The document summarizes John Goodman's return to his hometown of St. Louis for "John Goodman Night" at a Cardinals game. Some key details: - Goodman nearly turned down the event due to nerves about throwing the ceremonial first pitch but decided to "shut up the shy person inside." - He enjoyed interacting with fans, posing for photos and meeting a lookalike. When a fan came dressed as his character from "The Big Lebowski," Goodman said the iconic line from the film. - For his first pitch, Goodman opted for a curtsy rather than a windup and threw a high arcing pitch that was caught by pitcher Adam Wainwright. - Though the Cardinals lost the game

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Goodman counts roles in more than 150 film, television and stage projects, but he was famously in his element as Walter Sobchak in
“The Big Lebowski,” the inspiration for his bobblehead.
AGOOD MANCOMESHOMESt. Louisan and Hollywood star John Goodman brings his humor
(and his pitching arm) to Busch for a night in his honor
By GABRIEL KILEY
“Is this outfit OK? I left my tux at home.”
Clearly wearing his sense of humor, John
Goodman arrives at Busch Stadium clad
in jeans and a red polo, ready to play ball.
The Hollywood star is a long way from the
red carpet, but the program that’s about
to unfold here better suits his Midwestern
roots: the 1970 graduate of Affton High
School in suburban St. Louis is back in town
for John Goodman Night at the ballpark.
He is the perfect fit to play the lead in
this production – featuring a meet-and-greet
with fans, a bobblehead giveaway (think
“The Big Lebowski”), a ceremonial first
pitch and more – but confesses the script
initially seemed too daunting. Despite his
lifetime love for the Cardinals, Goodman

3. 24 CARDINALS MAGAZINE @CardsMagazine
nearly turned down the part.
“I wanted to say no,” Goodman admits
to Cardinals Magazine, describing the
prospect of throwing a first pitch with a
crowd watching as “overwhelming” and
“just too much.”
“But I also wanted to do it, so I had to shut
up the shy person inside of me and just do it.”
Wait. John Goodman, veteran of more
than 150 film, television and stage projects
... shy? Did he say that with a straight face?
Over the next four hours, Goodman’s
magnetic persona – a defining characteristic
of his acting career – is on full-color display
as he fires one-liners without breaking a
sweat and willingly poses for countless
photos, many of which populate Facebook
and Twitter accounts within seconds. Like !
Like ! Like ! Retweet.
Most picture him in the customized
Cardinals jersey he slips on shortly after
arriving, sporting the No. 62 he requested.
“The 6 is for Stan Musial and the 2 is
for Red Schoendienst,” Goodman explains.
“They are just so interconnected with my
personal history (as a fan).”
His first time meeting Musial, the actor
recalls, was at the old Bevo Mill restaurant
in south St. Louis.
“We wound up doing harmonica duets
by the end of the night,” Goodman says.
“I didn’t want to bother him at dinner, but
I think he wanted to be bothered. He came
back over and we had just the best time.”
DOPPELGANGERS, DUDES
AND MONSTERS
Goodman’s first official stop in his theme-
night itinerary is a meet-and-greet with fans
who purchased a special VIP ticket. As a line
forms outside the suite and starts to swell,
Goodman fills the next 20 minutes with
restless energy. He paces about, stretching
and shadow punching, and wonders if he
might assist the grounds crew with removing
the tarp. He mugs it up for our camera while
inspecting his bobblehead – a take-home
souvenir for all theme-night ticketholders –
modeled after his Walter Sobchak character
from “Lebowski,” a cult classic.
Finally, it’s show time. Overcoming his
avowed shyness, Goodman smiles as each
Goodman had fun with fans who got a photo opp as part of their VIP meet-and-greet, but he
played it cool when face to face with his doppelganger.
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fan steps forward. His facial contortions through the inevitable
parade of photos span from grins and silly looks to faux serious
and exaggerated laughter. He puts arms around shoulders. He
hugs. He shakes hands. He even introduces himself to one fan
by saying, “Hi. I’m John Goodman. Tell everyone in the room
your name.”
