“The Boss” The Real One, (George M. Steinbrenner) not Bruce Springsteen would have extended his hand to try and help America by helping to guide and in turn support out new President.
I was a kid. from the streets of New York . I was used to seeing people get hit on the head with bottles, pipes, and on some occasions I even saw some people stabbed or shot. I was born in the Bronx and raised in Brooklyn. I was raised with Jewish, Blacks, Latin, and Italian kids. My parents finally moved us to Queens New York in an area known as Springfield Gardens.
It was a whole different world. I did not have to worry about being stabbed or shot anymore. When I went to work for the New York Yankees as a batboy, I started to meet a lot of very interesting people. For whatever the reason, the owner, George Steinbrenner always introduced me to a lot of these people.
He used to tell me, that is is important to get to know these guys. At the time, I never really knew why. I was just happy that “The Boss” thought enough of me, a dark Spanish kid with an Afro hair due to have me meet these distinguished individuals.
“The Boss” always used to tell the story of how he caught me in the streets and gave me my first job. I remember meeting the former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, former President Richard Nixon, real estate moguls (The Fisher Brothers) , Cary Grant, and countless stars from all fields.
One person I remember was a very young and energetic real estate guy that “The Boss” liked a lot. I remember when he introduced him to me and he said, “Ray lives out in Queens also.”
That real estate guy was Donald Trump.
You could tell that Trump was a true fan of Mr. Steinbrenner. He would listen to every word that “The Boss” had to say very intensely and almost like a student with his professor.
I remember throughout the years being in the office of “The Boss.” His secretary Joanne would say, “Trump on Line 2.” The Donald would call for advice all the time. It’s funny that I saw a lot of the same mannerisms in Trump that “The Boss” had.
As time progressed, I saw the strong ego develop in Mr. Trump when I would see him come to Yankee games in the Bronx. But he was always a gentleman!
When Trump was doing his reality show, he used to use the line “You’re Fired” all the time which had been a famous Steinbrenner line. I remember asking “The Boss: if he had given Trump permission to use it. Steinbrenner laughed and said, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”
After “The Boss” died, I would periodically run into “The Donald” at many charity events run by Lenny Caro who at the time was the President of The Bronx Chamber of Commerce and then Chief Community Relations Officer at Mercy College.
Many of these events supported all types of minority issues including my own youth baseball program which I ran with Hank Steinbrenner that helped many Black and Latino kids stay in school and play baseball.
I remember having a quiet moment with Trump last year. He asked me, “How is it for you at the Yankees now that The Boss is Gone?” The way he asked the question, and how he stared into my eyes I knew the interest was real
and I really appreciated the sincerity.
The other day some reporters who knew about the fact that “The Boss” had a relationship with Trump said that Steinbrenner would have voted for Hillary Clinton.
Well I would say, these people did not know George Steinbrenner. So saying that was just a far fetched guess on their part. George Steinbrenner, as many know, was a great patriot and he would always do what was best for America.
Whether it was Clinton or Trump, his respect was for whoever was sitting in the Oval Office. I am very sorry that George Steinbrenner isn’t alive because he would have been a very positive influence in Trump’s preparation for the White House.
And, I guarantee you that many of the negative issues that came out, in my opinion they never would have. However we will never know for sure. When I heard that there would be a protest down 5th Avenue , I decided to act like a true journalist and walk about 20 blocks to feel what the protest was all all about.
What were the people that were marching really thinking? Were their hearts in the right place? I found that that there were a lot of people that really care about this country and really want what’s best, and I was proud of them for that. However, I also found a lot of people that just wanted to start trouble.
Thank God that the New York City Finest, the police really did an outstanding job of keeping order. At the end of the day, whether we like it or not, Donald John Trump is our 45th President.
As Hillary Clinton said in her concession speech, “We must accept the result and look to the future.” We have to give Donald Trump a chance to try and make America the wonderful place that it’s supposed to be,
I know, “The Boss” would have said we have to give him enough rope to hang himself. And if he doesn’t, then America truly will be great again.
Ray Negron is heard every Sunday on ESPN deportes 1050am at 11am and his column appears on Newsmax.
