05/21: The Yankees Do Good
Posted by: Patrick
One of the great things that I enjoy as a Yankees fan is the charitable sense of the organization that seems to be a direct reflection of George Steinbrenner. It's been well noted and documented, but despite what the exterior might imply, The Boss is a man who has helped countless people in ways we'll never know. Once in a while, some random person comes out of the woodwork and explains how he helped them in this situation or that situation. I'm sure this will continue.
It's in this spirit that I pass along this pair of stories. First, Jack Curry of the Times talks about Tommy Belsky, a 6 year old boy who, one year ago Tuesday, learned that his acute myeloid leukemia had gone into remission after chemotherapy treatment.
He played catch with Jeter and Cano. He fooled around with Swisher. He received catching advice from Posada and praise from Girardi. "This is beyond words," Tom Belsky, Tommy's father, told Curry. "This is a dream come true for a son and for a dad."
The very next day, the Yankees invited Polly Tompkins, a 38 year old schoolteacher who is fighting Stage 4 melanoma, breast cancer and pancreatic cancer, to be their honorary bat girl. Bryan Hoch has the story. I'll let Hoch describe it:
Aside from meeting various players, Reggie Jackson also spent some time with her, as well. Tompkins was at the game thanks to not only the Yankees, but also Major League Baseball and Susan G. Komen for the Cure, an organization that highlights baseball fans who are battling cancer.
George King reports that even Francisco Cervelli, hardly a Major League Yankee for long, went to Columbia Presbyterian Hospital on Wednesday to visit a 10 year old boy who is fighting leukemia
"It was an amazing time," Cervelli told King. "Hopefully he is going to be all right."
I think it's important to highlight these sorts of stories from time to time, in the cynical world that we live in. And it's not to say that only the Yankees do these things, certainly not - all teams do and all teams have players who help others in this way. It's a great thing.
It's in this spirit that I pass along this pair of stories. First, Jack Curry of the Times talks about Tommy Belsky, a 6 year old boy who, one year ago Tuesday, learned that his acute myeloid leukemia had gone into remission after chemotherapy treatment.
He played catch with Jeter and Cano. He fooled around with Swisher. He received catching advice from Posada and praise from Girardi. "This is beyond words," Tom Belsky, Tommy's father, told Curry. "This is a dream come true for a son and for a dad."
The very next day, the Yankees invited Polly Tompkins, a 38 year old schoolteacher who is fighting Stage 4 melanoma, breast cancer and pancreatic cancer, to be their honorary bat girl. Bryan Hoch has the story. I'll let Hoch describe it:
Rodriguez glanced and said, "Let's go," and within an instant, Rodriguez and Swisher were in the stands, shaking hands and signing baseballs among the fans in a surreal scene.
"This is one of the best days of my life, I think," Tompkins said. "It sounds so cliché, but it's amazing that my friends and family can spend it with me. And I met Derek Jeter! A-Rod and Swisher were so nice, not that Derek Jeter wasn't. But that was pretty incredible that they went and acknowledged my family that way."
"This is one of the best days of my life, I think," Tompkins said. "It sounds so cliché, but it's amazing that my friends and family can spend it with me. And I met Derek Jeter! A-Rod and Swisher were so nice, not that Derek Jeter wasn't. But that was pretty incredible that they went and acknowledged my family that way."
Aside from meeting various players, Reggie Jackson also spent some time with her, as well. Tompkins was at the game thanks to not only the Yankees, but also Major League Baseball and Susan G. Komen for the Cure, an organization that highlights baseball fans who are battling cancer.
George King reports that even Francisco Cervelli, hardly a Major League Yankee for long, went to Columbia Presbyterian Hospital on Wednesday to visit a 10 year old boy who is fighting leukemia
"It was an amazing time," Cervelli told King. "Hopefully he is going to be all right."
I think it's important to highlight these sorts of stories from time to time, in the cynical world that we live in. And it's not to say that only the Yankees do these things, certainly not - all teams do and all teams have players who help others in this way. It's a great thing.
