I had to take a break from my self-imposed hiatus to relay the contents of an exchange between the occasionally inarticulate Fran Healy and the urbane Keith Hernandez as they handled the play-by-play on tonight's Braves-Mets game from Atlanta.
The topic: the sale of the movie rights to the life of Braves pitcher Greg Maddux:
Healy: If they ever make a movie about Greg Maddux. . .Keith Hernandez (deadpan): Why?
Healy: As a great athlete, someday. . . What do you think would play the role. He played in The Producers.
Hernandez (amazed): What are you talking about?
Healy: Look it, look it (camera focussing on Maddux in Braves dugout).
Hernandez (incredulous): Movie about him?
Healy (insistent): Matthew Broderick. . . . What are you saying, he's no good? He's a Hall of Famer! You're going to go up and look at his plaque!
(Hernandez laughs)
Healy: Two balls and one strike. . .
Hernandez: Woody Harrelson.
Healy: Ok, you think Matthew Broderick could play the role?
(Hernandez responds with silence):
Healy: In. . . No. . . No it is inside. So it's three balls and one strike. You're looking at, tonight you're watching a future Hall of Famer pitch, he's going to win 300 ballgames. . .
Hernandez: Um hmm.
Healy: You dismiss him. Look at him.
(Camera zooms in on Maddux, looking baby-faced in the Braves dugout)
Hernandez: I'm not dismissing him, I just don't think that movie is gonna make any money.
Now, I think Maddux, along with Roger Clemens, is perhaps the most dominating pitcher of his era. But a Hollywood feature? I think I'm with Mex on this call.
I think that, unlike some subjects of recent posts, Greg Maddux’s off the field life lacks drama. Don’t get me wrong, I think that is great, but I also think it makes for a dull movie.