Miz took home Most Valuable Player for the game:
The Miz went 2-for-2 at the plate and robbed ESPN analyst Tim Kurkjian of a sure base hit before completing a double play.
Taking a page from Babe Ruth, The Miz called his shot in the second inning during his first at-bat:
Unlike Ruth, he only doubled to center field.
The former WWE champion's dominance extended to the mound as well. He pitched a scoreless fifth inning, setting the National League down in order.
The American League could have used The Miz in the sixth inning as it entered with a 14-3 lead. The National League put seven runs on the board in the final frame to make things interesting. Washington Wizards point guard John Wall tripled during the National League's rally, which gave the fans in the nation's capital something to cheer about.
However, the NL ran out of gas to give the AL the victory.
Entering the event, plenty of fans were eager to see Bill Nye step to the plate. The host of Bill Nye the Science Guy was blunt before the game about his limitations on the diamond, per MLB.com's Alyson Footer:
True to his word, Nye struck out in his first at-bat:
Nye did, however, single in the bottom of the third, bringing everybody in Nationals Park to their feet. He had clearly identified the exact angle the ball needed to travel in order to drop in over Orange Is the New Black star Dascha Polanco:
Nye arguably didn't have a worse performance than Hall of Famer Andre Dawson. The 1987 NL MVP pulled a Jose Canseco as he let a fly ball in the infield elude his glove and bounce off his head:
Next time, Nye might be able to give Dawson some pointers on route efficiency and how to read the trajectory of batted balls.
The Cleveland Indians will host the 2019 MLB All-Star Game, so it seems a foregone conclusion The Miz will be back to defend his MVP. The Parma, Ohio, native has never shied away from his Cleveland fandom, and he'll receive a hero's welcome at Progressive Field.