What will Juan Soto have that three of the greatest Yanks right fielders, Reggie, Maris, and the Babe didn’t have? The world-famous Yankee Stadium row call.
As we speak the Queen of the Bleacher Creatures Tina Lewis and her second lieutenant Mark Chalpin, are already preparing the rhythm of the Juan Soto chants.
Tina and the rest of the Bleacher Creatures take this stuff very seriously. Every chant is very rehearsed. Every member out in the right field bleachers take their assignments very much to heart. It becomes almost a second job that they really love. When Paul O’Neil was in right field and he acknowledged the creatures after a chant they knew that they had done a good job.
I once asked Nick Swisher what did the Creatures mean to him and he said that they were the 26th man on the team. He said that there were days when they truly inspired him.
Aaron Judge always seemed to enjoy his camaraderie when he played right field.
Tina Lewis first premiered as the Queen of the Creatures in 1983. She missed Mr. October Reggie Jackson by two seasons. That would have been a match made in heaven because Reggie would have definitely played it up with Tina. He would have written his own chants and probably would’ve gone up to the bleachers to rehearse with all the Creatures. Let me add that the Creatures better not mess up the chants or else they would have to deal with Reggie’s wrath.
From what I know about Babe Ruth, he would’ve been a bleacher creature’s dream. Just loads of fun.
I have been having lots of conversations with Juan Soto and he is absolutely excited about the first time that he hears Mark Chalpin’s booming voice leading the now fabled Bleacher Creatures Chant JUAN SOTO … JUAN SOTO
Special thanks to Tina Lewis for her incredible love and support of the Yankees. Ms Lewis has actually assisted the Yankees in the hiring of several batboys that she discovered in the bleachers. Among them, there was Luis Castillo the boy that helped David Cone warm up before his historic perfect game.
I also want to give a shout-out to Peter Anderson who is known as Yankee Glasses to his Bleacher Creature teammates.
Finally another special thanks to one of baseball’s all-time great players Nelson Cruz who has always been there for me and so many others. The love and respect that Juan Soto has for him is beautiful and so very much deserved.
In listening to Marcus Stroman and his dad Earl, they say that Juan is truly one of the game’s five best hitters.
Now I really can’t wait to hear the new Bleacher Creature Juan Soto row call.
