The stars are out tonight for the 2022 MLB All-Star game in Los Angeles.
Among the celebrities present for Tuesday’s star-studded event is award-winning actor Denzel Washington.
The 67-year-old movie star took home plate prior to tonight’s contest to honor the legacy for former Dodger Jackie Robinson, who broke the MLB’s color barrier 75 years ago.
“When Jackie Robinson stepped onto a Major League Baseball field for the first time — armed with supreme talent and unshakeable character, and wearing a Dodgers uniform — he changed the game of baseball and so much more,” Washington said.
The baseball world took to Twitter to react to this powerful speech.
“No better man to do this,” one fan wrote.
“Not Denzel Washington coming on the field to pay tribute to Jackie Robinson! I haven’t cried at a baseball game since I was 12!!” MLB insider Molly Knight added.
“Denzel Washington should narrate more things,” another added.
Washington’s speech had not been formally announced and was a surprise to the MLB world.
“Beyond the field, Jackie Robinson challenged us to become better versions of ourselves,” Washington added. “Business leader, family man, activist, Hall of Famer.
“He said that life is not a spectator sport and he lived that motto to the fullest, whether it was charging down the baselines or standing tall for opportunity and justice… That profound impact looms just as large today as it did 75 years ago.”
The American League squad leads the National League 3-2 through four innings.