Star Wars Night at Dodger Stadium: Join the Dodgers for a special celebration of Star Wars: The Clone Wars on Saturday October 3rd when the boys in blue battle the Rockies. The festivities will include appearances by Star Wars and Clone Wars characters before and during the game and the entertainment will feature Star Wars trivia and clips throughout the night. For more information visit their official site here.
When watching professional baseball player Randy Wolf take the field as the pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, it's easy to wonder if the talented athlete is powered by the Force. His drive and determination might remind fans of a certain Skywalker who followed the positive message taught by a wise, green Master.
Wolf talks with StarWars.com about his life-long love for Star Wars, how he uses Yoda's lessons on the field and why Darth Vader hangs out in his game room.
What was your first memory of Star Wars?
My most vivid memory of being in awe of Star Wars and everything around it was when I was eight years old, and it was right after Return of the Jedi came out. Darth Vader made an appearance at Sears in a mall next to my house. They were giving away these 8 x 10 glossy photographs of Darth Vader. He'd walk around Sears and shake people's hands. When Darth Vader came up to me and shook my hand, he squeezed it super hard and twisted my hand that it hurt. In my mind as an eight year old, I was like, "That was really Darth Vader."
For kids of my generation, there was something really different about Star Wars than other films. It's timeless. If you watch the movies now, they don't seem outdated. The special effects and the storylines can still apply to any time. I think that's why when I was a kid I was in awe of the whole thing.
When you first saw the films, which character resonated with you the most?
By far, Darth Vader. I made my parents take me to that Sears appearance because my brother saw the ad in the paper and I was like, "I have to meet Darth Vader!" It was the mask, his whole suit, James Earl Jones' voice -- he was such a dark and mysterious character.
Which character did you identify with the most?
That's the cool thing about Star Wars. You can take a little bit from every character and either see yourself in them or want to be like them. The guys wanted to be cool like Han Solo. But at the same time, especially as a kid, you want to be special like Luke and harness this great power and your life all of a sudden has meaning. When we watch these movies we kind of see ourselves in everybody.
Did you have a favorite Star Wars toy as a kid?
I collected a whole bunch of them, and of course like every other kid I was only able to hold on to a couple. I loved Darth Vader's TIE fighter that you could put a mini Darth Vader inside the cockpit. And I had the Millennium Falcon where you could remove the floor and hide stuff in there.
Do you still own those toys?
The only thing I still have that was salvageable is a Chewbacca from Empire Strikes Back still in the package.
Do you collect Star Wars stuff now?
My collection goes a little above and beyond what would be considered normal. Back in the '90s when they were re-releasing the original trilogy, there's this guy by the name of Don Post who made these full-size props, so in my house I have a seven-foot tall Darth Vader. I think there's only 500 or 1,000 in the world.
Is he standing inside the entrance of your home to welcome guests?
(laughs) No, he's in the game room. I also have a six-foot tall stormtrooper. I always thought stormtroopers were the coolest things ever. I love their gear. I got the Darth Vader on eBay. It wasn't very cheap, but I've only seen two or three of them in my life. One of them was in Las Vegas at Caesar's at the movie memorabilia store. It was for twice as much and not in very good shape. The stormtrooper I actually got at a Halloween store where I had seen it there for years. One year I went in to get a wig for a costume party, and I asked how much he was selling it for and I found out it wasn't his, but he told the guy who owned it that I was interested and I bought it that day.
Do you have any other Star Wars collectibles in your home?
I have a framed movie poster from A New Hope. I've gotten as gifts the lightsabers but I don't really do anything with those.
