For 33 years Hector Pagan was a celebrated law enforcement official. Hector would be involved in some of the biggest drug trafficking investigations of his time. No case was too big and he was sent around the world to deal with some of these cases.
Hector won more awards than he can count and the respect that he earned was a beautiful thing to witness.
After his celebrated career came to an end he was asked what had been his life’s highlight and he surprisingly said being a Yankee batboy.
Like me, Hector was born in the Bronx. He was an avid Yankee fan and his favorite player was Willie Randolph. The reason for that was because, like Willie, Hector was a small second baseman.
Like most of the kids in my neighborhood, Hector loved the fact that I was a Batboy. He always wanted to know about all the players and was always amazed about how much in love I was with my job and the Yankees. Sometimes I would bring him and other neighborhood kids to the stadium with me.
When Hector got older I would ask Mr. Steinbrenner if he could give Hector a job as a batboy too.
The Boss told me to let the visitor’s clubhouse manager Lou Cucuzza Sr. That he was ok with it.
When I told Hector I don’t think he believed me.
The next day I brought him with me to the Stadium and walked him into the visitor’s locker room to meet Cucuzza. Hector couldn’t believe what was happening and as I was saying Hi Lou this is Hector… Hector literally did a crow hop as if he was turning a double play. It’s as if he was floating on air. Honestly, I don’t blame him because that’s how I felt when I was officially given the job as a Yankee Batboy.
Because he had watched me do the job, Hector caught on real quick. Like me he was in love and at the end of the month he couldn’t believe that he was also getting paid for a job that we would have done for free.
In a very short time, Hector fell in love with Thurman Munson.
The fact that I had to drive Thurman to Teterboro airport so that he could fly home to Canton Ohio as often as possible I would bring Hector with me when possible. Thurman had a reputation for being this rough and tough guy but Hector would find out that with people that he liked and respected he treated them beautifully. Hector thought that the fact that he was such a big star and white that he might not be as nice to people of color as we were.
Again that couldn’t be further from the truth.
One time we were driving from Boston to Teterboro airport and Hector was driving. The Yankees were playing there. After the last game of the series, Thurman asked me if I had driven there because I wasn’t scheduled to go with the team. Hector and I decided just to go and be with the team. Thurman asked me if I felt like driving him to Teterboro so naturally I said let’s go. He wanted to go home to the family since the next day was an off day. He called ahead to make sure his airplane would be gassed up and ready.
Our drive to Teterboro was beautiful because Hector was always surprised about how Thurman and I would talk about everything and anything. At one point we stopped at a McDonalds and loaded up with everything they had.
Hector drove and Thurman was in the passenger seat and I sat in the back.
As we drove down I 95 I absolutely loved watching Thurman feeding Hector. He actually held his hamburger, then he fed him his fries and then he would hand him his coke. It was really a sweet moment. In my mind, I was wishing that I had a camera so that the world would see what a wonderful person Hector would find out that Thurman Munson was. I remember one time during batting practice Thurman came out ready to hit and as he saw Hector he stopped in his tracks, patted Hector on his back with his bat, and asked him if he was doing ok. Another time he said to Hector that if he ever needed anything to let Ray Know.
I remember when Thurman’s son was born I was driving him to Teterboro because he was anxious to get home and play with his baby boy. Hector was sitting in the back. I asked Thurman if he named his son Thurman. Hector started to laugh loudly. Thurman said no, then he turned to Hector and he yelled out… And I didn’t name him Hector either!!!! (His son is named Michael)
Hector was liked by many of the players and he learned a lot about life from the Bronx Zoo Yankees. That group I believe really helped him grow up. There has never been a more strong-willed group of Yankees like the Yankees of the 70s and they really helped toughen him up for what was to be the next phase of his life.
Hector was shocked at the relationship that I had with Billy Martin who was truly like a father to me, Reggie Jackson, and naturally Thurman who always looked out for me, and of course, The Boss George Steinbrenner whom every employee feared except me because I knew he was truly my friend.
After leaving the Yankees Hector would tell me that the discipline that he learned at Yankee Stadium and being around the team helped him become the great police official that he had been.
I will always remember how proud George Steinbrenner was when I had Hector visit with him at the end of Hector’s career.
The Boss was always known as someone who supported law enforcement so when Hector told him that he was one of his influences you could tell that the Boss got emotional.
A combination of the Boss with the Silver Shield Foundation (a charity that supports the families of officers killed in the line of duty) and Hector helped influence two of my sons to get into law enforcement. Several Batboys including the historic Errol Toulon in Suffolk County ( The first Black Sheriff) followed Hector in the field.
Thank you, Hector Pagan and all Batboys who became Police Officers for your service!!!
