Celebrity Sighting down in Playoffs

Maybe it is just me, but it seems like the celebrity baseball fans are not straying into the  ALCS/NLCS ballparks yet. Oh, there have been a few  A and B-list sightings of the famous both from the entertainment field,and some current or former sports stars sitting in the seats near the field. But it might seems to be a bit, well empty compared to some recent seasons. 

But since I am not sitting in either Yankee Stadium, or Dodger Stadium during these games, maybe I am out of the sight lines to glancing upon or just  visually missing the boat on the celebrity onslaught that seems to follow a “winning” team as they head towards a possible World Series berth. Maybe it is just too nice weather-wise in Los Angeles right now. And we know that the Arctic winds have dampened only the seats in Yankee Stadium in the first two games of the ALCS.

But then again, maybe the weather is a bit……..well, chilly for the celebrity style folks to flock outside the confines of the Hard Rock Cafe or even a Club Level Suite right now at Yankee Stadium. But it can be such great  public relations coupes and established city cred to see or be seen in the masses wearing the blue pinstripes. But then again, I am not hoping for a huge explosion of celebrity sightings to increase when the Phillies open their home set of the series tomorrow, but then again, it is home to a lot of very unique people.

I am not really trying to complain about the lack of the celebrity mobs not flocking to the ballparks, it just seemed like there were more visual sighting in 2008 when Boston and Tampa Bay played at Tropicana Field. But then again, they were in a controlled environment where the temps never reached far above 78 degrees either even with a full house screaming at the top of their lungs. I remember bumping into comedian/minor league baseball team owner Bill Murray near the Food Courts on the First Base side while he was buying some cinnamon encrusted almonds for the game ( great taste in edibles Bill). 

Or even catching a photo op with  WWE superstar John Cena at a Rays after party following Game 2 of the ALCS up in the Cigar Bar at the Trop. It was a invitation only event mostly for the Rays employees, but I snagged a pass and shook many a hand of friends within the Rays organization that wondered how I could have wrangled such an invite. But they forget, where there is a will, there is a way with me.

And there have been some nice sightings so far in this round of the playoffs. It was great to see that Miley’s dad could make it out to Chavez Ravine for Game 1 of the NLCS.  With strands of his well coiffed  mini mullet swaying the breeze, his southern twang ringing through the PA system, he offered a fantastic rendition of the National Anthem.

It must an ever increasing problem for Billy Ray Cyrus to always been seen as “Miley’s Dad” by people under 18, but as “Doc” or the “Achy Breaky Man” to the rest of us. But it is awesome to see he still loves the game, and I hoped he stayed and watched it that day because even with the Dodger loss, it was a great game to watch in person.

Then on Friday, there was a glance of Los Angeles Laker guard Kobi Bryant sitting with Dodger Team owner Frank McCourt and Tommy Lasorda down near the field level for Game 2 of the NLCS game. We know Bryant has a huge love of all sports, even if his second choice of sports teams tend to range to a certain soccer team in Spain. But by the pictures, it seemed like he got into the flow of the game and had a great time. Hopefully he can again be coaxed to attend another game soon and become a lifetime Dodger faithful. 

Also during that Friday game fans in attendance got to see members of the boy band, The Backstreet Boys as they performed “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the 7th inning stretch. You can bet that there was a bevy of fabulous harmonies and a few great vocal scale moves that kept the crowd either looking towards the big screen or towards the field during their performance.

Now we move eastbound into the big stadium in the Bronx for a Friday night game to begin the 2009 ALCS in some chilly weather that had more than a few people bundled up looking more like a cocoon. I think we might have had sightings of even more celebrity or famous ballplayers in the stands if not for the sweeping chill produced by the wind swirling in the stadium. For some reason, extreme conditions and celebrities only go along in their movie roles.

But we did get a picture of the  spinal cord and backside of former Yankee great Tino Martinez sitting up in one of the enclose suites chatting and talking with a table full of people. Fox made sure to focus in on the table and sit there for about a minute, with Tino  finally looking towards the field a few times, so we know it was Tino and not some fake sighting. And that might also be a problem. Sometimes in conditions like that everyone can look like someone else when wearing a  woolly ski cap and a big jacket.

But the person who seemed to have gained the most photo ops during the last months of the season is the “alleged” girlfriend/BFF  Kate Hudson who again had those primo seats just beyond the top of the Yankees dugout on the Third Base line.  I am not going to rouse the rumor mill again if she is or is not even dating a certain Yankee player.

In neither of the pictures posted the last few nights do we see anything hot in her hand, or even a head covering, but we hope that the thin blond one did not catch a head cold or even a glimpse of the sniffles. But it is rewarding to see she is facing the elements like the rest of the Yankee faithful and enjoying the game among the regular fans. Let’s hope that our own MLBlogs  “Confessions of a She-Fan” can make it out to a game or two in Anaheim to throw her mug up there to compete with the “Kate Hudson’s” of the world. I would be blown away to see Lady Jane on the television screen, but not surprised in the least.

But also during the Friday night game in the Bronx, they invited one of their own back to throw out the First Pitch before the game. David Cone, who pitched for the Pinstripes from 1996-2000 and produced 55 victories in his time with the Yankees threw a perfect strike across the plate before Game 1 of the ALCS.  And Cone, who owns a great eating establishment in Oldsmar, in the Tampa Bay area looks like he could still pull spot duty in the Bullpen.

And even if a bunch of the ex-players and celebrities were not in plain sight, you have to guess that there were more than a dozen hidden up behind the frosted glass enjoying the game either by television or sitting near the windows enjoying CC Sabathia’s  dominance in that first game. And we all know of a few out in L A who enjoy seats up in the Club Level and are usual visitors to the games, and might not be considered “event-based” celebrities by the loyal Dodger fans

So hopefully tonight when the NLCS proceeds in Citizens Bank Park the Philly celebrity faithful  will come on down and represent their town and cheer for their boys. Let’s just hope that Darryl Hall and John Oates are not the only ones we see in the seats tonight during the game.
This city has a bevy of talented celebrities. We all know that Kevin Bacon is a proud member of the “City of Brotherly Love”. But did you know comedians David Brennan, Tina Fey and Bob Saget call this city their own. And something I never knew before, 2/3rds of the “Three Stooges”, Larry Fine and Curly Joe DeRita came from this Pennsylvania town.

I  am personally going to be searching for someone dressed up in a powdered wig and bi-focals and trying to present a “Where is Ben Franklin” moment in CBP. Seriously, I know the economy is tight, and even Nicholas Cage is said to be broke as an old clock right now, but this is the time that these cities need to see their famous brethren basking in the glow of another successful season.

So as the venues swap this week, it is going to be interesting to see if any celebrities will be in attendance
 in Los Angles/Anaheim this week when the Yankees come to town. There might be a few wearing Yankees gear, like Hudson, but let’s hope some of the Anaheim faithful also come out and support the teams resurgence into the ALCS. 

Maybe we will see Bobby Hatfield  who was a part of the “Righteous Brothers”, or maybe even Gwen Stefani of the group “No Doubt” singing the National Anthems or during the 7th Inning stretch. For this region of California also has its special and famous people who will hopefully come out and support the Angels. But I guess we will see.

But just seeing some of these  special people enjoying the sport we love so well, and cheering along with us seems to boost the energy and the vibe in a stadium. And you know the camera people are forever seeking out these elusive personalities either in the suites or stuck among the thousands in the stands. Hopefully someday a few of us writing on MLBlogs.com could be featured on the big screen as a sports journalist, or even a novelist by our own “Confessions of a She-Fan” Jan Heller.