Tuesday, March 11, 2008

He's Still Probably Better Than Igawa

But seriously, WTF?

YANKEES TO SIGN BILLY CRYSTAL, STAR OF STAGE AND SCREEN,
AND INVITE HIM TO MAJOR LEAGUE SPRING TRAINING

The New York Yankees today announced that they will sign Billy Crystal, star of movies, television and Broadway to a one-day contract and invited him to Major League spring training.

Crystal will join the Yankees on Wednesday, March 12 to work out with the club at Legends Field in Tampa, Fla., and then play in the Yankees’ game on Thursday, March 13 vs. the Pittsburgh Pirates at Legends Field. Commissioner Selig approved the Yankees’ extension of the contract to Crystal.

Crystal, who will turn 60 years old on March 14, will don uniform No. 60 with the Yankees. He has created one of the most versatile and prolific careers in the entertainment industry, finding success in front of the camera, as a performer in film and television, and behind the scenes as a writer, director and producer. The Hollywood icon has starred in movies such as Running Scared, Throw Momma from the Train, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, City Slickers, Mr. Saturday Night, Forget Paris, Hamlet, Deconstructing Harry, Analyze This, Monster’s Inc. and America’s Sweethearts.

“I’ve been waiting 50 years for this call,” Crystal exclaimed. “I’m overwhelmed by the generosity of the Yankees and Commissioner Selig. I know this’ll be tougher than the Broadway Softball League, but I’m looking forward to helping the younger players…which, by the way, is all of them. Oops, I have to go, Scott Boras is on the phone.”

A captain of his Long Beach (N.Y.) High School baseball team, Crystal batted .348 in his senior season. He is regarded as one of the best baseball players in Hollywood today.

“The Yankees are excited to welcome the newest member of our team known for his humor and wit as well as his undying love for the Yankees,” said Lonn Trost, Yankees Chief Operating Officer. “The Yankees are very grateful to the Commissioner’s office for allowing us to extend this special invitation to Mr. Crystal.”

In 2001, Crystal directed and produced the film *61 which chronicled the historic seasons of Yankees greats Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle as they sought to break Babe Ruth’s single-season home run record. The film garnered 12 Emmy nominations including nods for “Best Director” and “Best Made for Television Movie” and also earned Crystal a prestigious Director’s Guild nomination.

Crystal made his Broadway debut in 2004 with 700 Sundays, an autobiographical one-man play that became the highest grossing non-musical in the history of Broadway and garnered Crystal the Tony Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, and the prestigious Drama Desk Award. A dedicated human rights advocate, Crystal co-hosted, with Robin Williams and Whoopi Goldberg, all eight “Comic Relief” telethons on HBO which brought the plight of the nation’s homeless to the public and raised over $40 million for housing and medical care for the needy.

A native of New York, Crystal has been married for 37 years to Janice, with whom he has two daughters, Jennifer and Lindsay, and granddaughter’s Ella and Dylan. He proclaims himself to be a lifetime fan of the New York Yankees, idolizing Mickey Mantle during his youth.

Hey he's taking the risk, so I reserve the right to laugh uncontrollably if he gets injured. Will someone brush back Billy Crystal?

This whole idea is asinine.

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posted by Mr. Faded Glory @ 11:27 AM   8 comments







8 Comments:

At 3/11/2008 4:43 PM, Blogger lupe! said...

it's nice that he's doing a favor for the small market yankees since they're barely visible in the media and all

 
At 3/11/2008 7:53 PM, Blogger June said...

lol! i like him, and loved 61 and all, but cringed when i heard about this bc i just know how non-yankee fans must feel about it: the way I do about denis leary, michael chiklis, ben affleck, etc., shooting their pie holes about their red sox fandom. i don't give a shit that you like them, you know? just do your job

 
At 3/12/2008 8:25 AM, Blogger Mr. Faded Glory said...

June assumes Billy Crystal has a job

 
At 3/13/2008 6:04 AM, Blogger June said...

oh, outstanding! yeah, when did he stop being funny

 
At 3/13/2008 9:43 AM, Blogger Mr. Faded Glory said...

From today's paper:
Asked what position he would play, Crystal had a joke ready.

"Maybe I can be the DH," he said. "In this case, designated Hebrew."


To answer your question Juney, at least a while ago

 
At 3/14/2008 8:39 AM, Blogger June said...

pls read first 3 sentences for definitive proof (if any were needed) that we are both dwigt

 
At 3/16/2008 2:01 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Trying to get message to Billy Crystal:

Mr. Crystal,

Congratulations on your major league at bat—more so, congratulations on doing it at 60 years of age. I’m sure every adult senior baseball player, especially those, like me, who are in our 60s, 70s, and beyond enjoyed the experience with you.

I would like to send you a copy of my book, Baseball: Never Too Old to Play “The” Game, which captures the essence of the experience and challenge of continuing to play baseball while growing older at the same time. Your love of baseball and your ability to continue to cross the white lines are consistent with the themes that run through the book. I’m sure you will enjoy it, as have other baseball fans and senior players around the country.

I am 62 and have been playing about 75 games each year in local leagues and in tournaments around the country and the world. There is baseball to be played and continuing to play is not about age. As Satchel Paige said, “How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you was?”

Please let me know where I can send a book.

Sincerely,
Al Spector

www.aaspector.com
BballNever2Old@aol.com

 
At 3/16/2008 8:44 PM, Blogger Sean said...

Hey, nice blog, let's exchange links.

YankeesDaily

 

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