The Yankees signed Billy Crystal to a one day contract, and honored that contract last Thursday against the Pirates. This idea came in a conversation that Crystal had with Derek Jeter over the phone. Crystal, a life long Yankees fan, wondered if he could play for the Yankees for one game in spring training, and got his wish. As somewhat of a 60th birthday present, the Yankees sized his cap, and gave him all the current Yankee spring training swag, including giving him the number 60. He showed up to camp all smiles, and was not shy for the cameras. Everyone knew that this was for fun, and for a friend of the organization, and Crystal looked like a boy who received his life long dream. All he could say the whole day to reporters was how much he was looking forward to this, realized it was for fun, and just wanted this day to never end.
The second part of the wish came true in the first inning…”Now batting for the New York Yankees…Billy Crystal,” echoed throughout Legends Field as he waved to the crowd, and approached the plate. I am sure nerves had something to do with his performance at the plate (as it would for anyone fulfilling a dream), as he went down swinging. He did, however, make some pretty decent contact on his second strike, sending it foul.
After his at-bat, he simply turned waved to the crowd, and then proceeded into the dugout (all the while smiles). He received a good hearty razzing from his teammates, and as the rest of the afternoon’s pictures showed, seemed to be the clubhouse favorite. The whole team, at one point or the other, was ear to ear smiles while they listened to a comedian at work, making light of the situation, and keeping the bench laughing.
He was there for the post game press conference, sitting next to the pitcher he faced in the first, and even he was smiling the whole time. Crystal again explained his gratitude for the opportunity to be a Yankee, and said the retirement party was the next thing he was looking forward to.
No other team in Major League Baseball could get away with something like this, or even get away with it the way they did. This is living proof that there is no other team in professional sports like the Yankees. Nor will there ever be. Congratulations to Billy Crystal, and to the Yankees, for making baseball more fun then business; even if it was just for one at bat in the first inning.
