The Baseball Reliquary’s third annual all-star
comedy benefit launched the 2004 major league baseball
season in uproarious style on Wednesday, March 31 at the
Ice House in Pasadena, California. The evening’s theme,
most appropriate for an election year, was “Pete Rose
For President: Baseball Meets Politics.” The fundraiser
coincided with an exhibition being presented by the
Baseball Reliquary at the Pomona Public Library, “When
You’re Out, You’re Out: Baseball & Politics,” from March
8-April 30. All proceeds from the benefit at the Ice
House went to support the various public exhibitions and
programs of the Baseball Reliquary.
Once again, Jack Riley and Tom Tully were
instrumental in compiling the evening’s roster of
performers, a star-studded collection of comedians which
has distinguished itself for years in stand-up,
television, radio, film, and theater. The show got off
to a rousing start when Jack Riley entered the room
wearing a priest’s chasuble, holding the book Pete
Rose: My Prison Without Bars to his forehead as
though it were a missal, accompanied by an entourage of
performers from Off the Wall, one of Los Angeles’
premiere improv groups. They entered the darkened room
wearing choir robes, holding candles, and singing a
Gregorian chant, replacing the traditional lyrics with
humorous incantations about Pete Rose. The stage would
soon become a pulpit, as Father Riley opened Rose’s book
as if it were for a sermon and read hilarious passages
to the congregation (although we’re pretty sure they
were not intended to be humorous when written).
In a yeoman effort, Jack Riley also served
as the evening’s emcee, participating in a number of
sketches and introducing, in approximate order of
appearance, Wayne Federman, John Caponera, Ed Crasnick,
Greg Proops, Andy Kindler, Kelly Kursten, Hamilton Camp,
Joe Liss, Tom Tully, George Wendt, John Mendoza, and Ed
Driscoll. Guest appearances included legendary Dodger
Stadium vendor Roger “The Peanut Man” Owens, who
presented a lively demonstration in the art of peanut
tossing, and folksinger Ross Altman, who performed “Mr.
Baseball,” his musical paean to Pete Rose.
The evening concluded with Jack Riley, Tom
Tully, and George Wendt returning to the stage for a
simulated radio sports talk show, aided by “call-in”
guests Wendy Cutler as Jamie McCourt (wife of the Los
Angeles Dodgers owner); Andy Goldberg as Mose Solomon
(the legendary Jewish slugger of the 1920s who was
nicknamed “The Rabbi of Swat”); and Hamilton Camp as
George Herman Ruth (not the renowned Bambino, but a
mechanic from Duarte). |