Then the first look-alike arrives. It’s not someone dressed like
one of Goodman’s famous characters – those come later. It’s a
doppelganger. His name is Mike Drake, from nearby Alton, Ill.
Goodman eyes Drake standing in line but never remarks about
the uncanny resemblance when the two greet one another.
“I told (John) thank you for the two steak dinners at the
Tenderloin Room at the Chase Park Plaza – the maître d’
thought I was him,” Drake says. “(My wife and I) were
having dinner there and the maître d’ told us, ‘John you look
great.’ I told him, ‘I’m not him.’”
A few minutes later, another fan – this one dressed like
“Walter” – greets Goodman. Right on cue, the actor deftly
recycles a ubiquitous “Lebowski” line: “(Donny,) you’re out of
your element.” The room erupts in laughter.
Goodman also charms the group with a tender side. A
young girl dressed in a red Cardinals jersey timidly approaches
the bigger-than-life celeb; she’s carrying a “Sulley” stuffed
animal, a character voiced by Goodman in the animated classic
“Monsters, Inc.” Goodman kneels down and explains that he’s
the voice of Sulley. Then he takes the toy and playfully tells
his new friend: “Gimme” and “Don’t move.” The girl beams.
He picks her up for a photograph, then tells her father, “She’s
a doll.”
For a man who admits to being uncomfortable in crowds,
Goodman works the room like a comedian owning his audience.
He tells a fan carrying a bowling pin (a nod to “Lebowksi”): “Is
that from ‘Antiques Roadshow’? You could have killed me with
that thing.” He later drops a water bottle and jokes, “It’s a good
thing I’m throwing out the first pitch, not catching it.”
The crowd mostly consists of locals, some with connections
to Affton High and Missouri State, his alma maters. Many are
friends and acquaintances. But the diehard fan award goes to
Jennifer Holloway and her husband, Iain Sandison, who traveled
more than 1,800 miles from Sherman Oaks, Calif., to meet
Goodman.
“Dan Conner is one of the loves of my life,” she says in
reference to his character from the TV sitcom “Rosanne,” which
aired from 1988-97.
Thirty minutes and 154 guests later, the VIP event ends.
Goodman is tired, but the program continues with media
interviews. It’s been a busy stretch for the actor, who’s leaving
the next day for New York City to begin rehearsals for the
Broadway comedy “The Front Page.” Goodman is seemingly
everywhere these days, and next year, he’ll appear in highly
anticipated films “Patriots Day” and “Kong: Skull Island.”
What’s his secret of sustained success in a storied acting career
The guy who makes his living with cameras rolling had the Cardinals
Insider TV crew on board (top) for his welcome-back lap at Busch. After
a limbo-like entry through the wagon gate (center), the 1970 grad of
Affton High School connected with the city he calls “really comfortable.”
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that dates to the early ’80s?
“Looking for the sweet spot, looking for
the right (project), looking for the groove,”
the 64-year-old says. “There’s a zone, like
a ballplayer can find through hard work.
And when things are clicking right, it’s
impossible to beat. It’s fun.”
Still, coming back to St. Louis is a treat
for Goodman, who lives in New Orleans
with his wife, Annabeth Hartzog. While
in town, he was spotted at various eateries,
even making the requisite Ted Drewes stop.
“I only get to St. Louis once a year,” he says.
“I’ve got to get back here more often. I’m
really comfortable here.”
Through the demands of his busy
schedule, Goodman is steadfastly loyal to
his Cardinals, frequently watching games
through the MLB At Bat app. His fandom
stretches back to when the team played at
the ballpark at Grand and Dodier.
“The first time I went to Sportsman’s
Park as a child and watched the team come
on the field, it was incredible – they were
gods walking over the bridge of Asgard or
something,” Goodman reminisces. “The old
ballpark smelled like hot dogs and cigars and
peanuts. That great smell. It brings back a
lot of memories.”
PITCHING THE PILL
Though he’s yet to deliver the first pitch,
Goodman already is nursing a bit of a sore
right arm – he says he spent the past three
days “throwing the pill” in preparation.
He jokes about needing to see a Cardinals
trainer for treatment.
