In my fifty years around the Yankees Universe, I was always taught by George Steinbrenner that it was always more important to give than to receive.
This Christmas I needed a true Yankee official with a historical background to go to a school and give of his time with me and the perfect person was right before my eyes.
Omar Minaya I felt was someone that the predominately Hispanic kids at CS 55 in the Bronx could truly relate with.
Omar was born in the Dominican Republic and came to New York as a very young boy. He had a dream to get into professional baseball so he would work extremely hard and got to become Major League Baseball’s first General Manager. When he got to the school he told all the kids that they should always follow their dreams and they too could make a mark in the world.
Lisa Caprara is a young lady who has worked for the Yankees in different positions.
I first met her when she was the stadium voice of the Yankees during spring training. Lisa would announce different events etc throughout the stadium and become a personality because of her bubbly personality. When not working at Steinbrenner Field, believe it or not, she would be playing soccer with the Tampa Bay Strikers of the Professional Women’s League.
Like Omar Minaya, the thing that would blow my mind was that after her soccer season, she would be working at IMG … International Management Group. They actually have the famous youth sports camp that was founded by Nick Bolletieri.
There Lisa coaches soccer and becomes a true mentor to these kids. The thing that makes her great is that she makes the kids believe in themselves. Her competitive nature and the love she brings to the kids make them want to do well not just for themselves but for her.
Omar and Lisa had the Yankee way embedded into their souls before they even got to the Yankees. I think that George Steinbrenner would be very pleased with both Omar and Lisa, especially during Christmas.
