It’s back to bacon as I continue my quest to link every minor league team back to Kevin Bacon in a fun but unusual game of Six Degrees Of Separation. This time, I’m taking a look at the Florida State League.
Bradenton Marauders
Link 1) On May 17, 2014, the Marauders gave away 1,000 bobbleheads of pitcher Rinku Singh who’s story about coming to America to play baseball was portrayed in the film Million Dollar Arm. In the movie, Suraj Sharma plays Rinku alongside Jon Hamm who is portraying J.B. Bernstein. Jon Hamm was in Tag with Jeremy Renner who was in American Hustle with Jennifer Lawrence. She starred alongside Kevin Bacon in X-Men: First Class.
Link 2) If we want to keep the same formula through Jeremy Renner, we can also connect to Kevin Bacon another way. Renner had a small part in The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford with Brad Pitt. Pitt was in Interview With A Vampire with Tom Cruise who was in A Few Good Men with Kevin Bacon.
Charlotte Stone Crabs
Link 1) Jake McGee made 11 appearances for Charlotte during the 2009 season. He made his major league debut on September 14, 2010 and he recorded his first strikeout against Derek Jeter. Derek Jeter had a cameo in The Other Guys with Mark Wahlberg who was in Patriots Day with Kevin Bacon.
Link 2) Pitcher Matt LaPorta was born and raised in Port Charlotte, Florida which the Stone Crabs call home. He played on the 2008 US Olympic team with Jake Arrieta. He had a cameo in a 2012 episode of Veep called Baseball which also starred Julia Louis-Dreyfus. She was in Christmas Vacation with Keith MacKechnie. He was in We Married Margo with Kevin Bacon.
Clearwater Threshers
Link 1) Jimmy Rollins played for Clearwater in 1998 when the team was known as the Clearwater Phillies. He also made rehab appearances for the Threshers in 2008 and 2010. As a teenager, he was in a few of MC Hammer’s music videos. MC Hammer was in the movie Last Action Hero with Arnold Schwarzeneggeer who was in True Lies with Bill Paxton. Paxton and Kevin Bacon worked together starring in the movie Apollo 13 with Tom Hanks.
Link 2) Singer Juliet Simms is from Clearwater. Her coach on the show was CeeLo Green who was in the movie Begin Again with Mark Ruffalo. Ruffalo was in the movie In The Cut where Kevin Bacon had an uncredited role as John Graham.
Daytona Tortugas
Link 1) Kris Bryant suited up for Daytona during the 2013 season when they were still known as the Cubs. After winning the World Series as part of the Chicago Cubs, he and his teammate David Ross appeared on the November 8, 2016 episode of Ellen. Another guest was Mandy Moore. She was in License To Wed with Robin Williams who was in Night At The Museum with Ben Stiller. Stiller and Robert De Niro were both in Meet The Parents and De Niro worked with Kevin Bacon on Sleepers.
Link 2) Actor Denzel Washington spent his junior year in Daytona Beach going to Mainland High School. He was in The Pelican Brief with Julia Roberts who was in Flatliners with Kevin Bacon.
Dunedin Blue Jays
Link 1) J.P. Arencibia played for Dunedin in 2008 and he was married to Kimberly Perry from the musical group The Band Perry. They toured with Blake Shelton as part of the Ten Times Crazier Tour in 2014. Shelton was in the Netflix movie The Ridiculous Six with Adam Sandler. Sandler was in Anger Management with Jack Nicholson who was in A Few Good Men with Kevin Bacon.
Link 2) Director David Nutter is from Dunedin and graduated from Dunedin High School. He has directed many TV shows over the years and is responsible for directing the Game Of Thrones episode The Rains Of Castamere and the heartbreak known to GOT fans as The Red Wedding. Kit Harington was in that episode and was also the led in the TV show Gunpowder alongside Liv Tyler. She was in the movie Super with Kevin Bacon.
Florida Fire Frogs
Link 1) The Fire Frogs are located in Kissimmee, Florida and one notable resident is actor Richard Young who was born there. He starred as Fedora in Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade with Harrison Ford. In Raiders Of The Lost Ark, he starred alongside Karen Allen. She was in Animal House with Kevin Bacon.
