Frank Robertson's Blog

Although some critics may think it trivializes spring training, I think it's awesome that Billy Crystal got to suit up for the Yankees today and hit lead-off. I relate so strongly to his passion for the Yankees because I grew up in New Jersey during the Mantle, Maris, Ford and Berra era. In the documentary "Baseball" by Ken Burns, Billy described his first trip to Yankee Stadium as a young boy. It mirrored my own experience when he talked about walking around the warning track after the game to look at the monuments in center field.

It doesn't matter that he struck out in his only plate appearance. Just getting the chance to say, for one day, "I'm a Yankee," has to be the experience of a lifetime. He represented all of us "baby boomers" who would have loved the same opportunity.