More BoSox casting notes

Yesterday I posted some thoughts about who should play which team member in the movie and asked for additional suggestions. Hey, anyone can play.

Mark Simon of Somerville says "George Clooney is the modern-day Clark Gable, and is just as well suited for the role of Mike Lowell." Agreed, as long as it's the rumpled, weary Clooney of "Michael Clayton," not the studly Danny Ocean. I love Lowell precisely because he's been around the bases and the block. Mark also thinks John Hurt should play John Henry (not bad, but I still like the tree) and adds "It would be high comedy to pair him up with Horatio Sanz of SNL fame, as Sox front office fat guy Dr. Charles Steinberg." He sees Guy Torry or Don Cheadle for Coco Crisp, neither of which I'm entirely buying, but he's onto something with casting Donnie Wahlberg as Youk (subtract hair, add beard). "Neither are the most popular or best looking, but both are indispensable in giving some edge to their respective squads." And Benicio del Toro as Manny? Intriguing. Deranged, but intriguing.

Mark likes Brad Pitt as either Papelbon or Varitek, but reader Kris Evans prefers Jim Carrey as Pap ("just imagine him doing the Riverdance the first time and it's kind of like watching Jim Carrey") and Mark Wahlberg as Tek.

Inside the building, Jane Simon over in Design says the young Chazz Palminteri should play Jacoby Ellsberry (fine, but how do you get him in the Wayback Machine?), John Goodman should play Schilling (after an extensive training regimen, I'm hoping), and Matt Dillon gets to essay the part of Theo the boy wonder.

I'm also hearing from movie section editor Mark Feeney that Ben Kingsley's a much better Francona than Patrick Stewart (he's right, and not just because he's my boss) and posits "a crewcut Russell Crowe" as Varitek and old-timer Aldo Ray as Schilling. See how hard this is? Should I mention Mark suggested Queen Latifah in drag as Ortiz? I think I have to.