He’s now at field level, standing in the
area behind the right-field wagon gate – the
ballpark’s equivalent of a green room for
dignitaries who’ll circle the field in pregame
ceremonies. Goodman tosses a baseball
with Cardinals promotions and events
coordinator Kyle Cassity, a veteran of similar
games of catch with St. Louisans Nelly and
Jon Hamm before their ceremonial first
pitches in past visits. And here comes Hall
of Fame manager Whitey Herzog, who
exchanges pleasantries with Goodman as he
passes in a golf cart.
Next Goodman climbs into the back of
a white Ford F-150 truck. He’s fitted with
a microphone for a Cardinals Insider TV
segment and goes through instructions
with producer/host Lindsey Weber and
cameraman Matt Stravalli. When youth
groups perform “God Bless America” and
“The Star-Spangled Banner,” Goodman
stands at attention in the bed of the truck.
Finally, the pickup enters the field and
slowly motors along the warning track.
“Soul Man” (in homage to Goodman’s role
in the film “Blues Brothers 2000”) plays
over the stadium speakers. And Goodman
is reveling in the moment. He waves and
acknowledges fans, many of whom are
standing and clapping. As the single-truck
The card-carrying member of Cardinal Nation met a genuine ace, drawing Adam Wainwright
as his catcher for the first-pitch ceremony.
For the big moment that initially seemed “overwhelming” when it was first pitched to him,
Goodman opted for a curtsy over a slide-step to set up his delivery.
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parade rounds the third-base line toward
the Pittsburgh Pirates dugout – several Bucs
are focused on the actor, too – a Redbirds
fan yells the “Lebowski” line that Goodman
himself used earlier:
“Donny, you’re out of your element!”
Without missing a beat, a smiling
Goodman shouts back, “I’m out of my
element!”
He says he isn’t bothered by the inevitable
“Lebowski” references whenever he’s in public.
“It could be worse; it could be ‘Yabba
dabba doo!’ (a reference to his role as Fred
in “The Flintstones”),” Goodman remarks.
“I don’t mind ‘The Big Lebowski.’ I enjoyed
that film. It’s probably my favorite because
I had so much fun doing it.”
The procession rolls to a stop behind
home plate, where Goodman leaps off the
truck and spots friends sitting in the green
seats. He rushes over and they exchange high
fives through the protective netting. Then
comes the big moment. Stadium announcer
John Ulett calls Goodman to center stage,
where he fist-bumps Fredbird and shakes
hands with ace hurler Adam Wainwright,
who agreed to catch the first pitch.
He shows how to make an entrance,
striking a full-on curtsy as he takes the
mound, then flips an arcing delivery gloved
by Wainwright near his feet. Following
the requisite photos and a final handshake
with Waino – “an honor to meet you,” he
tells the pitcher – Goodman tips his cap to
the crowd and exits the field through the
Cardinals’ dugout.
“I didn’t know Waino would be there,”
he says. “I felt good about the pitch.”
The rest of the evening includes more
mingling with friends and family – siblings
Les and Elisabeth are here, along with
Annabeth – and more photos and interviews.
He “vows” to the Cardinals Insider crew that
he’s “gonna fight Mike Shannon tonight, out
at the mound during the seventh inning …
he’s going down!” Later he joins Shannon
and John Rooney in the KMOX Radio
booth and deadpans to the network audience:
“Godzilla just came in from center field and is
attacking … everyone run.”
You might be able to hear Shannon’s
gravely laughter even now.
About the only thing that doesn’t go well
is the outcome of the game – St. Louis
falls, 7-5 – but Goodman, like any devoted
Cardinals fan, stays through the last out. Why
leave before the final curtain on this night?
No way, says Goodman, savoring what
turned out to be one of his favorite roles.
“It’s a dream come true.”
Gabriel Kiley is a staff writer for Cardinals
Magazine. Staff intern Kelsey Grapperhaus
also contributed to this report.
Goodman’s return to St. Louis reunited him with brother Les and sister Elisabeth (above), and
rekindled a reverence among fans, including a pair that came dressed in character (top) for his
“Lebowski” movie role that many – the actor included – rank as their favorite.
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