Article:Yankees make Billy's dream Crystal

Rock stars want to be athletes and athletes want to be rock stars, so the saying goes. Billy Crystal loves the Yankees. The former "Saturday Night Live" and "When Harry Met Sally" star follows the pinstripers to the ends of the earth.

Crystal, by most accounts, was a pretty good ball player in college in the day, hitting over .360. Today at Ledgends Field in Tampa, Crystal got his wish and was in the Yankee lineup as the DH for one at bat. He faced lefty Paul Maholm in the first inning of their game with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He did make contact, whistling one foul down the first base line before going down swinging on a full count slider. He did get a round of applause not only for making contact but for the effort at the plate from the fans and remained on the bench for the remainder of the contest.

He is not the first celeb to play with the big boys, however.

Garth Brooks tried out with the San Diego Padres in 1999 but was unsucessful. He did managed to get a hit in spring training, singling in  San Diego's  11-8 loss to the Chicago White Sox  during Srping Training in 1999. Brooks' hit came off Mike Sirotka in the second inning. Brooks was pinch-hitting in his 10th plate appearance of the spring.

His idol, Mickey Mantle, the subject of the HBO movie "61,*"  which Crystal directed, would have been proud.

Billy, even though you struck out... YOU LOOKED MAHVELOUS!