MLB’s Greatest Prank: The Philadelphia Phillies’ Japan Scam and Other Sports Pranks to Lighten the Mood

As April Fool’s Day approaches, pranksters everywhere are preparing to pull some harmless tricks in honor of the holiday. One fantasy sports publication, Rotowire, recently looked back on some of the best pranks in sports history.

One of the top pranks featured in the round-up was when former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Kyle Kendrick was fooled into believing he was being traded to Japan. The prank was orchestrated by Phillies pitcher Brett Myers, who involved multiple people in the organization, including the team’s manager and general manager. Even the media was in on the gag, and Kendrick was eventually informed that it was all a joke. Despite the truth coming out, Kendrick still considers it the greatest prank in MLB history, with MLB Network ranking it as the number one prank of all time.

Other pranks highlighted in the Rotowire list include a rookie Los Angeles Lakers player claiming he was going on a date with actress Lucy Liu and Charles Barkley being tricked by a Japanese reporter. These pranks all added some light-hearted fun to the world of sports.