Too bad number 18 was already takenToday comedian Billy Crystal fulfilled the fantasy of every short, aging Jewish male in America -- he played baseball before a sold-out stadium during spring training. The Yankees signed Crystal to a two-day contract to celebrate the long time fan's 60th birthday. He joins the ranks of Jewish baseball greats like Shawn Green, Sandy Koufax and Hank Greenberg. "I’m the D.H. — designated Hebrew," Crystal commented in the Times. “It doesn’t matter. I’m so jazzed. It’s the greatest thrill ever.”

Former Yankees player Ron Blomberg will be present at a press conference to announce the launch of an Israeli baseball league tonight in New York. In addition to Blomberg, professional Jewish players Ken Holtzman and Art Shamsky are also heading to Israel to manage three of six teams.

Blomberg, who will be managing the Blue Sox team in Bet Shemesh, said of the experience:

I think it's wonderful that I have been chosen in my later years to go there and bring the game of baseball to the Israeli people.

I'm a very proud Jew, and being able to go over to Israel, where the promised land is, and introduce the game to Israelis, is going to be fun," he said. "Israel is where the world started, where my family started. What goes around comes around. I feel that God wants me to go over there and help teach baseball to the Israelis."

Blomberg had been asked to visit Israel before by Moshe Dayan and former Prime Minister Golda Meir, but declined the invitation due to political instability at the time.