Billy Joel sang the national anthem prior to Game 3 of the World Series between the Mets and Royals.
Joel's rendition was simple and reverent, drawing more attention to the words, stirring on their own, as well as this nation's citizens and veterans. My favorite version of the national is when Marvin Gaye set it off for old-school players all over the world at the 1983 NBA All-Star Game, and who can forget Whitney Houston showing off the purest set of pipes this land has ever seen at Super Bowl XXV? But there's also nothing wrong with a more subtle approach.
MORE: World Series photos | Crazy first pitch sets tone in Game 3
There's a baseball connection, too.
Friday night marked the third time Joel, who's sold an estimated 81.5 million records in his career, has sung the anthem before a World Series game in New York. His song "Piano Man" has been played during the eighth inning of every Mets home game this year.
The Mets lost the other two times Joel sang at the Series, but that's neither here nor there, right? The bottom line is he did a great job Friday.