Billy Crystal signs with the Yankees

[wisconsinfan47]

A day before his 60th birthday, Billy Crystal signs a one-day contract with the Yankees. Looks like he's going to play today.

 

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[Fatter than Joey]

I wish he would be funny at some point.

[jwill535]

you know when old comedians, actors or random celebraties try to play baseball in spring traing, man i hate it when that happens.....

 

 

 

(For the younger crowd on here, reference Billy Crystal and Christopher Guest on SNL)

[trwi7]

Here's hoping he takes a fastball to the ribs.

[Big Reed]

too bad Liverachi is no longer around. he would look great in a sequined brewers uniform. I could just see him arguing with the umpire over a called strike. i would have mentioned Bobby Vinton, but Liverachi is much cuter. So how much longer do we have to wait until teams start signing up some real baseball stars like halle Berry? I heard madonna and rosi Odonnel and Gina or was it Glenna Davis once played baseball. Could we be seeing Oprah playing for the Cubs in the near future against Hilliary and the Mets? or perhaps Bogut and Redd? How did that other former basketball player do? I heard he gave up baseball to star in the movie Space Jam. Bill Murray is always available. I'm sad to say mr belvidere is no longer with us. Tim Allen would be great playing for Detroit. I heard he has all the tools - a 5 tool outfielder.

[trwi7]

I think you mean Liberace, Big Reed.

[trwi7]

Wow, they're batting him leadoff. The Yankees are a bunch of tools, the biggest tool of all struck out in his first at bat.

[BrewCrewForever]

So dumb, it's all for publicity. His playing baseball even in a spring game adds nothing to the game but a silly sideshow. Not a fan of it at all, Billy just stick to a Yankees fantasy camp or something.

[bthurley19]

The Pirates can't even throw strikes to a comedian. I sure hope Maholm was throwing some meatballs up there because otherwise letting Billy Crystal foul off a ball is pathetic. The guy belongs in an old folks home, not on the diamond.

[MillerParkSouth]

how angry would you be if you were the Pirates. They're a joke of a franchise and then the Yankees sign a 60 year old actor for one game and bat him leadoff against you? I know it's only spring training, but I would have been highly tempted to brush him back.

[BMuch]

I feel like you guys are being a little harsh on the situation. Billy Crystal did help create *61, which should help him gain access to the baseball community.

 

If Uke signed a one day player contract would everyone be complaining similarly?

[trwi7]

If Uke signed a one day player contract would everyone be complaining similarly?

 

Here's the thing though, Uecker was actually a professional baseball player. And yes, if Uecker was signed for a day at the age of 60 just to play in one spring training game I would say the same thing. What exactly is the point?

[jwill535]

Uke actually was a Pro Baseball player at one point.

[And That]

I have no problem with Billy Crystal doing this... he's a well-known (and IMO, great) entertainer and a life long avid baseball fan. It's spring training... there are plenty of professional players throughout history who are a career 0-1 at the plate in spring. And if he's getting any money for it, I'm sure it's going to charity.

[Patrick425]

I'm also having a hard time understanding all the hostility towards the situation. It's just for grins. Yes, I would be a little concerned if teams started running any celebrity that was a casual baseball fan out there on a regular basis. However, if once in a while a guy like Crystal (who's more than just a casual fan) or G. Brooks gets an AB or two..who cares?

 

I guess it would be nice to see some charitable cause tied to it. Like, maybe B. Chrystal donates $10k to some charity for every strike thrown at him, or he buys tickets for a bunch of local under-privilaged kids to see the game. Something like that.

[bbrauch2000]

I actually thought it was kind of cool. Crystal has done a lot to promote Yankees baseball and they thanked him by letting him take a few hacks in a meaningless spring training game. The Yankees team enjoyed it and it probably gave the fans at the ballpark today something more memorable than a normal spring game would have.

[PKBadger]

I read that for his 40th birthday, Bob Costas was allowed to manage an A's spring training game as a gift from Tony LaRussa.

 

But what about the sanctity of the game? Won't someone think of the children? Pretty soon you'll be telling me that the players don't care about winning the Grapefruit League!

[Fatter than Joey]

I remember for his 65th birthday Jesse Orosco was allowed to pitch to 2 LHers in a MLB game

[molitor fan]

I actually think Crystal is competing for a spot on the Yankees roster - good chance he can put up a better OPS than Melky Cabrera.

[tnweill]

I wished he would've played yesterday against the Rays and got to be part of that brawl. It would have been cool to see what the old man would have done then!

[Bring Back the Stein]

To mix threads, perhaps Prince Fielder could stand to learn something from Liberace's watermelon diet.

[TooLiveBrew]

I read somewhere that Garth Brooks Chris Gaines has challenged Billy Crystal to an ol' fashioned batting-practice-off!

[Mr QL]

And he gave a pretty decent AB for a 60 year old that have never played pro baseball.

[dvoiss]

Why does being famous earn you the right to make a fool out of yourself by playing a spring treining game? How many people actually are buying into the sentimental "Way to go Billy" crap? This is a ridiculous farce, IMO.

[PKBadger]

Why does being famous earn you the right to make a fool out of yourself by playing a spring treining game? How many people actually are buying into the sentimental "Way to go Billy" crap? This is a ridiculous farce, IMO.

 

See, I'm on the other side of the coin. I don't understand how appearing in a spring training game somehow became something you had to "earn". It's a glorified practice. Billy Crystal playing 1 game isn't going to be the difference between some AAA infielder making the Yankees' 25-man roster or not.