Link 2) Before the Fire Frogs moved to Kissimmee, they were the Brevard County Manatees. Josh Beckett played for the Manatees during the 2001 season. He and some of his Boston Red Sox teammates were in the music video for country artist Kevin Fowler’s song Hell Yeah, I Like Beer. Fowler was originally signed to Clint Black’s label Equity Music before it folded in December of 2008. Black had a small cameo in the movie Anger Management with Jack Nicholson who was in A Few Good Men with Kevin Bacon.
Fort Myers Miracle
Link 1) The Miracle do have a spot in pop culture as the team’s name and logo was used in the movie Major League: Back To The Minors where Scott Bakula’s character Gus Cantrell pitched in Fort Myers before becoming the manager of another team. Bakula and Kevin Bacon both appeared as guests on the June 6, 2011 episode of Piers Morgan Tonight.
Link 2) The Fort Myers Miracle was known as the Miami Marlins back in 1967 and 1968 whenever MLB Hall Of Famer Jim Palmer suited up for the team. He was a Jockey underwear model in the 1970s. Another Jockey spokesman is none other than current minor leaguer Tim Tebow. He was a contestant on Lip Sync Battle facing off against Nina Dobrev. She is on the TV show The Vampire Diaries which was created by Kevin Williamson who also created the TV show The Following which stars Kevin Bacon.
Jupiter Hammerheads
Link 1) In 1986, the Jupiter Hammerheads were known as the West Palm Beach Expos and Hall Of Famer Randy Johnson was on the squad. He was in an episode of the TV show Franklin and Bash called Control. Also in the episode was Heather Locklear. She was in The Perfect Man with Chris Noth who was Mr. Big on Sex And The City with Sarah Jessica Parker. Parker and Kevin Bacon were both in the movie Footloose.
Link 2) One of Jupiter’s most famous residents is none other than actor Burt Reynolds. He was in Boogie Nights with Mark Wahlberg who starred with Kevin Bacon in Patriots Day.
Lakeland Flying Tigers
Link 1) Gabe Kapler suited up for the Tigers during the 1997 season. He also starred in his very own ad for K-Swiss Shoes. Another spokesperson for K-Swiss was the fictional character Kenny Powers played by Danny McBride. McBride was in Alien: Covenant with Billy Crudup who was in Sleepers with Kevin Bacon.
Link 2) Actor Dan White grew up in Lakeland, Florida and he was in the film Skyjacked with James Brolin. Brolin was in Catch Me If You Can with Tom Hanks who starred alongside Kevin Bacon in Apollo 13.
Palm Beach Cardinals
Link 1) Jon Jay played for Palm Beach in 2007 and he was also part of the good-will trip to Cuba alongside other baseball players and manager Joe Torre in 2015. Torre had a cameo in Anger Management with Jack Nicholson. He was in A Few Good Men with Kevin Bacon.
St. Lucie Mets
Link 1) Heath Bell suited up for the St. Lucie Mets appearing in 48 games in 2000. He is the cousin of actor Drake Bell who was in Jerry Maguire with Tom Cruise. Cruise was in A Few Good Men with Kevin Bacon.
Link 2) Actress Megan Fox spent his teen years growing up in St. Lucie. She was in This Is 40 with Paul Rudd who was in Clueless with Alicia Silverstone. Kevin Bacon and Silverstone were both in the movie Beauty Shop.
Tampa Tarpons
Link 1) Derek Jeter played for Tampa during the 1994 season with a rehab appearance in 2000. He made a cameo in The Other Guys with Mark Wahlberg who was in Patriots Day with Kevin Bacon.
Link 2) One of Jeter’s teammates during that 1994 season was Mariano Rivera. He was a guest on the TV movie Closers. Several other ballplayers were guests including Yogi Berra. In the TV movie *61, Yogi Berra is played by Paul Forghese. That movie chronicles Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle going after Babe Ruth’s home run record. Maris is played by Barry Pepper who was in Saving Private Ryan with Tom Hanks who was in Apollo 13 with Kevin Bacon.
Wright Beyond The Bleachers 