LOS ANGELES -- “Please welcome three-time All-Star and World Series champion and Game 7 hero Will Smith.”
The familiar voice of Dodgers broadcaster Joe Davis wasn’t announcing Smith stepping up to the plate. Instead, the catcher traded Dodger Stadium for a different kind of spotlight Thursday night at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills for Dodgers Comedy Night, part of the Netflix Is a Joke comedy festival benefiting the Catching Hope Foundation.
Hosted by longtime Dodgers fan and actor/comedian Ken Jeong, the annual event brought together Dodgers players, comedians and fans for a night of comedy and fundraising benefiting the local Los Angeles community. Teammates, including Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, Teoscar Hernández, Andy Pages and more, walked the event’s signature blue carpet before the show began.
While the event offered a laid-back atmosphere away from the field, the mission behind it remained deeply personal for Smith and his wife, Cara.
“It’s a fun night,” Smith said before the event. “Netflix is such a great partner; they provide such great comedians. We’re able to raise a bunch of money for our foundation through auctions and ticket sales.”
Catching Hope, founded by the Smiths, focuses on supporting at-risk youth through education initiatives and school programs. Thursday’s fundraising efforts included auctions featuring signed memorabilia from Dodgers stars, including Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
“Catching Hope has been around for a few years now,” Smith said. “Our goal is to raise funding for kids through education and their schools. We created some reading nooks at a couple of elementary schools here. We provide Amazon wish lists for teachers.”
Smith also highlighted recent work the foundation has done to support students impacted by the Southern California wildfires last year.
“We were just at a school in the Palisades that burned down in the fire last year,” Smith said. “We were able to provide funding for a program for their mental health, counseling, for their lives being uprooted. We just felt like that was an important thing that was a little bit overlooked, and wanted to provide funding for and really help those kids.”
For Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, the event also reflected the close bond shared throughout the organization.
“We’re together for essentially eight-and-a-half months of the year,” Roberts said. “We’re together every day playing, so for guys to take an offday to support their teammate is fantastic. Will and Cara do a great job with their charity, and it’s part of what makes the Dodgers special.”
Though Smith is known for his all-business demeanor on the field, teammates said nights like Thursday showcase a different side of their backstop.
“It’s definitely ironic that I’m the one hosting a comedy night,” Smith said with a smile. “But I love to joke around in the clubhouse. I’m not the loudest guy by any means, but I’m always having a good time.”
Glasnow said that side of Smith becomes more apparent the longer teammates are around him.
“I think the more you get to know Will, he definitely has a relaxed, fun side for sure,” Glasnow said. “Especially when you spend so much time together. I do think maybe on the field, he’s more business serious, but Will definitely has a fun side.”
Smith said having Jeong host the event felt like a natural fit.
“Obviously, Ken is a huge name in Hollywood. Huge name at Dodger Stadium,” Smith said. “He loves supporting us, coming to games, cheering us on, so having him host is special.”
Jeong, who said he grew up a Dodgers fan in North Carolina, called the event “distinctively LA.”
“How could you say no to the Dodgers and Netflix?” Jeong said. “The biggest and the best, all for a great cause, helping at-risk youth. You’ve already won.”
Before the comedians took the stage, Smith showed a video highlighting some of Catching Hope’s work throughout the Los Angeles community and thanked the crowd for helping support the foundation’s mission.
Smith then reminded the audience that Dodgers Comedy Night began in 2024. The Dodgers, of course, went on to win the World Series following each of the event’s first two years.
The suggestion that the tradition could continue into a potential three-peat drew one of the loudest cheers of the night from the sea of blue-clad Dodger fans that filled the theater.