Tom Hanks to hawk hot dogs to no one

Tom Hanks has been stranded on a deserted island. He's fixed a mechanical issue while in space. He's been a child trapped in an adult's body. But the two-time Oscar-winning actor has his hardest role carved out for him now: He has to sell ballpark concessions to no one.

That's right: With fans not allowed in stadiums this season, teams got creative to make their massive ballparks not feel so lonely. Teams filled the stands with cardboard cutouts of their diehard supporters and the speakers are pumping out crowd sounds supplied by "MLB: The Show." The A's went and upped the game though, as they announced on Friday that actor and baseball fanatic Tom Hanks will hawk hot dogs, popcorn and soda over the loudspeakers.

OK, let's explain. Hanks is originally from the Bay Area and is a noted A's fan. When he was younger, he sold concessions for the team. (He also had some of the biggest hair possible.)

Unfortunately, his memories of the job aren't all that positive: "I went down to sell peanuts and soda, and thinking it would be like in a TV show where you saw the young kid trying to make a thing," Hanks told Jimmy Kimmel last summer. "Well, first of all, I got robbed twice. Note to self: Hide those wads of cash. Don't be walking with a wad of cash in your pocket. Then, I came across professional vendors, who did not like the fact kids were there."

But these are different times, and so the Athletics turned to one of America's most beloved actors to soothe us with the familiar patter of "Hot dogs here! Who wants a hot dog?" and "Peanuts! Bag of peanuts! Two bagger, two bag o' peanuts!" While no one will be in attendance to grab a dog or pick up a scorecard, it will be nice to hear the familiar routine as we watch from home.

Not surprising for an actor with a deep love for the sport, Hanks has the cadence down pat. You can hear Hanks' shouts in the video at the top of the post, or just tune in to watch the A's and listen closely to the background hum.