A lot of people don't love being told they look like that guy from that thing, but Indians pitcher Mike Clevinger embraces the fact that he looks like Mitch Kramer, the protagonist from the 1993 cult stoner classic "Dazed and Confused."
Clevinger, who has long hair and a thin frame, is drawing comparisons to the 14-year-old baseball-playing Kramer (played by Wiley Wiggins). He said that he loves the movie, despite people thinking the comparison should get under his skin.
Mike Clevinger looks like Mitch from Dazed and Confused if he made it to the big leagues pic.twitter.com/IjJZhvVMHh
— Gringo Starr (@LBRhoden) October 10, 2017
Is Mike Clevinger the kid from ‘Dazed and Confused’ all grown up? Sure tucks his hair behind his ears like Mitch did. #BlueJays #Cleveland pic.twitter.com/4HtjIfAvL7
— Jordan Anderson (@JDatCFMG) April 14, 2018
"People think it bothers me, but it's my favorite movie," Clevinger said, via The Houston Chronicle.
Baseball players tend to have a pretty specific aesthetic attached to them, and Clevinger, who grew up skateboarding with "a bunch of grom kids" in sunny Jacksonville, Fla, fully embraces the stereotype.
"We all had long hair and going around surfing and skating," he said. "Even sports weren't around when we were young and skateboarding."
As Clevinger made a name for himself, he started to draw the comparison. Well no wonder! It wasn't until college that he saw the resemblance for himself.
"It came on TV, and I was like, 'How have I not seen this movie?'" he said, per The Chronicle. "It was so comical, about introducing drug testing into even high school sports, and their whole high school scene."
Clevinger said that if Richard Linklater wants to revisit the classic, he knows a guy to play the adult Kramer. However, he'll have to fight Tim Lincecum for the role.
"He should," Clevinger said of Linklater reaching out to him. "That'd be great. Let him know if he's interested in a 'Dazed and Confused 2' I'll be ready."
Clevinger started Monday's game against the Astros in a do-or-die situation for the Indians. Just don't ask them to take it easy on him.