Billy Crystal signs with the Yankees

[TooLiveBrew]

Yea, that IF can just plow some catcher to impress his coaches, right? http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

[Madtown Bomber]

Ah whatever it was a meaningless AB in a game that doesn't count. He has more of a right to an AB then Garth did. Atleast Crystal is a man who promotes the game at the highest levels. 61 was a good if not slightly great movie.

[RU Rah Rah]

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

I totally agree. I thought he had a pretty good hack at the ball he fouled off. I've seen many, many MLB pitchers look worse at the plate.

 

[dlk9s]

I really think that anyone who thinks this is some sort of outrage or disgrace needs to stop taking life so seriously. It was a fun thing to do.

 

And yeah, he actually didn't look lost out there. Color me impressed.

[Big Reed]

I recall when the white Sox tried to play Minnie Minosa when he was 50-60 , so that he could play in 5 different decades, the commishioner said NO! it was not in the best interest of baseball! I'm not sure if that was Bud or his predecessor that made that edict! But since this is the Yankees, and bud wants to get people's attention averted away from the steriod use, he says, why not?

 

what would have happened if billy had actually got on base? Would he have barreled into the second baseman trying to break up a double play? Would they have pinch run for him?

 

so since Billy Crystal and Bob Costas are such big baseball fans, I would ask who will make the hall of fame first? Bob and Billy or Buck O'Neal?

[1992casey]

I don't know if you're implying that the situations are identical, but Minoso would have been playing in a championship season game. The 90s would have been his 6th decade, by the way, and Minnie would have been in his mid 60s.

[brains and braun]

I didn't see the game, but I saw BP yesterday, and Billy looked like he had an idea up there. Even people who are athletes can look pretty stupid trying to hit. I was way impressed. I think he'd put me to shame now. I can't imagine how bad I'd look thirty-plus years from now. My hat is off to him.

[Big Reed]

I'm implying the reasons are the same, but unfortunately the White Sox are not named the yankees.

 

the white sox wanted minosa to play as purely a publicity stunt to draw fans to the game. that's the same thing the Yankees wanted- publicity. However, since the White Sox are not the Yankees, the commish said no.

 

i have no problem with garth brooks or Crystal playing baseball. But by allowing them to play, the commish should open the door for other clubs to have their own celebrities play for them as well. how about bret favre playing a game for the brewers? or how about YI? Think of the world media attention having YI play a game for the brewers.

 

if all this was just a publicity stunt, then why not allow every team to also have their own publicity stunt?

 

melvin - get on the phone with YI!

[Team Canada]

Who went around kicking everyone's dog?

 

 

More power to Billy, I'm sure it was a cool experience for a lifelong fan.

[BrewCrewForever]

I just don't see why celebrities need to play in even 1 spring game. Because he is a comedian and a Yankee fan he earned that right? I see both peoples points of view on this but I just think it's stupid.

[JohnBriggs12]

Honestly, who hasn't thought about standing in the batter's box facing a major league pitcher? I still do that occasionally and I'm not much younger than Crystal.

 

We can't do it, but in a way Crystal is representing all of us. I think it's a neat thing.

 

Not to knock Uecker, but he had that experience as a player so it wouldn't be the same thing.

[BrewCrewForever]

Sure I would love to do what Crystal did. But it aint gonna happen, it only happened for him because he is a celeb. And I think its a joke. But that is just me. And I hate the Yankees so that ads to it.

[Invader3K]

It really doesn't bother me that much. If this was the regular season, it would be a problem, but one spring training AB isn't anything to get riled up about it. It's basically no different than all the celebrities you see taking BP before regular season games.

 

Seems kind of weird that it's the Yankees though. I mean, do they really need the extra publicity? Anyway, still nothing to get upset over.

[Fatter than Joey]

Minoso got a hit in 1976, I think he was 55 then. I know he had a couple of ABs in 1980 as well -- so it was the 7th decade he was trying to hit, which would have been in the 1990s. Minnie Minoso, as a side note, is one of the kindest people you will ever meet.

 

That was in a MLB game however, I cannot fathom why a spring training AB is grinding so many people the wrong way. Heck, I wish more people were given chances to do this sort of thing -- maybe recognize a teacher or police officer, or even a random fan that supports the team.

 

I am glad Billy Crystal got this opportunity. I still wish he would do something funny someday.

[JohnBriggs12]

"it only happened for him because he is a celeb".

 

A lot of things happen for celebs that don't happen for us BrewCrewIn2004. Some of it's good like this and some not so good (NY Governor). Crystal is a celeb because he's made people laugh. I don't begrudge him for that nor do I begrudge a NY native for being a Yankee fan. I applaud him.

[MJLiverock]

Yesterday on Homer's radio show he compared it to two high shool team letting their special needs managers get into a game and shooting 3 pointers. I couldn't disagree more that it isn't the same. Two kids who probably worked their butt of as managers of a high school team, traveled with the team and were peers/classmates of the players were given a moment of thanks and gratitude by being able to play in the game.

 

Billy Crystal is just a famous celeb who likes the Yankees. Is this going to be the next cool thing for rich celebs to do? Is Jack Nicholson going to shoot free throws for the Lakers in a preseaon game? How about Jeff Foxworthy taking a lap in the practice runs at Daytona. Maybe Jessica Simpson can throw a pass to TO in a preseason game. How about the biggest donor to the Badger Fund gets to run down the field on opening Kickoff of the Cardinal and White game.

 

It does cheapen the game and spring training when any famous celeb who whines or kisses the owner's butt enough gets trotted out there just because they are famous and a fan. What would have happened if the pitcher plunked him in the back? I would have laughed if the pitcher said, "Hey I wasn't going to famous for giving up a hit to this guy. Welcome to the show. Now you know what it feels like to try and show up a pitcher."

[Fatter than Joey]

Crystal is a celeb because he's made people laugh.

 

I must have missed this, -- did he fall down some stairs recently?

[1992casey]

In 1976, at age 50, Minnie was one for eight.

 

Minoso's major league stats

[bigredrobbo]

What I believe we have here is a panties/bundle interface scenario

 

So the Yankees let a guy with no "right" to be on a baseball field take one AB.

 

The Brewers gave Trent Durrington a whole season on the team!

[BrewCrewForever]

What I believe we have here is a panties/bundle interface scenario

 

So the Yankees let a guy with no "right" to be on a baseball field take one AB.

 

The Brewers gave Trent Durrington a whole season on the team!

Trent Durrington is a baseball player. Maybe not pro level but still a baseball player. Billy Crystal is not even close.

 

[DuWayne Steurer]

How is playing baseball a "right"? That doesn't even make sense. It's a privilege, sure, but the Yankees (or any team for that matter) have the *right* to pay anybody they want to play in a meaningless game if they want.

 

I'm no fan of it, but I could care less. Apparently Billy Crystal has pooped in a lot of people's cheerios over the years.

 

 

 

 

 

And City Slickers wasn't *that* bad.

[Tbadder]

Did you really see that at bat? I thought it looked suspiciously like Ben Sheets. I smell a trade in the works.

[bigredrobbo]

We need the season to start now so that non-issues like this don't generate 3 pages of posts...

[brains and braun]

I think some people are still mad they paid full price for City Slickers 2.

[Fatter than Joey]

I think some people are still mad they paid full price for City Slickers 2.

 

I thought that was straight to video..