Kenny Chesney has hardball dreams. (Getty Images)
The grass is always greener, particularly on a baseball diamond.
It’s not enough for Kenny Chesney to be the biggest country star on the planet. The diminutive singer, who will perform Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field, dreams of being a baseball player.
“I talked to (Phillies pitcher) Roy (Halladay) and I told him that I want to face him in a simulated game action,” Chesney said. “I want him to bear down on me like it’s the seventh game of the World Series. I just want to experience what that feels like.”
Well, Phillies fans and Chesney know that it’ll be at least another 10 weeks before Doc can operate on the mound and experience MLB action. The odds of Halladay turning back the clock aren’t great. The chances of him bearing down on Chesney are even less, considering Halladay’s tunnel vision. Halladay doesn’t seem like the sort to just mess around by throwing to a singing superstar. Will Halladay check out Chesney at the Linc, while his teammates are in Milwaukee?
“I love it when players come out and see me,” Chesney said. “I understand that when I’m in Philly, they’ll be in the middle of their season. But two -years ago a couple of the Phillies, Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Roy Oswalt came to see a show I did in March in Tampa because they were in spring training. That was fun. I’m a huge sports fan. I can’t get enough of baseball and football. It blows me away what these athletes can do.”
Well, it’s pretty amazing that Chesney can sell out stadiums belting out tunes, while it takes a whole team to pack such a venue.
“It is cool to do what I do,” Chesney said. “But it would be incredible to have one-major league at bat or to have the chance to face someone like the great Roy Halladay. It would be cool to experience that just once.”
Phillies’ country connection
Another Phillie had a connection with a country music star. Tug McGraw was the father of Tim McGraw.
“My father was an amazing person,” Tim McGraw said. “He was very excited about how much I loved music.”
What local Philly musician encouraged McGraw to take the stage for the first time? Kenn Kweder.
“I was playing a place at Second and Fairmount back in 1988 and Tug was there and he told me about Tim,” Kweder said. “I told Tim to go up there and sing and he was just like a hummingbird. I knew he had some talent but who could have guessed that he would become the giant that he is?”
