Did you know that George Clooney tried out for the Reds in 1977?
Did you know George Clooney tried out for the Reds?
Chances are that you're familiar with the work of George Timothy Clooney. You know him for his Oscar-winning turn in "Syriana" and for his Emmy-nominated role on "ER."
But did you know he wanted to be a Red?
Clooney, who turns 54 today, is a Kentucky native who spent parts of his childhood in Ohio. In 1977 -- when he was just 16 -- Clooney took part in tryout camps for the World Series champion Reds. Though he wasn't offered a contract, Clooney claims he could play some serious ball.
"I could catch anything. I was a great outfielder in high school. But I couldn't throw well," he told The Enquirer in 1990. "I wanted to play pro baseball. I thought that would be it."
His affinity for the Reds never waned and, in 2009, Ellen DeGeneres used Big Red Machine legends Joe Morgan and Johnny Bench to lure Clooney onto her television program at the behest of Clooney's fellow "ER" star, Noah Wiley:
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