What brings so few people to Yankee Stadium? Why it's the All Star Futures Game/Celebrity Softball Game.
The Futures game featured baseball players in the minor leagues playing each other. One team (Team USA) featured players that will be playing for the US in the Olympics. The other team featured another team of Minor League All Stars that will not play for the US (Team World). The World team beat Team USA. This does not bode well for next month.
Next up, the celebrity softball game.
The rosters were:
American League
Wade Boggs
George Brett
Goose Gossage
Rollie Fingers
Tino Martinez
Paul O'Neill
Billy Crystal (actor/comedian)
Spike Lee (director)
Whoopi Goldberg (actress)
Kenny Mayne (ESPN)
Mike Golic (ESPN)
Billy Baldwin (actor)
Maria Menounos (Access Hollywood)
National League Ozzie Smith
Dave Winfield
Gary Carter
Paul Molitor
Tony Perez
Tim Raines
Bobby Flay (celebrity chef)
Kyle Massey (actor, Disney's Corey in the House)
Marlee Matlin (actress)
George Lopez (actor/comedian)
Mike Greenberg (ESPN)
James Denton (actor, "Desperate Housewives")
AJ Calloway (EXTRA)
Chris Rock (comedian)
Justin Tuck (NY Giants DL)
A very dubious definition of the word "Celebrity" if you ask me...
The game was announced by the Mike and Mike team from ESPN, they were about as entertaining as a head cold. In fact, all the folks from ESPN on the field were fairly useless, and somehow they thought they were funny. They weren't.
But, some of the actors played surprisingly well. Billy Crystal did good, Spike Lee knows what he's doing out there. James Denton did a good job, and even Billy Baldwin did good. Justin Tuck from the NY Giants made some good plays too.
Of course, in a celebrity softball game, whenever someone actually CATCHES a ball, it's a good play.
Maria Menounos got incessantly booed because she wore a Red Sox cap. She must not have heard about that whole Yankee/Red Sox rivalry. Chris Rock struck out all his times at bat.
Tino Martinez and Paul O'Neill got some of the loudest cheers, as they should, being former Yankees.
Since the stadium was not that filled, (as in empty to Yankee Stadium standards), it was actually pretty cool. There were no lines for food, for restrooms and I was even able to take the George Washington Bridge home with minimal traffic! (This is normally impossible without a 1-2 hour wait to get over the bridge after a game at Yankee Stadium).
Our seats started out in the upper deck in left field, but we moved behind home plate on the upper deck for the softball game as it was in the shade.
Celebrities playing softball.
It was a pretty cool day, the ticket prices were a tad high, but I brought snacks for everyone, including that great American treat one has at baseball games....
Matzos! Enjoyed here by Marjie and Pablo.
