Tom Hanks reunites with ‘Wilson’ from ‘Cast Away’ while throwing first pitch in Cleveland
Actor Tom Hanks holds Wilson the volleyball from his film Cast Away before the game between the Cleveland Guardians and the San Francisco Giants at Progressive Field.
By Zoe Sottile, CNN
Wilsoooon!
Fans of “Cast Away,” the 2000 survival drama starring Tom Hanks, must have been happy to see the actor throwing the first pitch at the Cleveland Guardians’ Opening Day on Friday.
The film features Hanks as a FedEx systems analyst who washes up on an uninhabited island after his plane crashes. As he struggles to survive alone on the island, he begins to use a Wilson Sporting Goods volleyball as his confidant, drawing a smiley face into his own bloody handprint on the ball.
Twenty years after the release of the film, the Oscar-winning actor carried the bloodied volleyball onto the field, as shown in a video posted by the Cleveland Guardians.
“Joining Tom, please welcome his former co-star from the movie “Cast Away,” said an announcer in the video. “It’s Wilson, the volleyball!”
After a brief detour to catch Wilson after he rolled away, Hanks delivered the ceremonial throw to Larry Doby Jr., whose father was the first Black player in the American League, not long after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in the majors, according to a news release from Major League Baseball.
The actor has long been a fan of Cleveland baseball, according to the MLB.
Unfortunately, Hanks’ ceremonial throw wasn’t enough to win the game: The Guardians lost to the San Francisco Giants 4-1.
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