J.K. Simmons Was More Nervous To Throw Out 1st Pitch Than Accept Oscar [VIDEO]
By: Jeff Riger
@riger1984
It's not everyday you go to a baseball game and get a chance to talk to an Academy Award-winning actor but that's what went down at Tigers Opening Day 2015. Michigan native and Oscar winner J.K. Simmons threw out the annual first pitch at Comerica Park and by all accounts, it was a strike.
"Yeah, Country Joe (West) said it was a strike but I'm not sure he's the most reliable judge" Simmons said. "I think I caught the inside corner."
Simmons seemed to have done it all when it comes to acting and theater. From being a prison mate in the TV show "Oz" to playing the Yellow M&M, Simmons has been so many people that it's a safe bet that you've seen something he's done. But what about throwing out that first pitch? Was he more nervous for the throw or to accept the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in "Whiplash?"
"This is right up there, honestly I was a little more nervous jogging out to the mound than I was walking up to the stage at the Dolby theater" Simmons said.
Simmons is such a big fan of the Tigers that he got a chance to talk extensively with manager Brad Ausmus about this season's prospects.
"We talked about the team and about the game and about JV and the bullpen and whether Victor and Miggy feel like they had enough swings this spring. When I'm there with the baseball guys, baseball is what I want to talk about" Simmons said.
Check out the video to find out what Simmons thinks about Detroit's bullpen and if he was the reason Billy Chapel was a Tiger in the movie "For the Love of the Game."