Bill Murray might make his living as an (occasional) actor and (full-time) gallivanter, but his heart lies with our national pastime—and in an awfully fitting touch, it seems to beat faster for the weirdos and wastrels that populate baseball’s minor leagues. A glance at Wikipedia suggests that Murray has invested in no fewer than nine junior-circuit teams; he currently serves as the part-owner and team psychologist for the St. Paul Saints, and is the director of fun for the Charleston RiverDogs. (In 2012, he was inducted into the South Atlantic League’s Hall of Fame. This is roughly akin to being enshrined at your local mini golf spot, but Murray’s acceptance speech is a real heart-warmer, and worth a watch.)

We know Murray’s minors history runs deep, but until today we’ve always pegged him as an owner rather than a player. So it’s the most pleasant kind of surprise to read this Fox Sports oral history on Murray’s summer playing, coaching, and play-acting for the Grays Harbor Loggers, a no-shit conceptual art project "representing the twin cities of Aberdeen and Hoquiam, Washington."

By season’s end, Murray had two massive accomplishments under his belt: he’d finished filming Meatballs, the summer camp comedy that would catapult him from _SNL _to major-league stardom, and he carried a .500 batting average (granted, it came on two at-bats) in Northwest League play. Knowing Murray, we’ll bet he’s prouder of the latter.

Related: Why Bill Murray Could Be President, a GQ Cover Story