Joe Torre, Billy Crystal inspire Palisades Charter baseball team with surprise visit

The Palisades baseball team has more than a dozen players that lost their homes or have been displaced due to the Palisades Fire.

Joe Torre and Billy Crystal (middle) surprised the Palisades Charter baseball team at practice Thursday afternoon. / Courtesy of Palisades baseball

Palisades Charter High School baseball coach Mike Voelkel had to make sure his players knew who they were in the presence of.

"Once I explained their resumes, they knew it was a big deal," Voelkel said.

The Dolphins got a visit from two A-listers, each would be considered royalty in their respective field of work. Longtime MLB manager Joe Torre and superstar actor-comedian Billy Crystal dropped by practice Thursday afternoon to share words of encouragement after dealing with the Palisades Fire in January.

"Under the circumstances, things have been going pretty good," Voelkel said on SoCal Prep Report Thursday night. "We've been fortunate to have some personalities show up at our field to inspire our kids like Dave Roberts, Joe Torre and Billy Crystal."

Torre, who was a 9-time All-Star as a player, won four World Series as the manager of the Yankees. Crystal has won six Emmys and been nominated for three Golden Globes.

Voelkel said he also got a letter from former MLB player and manager Skip Schumaker, a SoCal native, expressing his willingness to, "help in anyway that he could," Voelkel said.

The Palisades Fire lasted 24 days, burned more than 23,000 acres, killed 12 people and destroyed more than 6,800 structures. Multiple reports state the damage from the fires could end up hovering around the $30-billion mark.

"We have 13 or 14 players that either lost their homes or have been displaced," Voelkel said.

On January 7 when the fires began, reports of the school's campus being engulfed in flames went viral online.

Palisades baseball coach Mike Voelkel (center) with Joe Torre (left) and Billy Crystal. / Courtesy Palisades baseball

"On TV, they were showing shots from Sunset ... the flames were 10 feet above the 10-foot fence," Voelkel said. "It didn't look good. The (reporters) were saying the school was destroyed, gone. But the next day, some of the kids rode down on their bikes to see that the (baseball) field was okay."

• TAREK FATTAL'S REPORT FROM PALISADES JAN. 10

The sports community — at all levels — has been very hospitable to the Palisades Charter sports teams since the fires. Due to the conditions of the surrounding area and air quality, no students or athletes have been allowed back on campus for class or athletic activity. All sports teams have been forced to find different places to practice and play games — most on the road.

Joe Torre and Billy Crystal (middle) surprised the Palisades Charter baseball team at practice Thursday afternoon. / Courtesy of Palisades baseball

"We'll play all 28 games on the road this year," Voelkel said.

The Palisades boys basketball team was treated to a Lakers-Golden State Warriors game at Crypto.com Arena recently when Palisades graduate Steve Kerr was in town. The girls basketball team got to play a game at the Intuit Dome. The baseball team is getting visits from the Who's Who of the baseball (and entertainment world).

"Coaches that've reached out have been tremendous. Offering baseballs, equipment and all kinds of stuff," Voelkel said. "I got calls from Texas, Florida, North Carolina and Washington."

Palisades will begin its season at Venice High on Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 6 p.m. (FULL SCHEDULE)

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