Kevin from ‘The Office’ is finally coming to Rochester

Marcia Greenwood, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
Updated ·2 min read
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It’s been a long time coming, but Brian Baumgartner, who played slow-taking, chili-spilling accountant Kevin Malone on NBC’s “The Office,” is coming to Rochester.

The actor will be at Innovative Field for Office Night Wednesday, Aug. 23, when the Red Wings have a 6:45 p.m. game against the Worcester Red Sox. Tickets ($13 to $25) are on sale on the team’s website, milb.com/Rochester.

Baumgartner originally was scheduled to visit in 2020, but the season was canceled because of COVID.

In keeping with “The Office” theme, the Aug. 23 game will feature “the Works Pretzel," Flonkerton (a fictional game played during “The Office” Olympics) and Poor Richard’s Pub, the dive bar where “Office” characters went to drown their sorrows.

The Office Night the team hosted in 2019 was one of its most successful promotions. Three-thousand people lined up to meet Leslie David Baker, who played disgruntled paper salesman Stanley Hudson on the wildly popular sitcom, at a game against Scranton Wilkes-Barre that drew 12,248.

Brian Baumgartner, who played Kevin Malone on "The Office," is coming to Innovative Field Wednesday, Aug. 23.
Brian Baumgartner, who played Kevin Malone on "The Office," is coming to Innovative Field Wednesday, Aug. 23.

“(The) line to meet him was the longest line we’ve had for any appearance of a celebrity guest since I’ve been here — any football or baseball or entertainment icon,” the team’s general manager Dan Mason said at that time.

The turnout was so massive that the Red Wings didn’t take Baker away for the first pitch or an on-field interview, as planned. Instead, he spent three hours straight meeting fans and taking pictures with them.

Post-“Office,” which originally aired from 2005 to 2013, Baumgartner has found big success on a smaller screen. In 2021, he made more than $1 million on the Cameo app, which offers personalized messages from celebrities. He also has hosted podcasts about “The Office” and authored a chili cookbook.

Reporter Marcia Greenwood covers general assignments. Send story tips to mgreenwo@rocheste.gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @MarciaGreenwood.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Brian Baumgartner, aka Kevin from 'The Office', coming to Rochester NY