Beckham creates stir with Rogers Centre visit
Last Updated: Monday, August 6, 2007 | 4:51 PM ET
The Canadian Press
Soccer's biggest superstar met some baseball royalty Monday afternoon as the David Beckham paparazzi show hit the Rogers Centre.
Beckham and his Los Angeles Galaxy teammates — including Canadian internationals Ante Jazic and Kevin Harmse — spent their day off in Toronto watching the Blue Jays host the New York Yankees.
Soccer star David Beckham, left, talks with New York Yankees manager Joe Torre prior to the game against the Blue Jays Monday at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.
(Aaron Harris/Canadian Press)
Before the game, they were given a full tour of the Blue Jays clubhouse, where centre-fielder Vernon Wells welcomed Beckham in the middle of the room. Team staff and the children of players and coaches all clamoured for autographs.
A tour of the field followed and as soon as Beckham emerged from the Toronto dugout, fans began shrieking his name as a camera horde descended upon him.
Yankees manager Joe Torre — the baseball equivalent of Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson — had a brief discussion with Beckham by the batting cage and then led him to the New York clubhouse.
That visit was closed off to the media but a Yankees spokesman said Beckham met with Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, one of baseball's biggest stars.
Beckham later visited the umpire crew in their room and joined Jazic, Harmse and Galaxy head coach Frank Yallop, the former Canadian international, on the mound for the ceremonial first pitch, thrown by Jazic and Harmse to Wells.
The Galaxy played Toronto FC to a 0-0 draw Sunday and planned a leisure day in the city. They were scheduled to leave Tuesday for Washington, D.C.
