Major League Baseball

Chris Farley's 'Matt Foley' to be honored by baseball team in his hometown

Published Jul. 5, 2024 4:50 p.m. ET

In one of the more inventive baseball promotions, the Madison Mallards, a summer collegiate team in the Northwoods League, will honor legendary "Saturday Night Live" star Chris Farley and his iconic character, Matt Foley.

Farley, a native of Madison, Wisconsin, first played Foley, a motivational speaker who famously lived in "a van down by the river," on "SNL" in 1993. On Saturday night, the Mallards will play as the Madison Motivational Speakers, dressed in blue-and-white checkered jerseys with a green tie and a hat depicting Foley.

Fans can purchase Foley hats and replica jerseys, and a portion of the proceeds will go to the Recovery Foundation, a Madison-based non-profit that helps people struggling with substance abuse. Farley died in 1997 at age 33 from an overdose.

Like the Matt Foley character, the promotion has become a sensation.

"When we announced it, it exploded," Mallards creative services manager Brent Bartels told cllct.com.

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