This news is in Mike Walker’s column in the National Enquirer. Sometimes Walker runs suspicious celebrity hero stories, but he’s had some notable scoops about upcoming movies and did break the news about the new Wall St. sequel. He may have some good sources for industry information. Anyway Walker claims that Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, my favorite BFFs since Good Will Hunting, will again star together on screen. They’re going to do a film based on the true story of two Yankees pitchers and best friends who “actually traded spouses, houses, kids and dogs.” Given that Matt and Ben are both married with two biological daughters at home (Matt also has an older adopted daughter) their lives closely parallel each other and would be a huge selling point for this film. I hope this is true and am really looking forward to it. As Walker mentions, this is also a big deal because Matt and Ben, both Boston natives, are Red Sox fans.

Looks like real-life best pals Ben Affleck and Matt Damon finally get their wish and reunite on screen for another buddy movie… The Boston-bred Red Sox fans will… don New York Yankee uniforms in “The Trade,” based on the shocking true tale of two Yankees pitchers who were best pals, fell in love with each other’s wives, and actually traded spouses, houses, kids and dogs… A source says Ben, who’ll direct, wanted to cast Wifey Jennifer Garner and asked: “How’d you like to be married to Matt, but have an affair with me?”… Jennifer’s response: “Me playing Matt’s wife, but sleeping with both of you? Eww… yuck! I don’t think so!”

[From The National Enquirer, print edition, Mike Walker’s column, May 10, 2010]

I went to Google “Yankee Pitchers” and one of the suggested searches was “Yankee Pitchers Swap Wives,” so I went ahead and googled that to come across the story of Fritz Peterson and Mike Kekich, two pitchers for the Yankees in early 70s. These guys were best friends each with families with kids and they actually swapped wives and lives when they found themselves falling for the other’s spouses. It didn’t work out so well, but I won’t recount it all here because it contains a lot of potential spoilers if this movie is actually going to happen. Here’s an article in Time Magazine from 1973 that explains how it all went down. Wikipedia also has some more details. Peterson just published a memoir last July called Mickey Mantle is going to Heaven and I would bet that either Matt or Ben read it and came up with the idea for this film. It’s a great concept and could be an incredible dramedy with these two Oscar winners on board.