The location of Burt Reynolds’ birthplace was the subject of debate for many years, until the iconic actor himself cleared it up in his 2015 autobiography: He was born in Lansing, Michigan, not Waycross, Georgia—a fabrication Reynolds himself had perpetuated because he moved to Florida at the age of five and wanted to be known as a southerner.
Lansing’s Single-A baseball team, the Lugnuts, will celebrate the legacy of Burt Reynolds, who passed away at the age of 82 in September of 2018, with a tribute night that highlights one of his best-known films, Smokey and the Bandit, an action-comedy about a wealthy Texan trying to transport 400 cases of bootleg Coors beer from Texarkana to Atlanta.
For one game later this season, the Lugnuts will wear Smokey and the Bandit–themed jerseys, with lettering that emulates the branding from the movie, and a gold Firebird logo against a black field that evokes the Trans Am that Reynolds drove in the 1977 movie.
Burt Reynolds tribute night will take place July 20, and jerseys will be auctioned off to support a local charity after the game.
ADDENDUM:
UPDATE: Player jerseys will be auctioned off after the game, online & at our stadium. All earnings will be donated to support a local theater in our community.
Burt Reynolds helped educational & entertainment venues, such as the performing arts. We will be doing the same.
— Lansing Lugnuts (@LansingLugnuts) February 7, 2019
