The other day I was walking in my Babylon neighborhood when I saw this giant of a man walking towards me. I instantly knew who it was because at 6 foot, 10 inches, he is the tallest man in this village. His name is Max Watt and he was one of the original members of the legendary youth baseball team, “Hank’s Yanks.” The first thing out of his mouth was, “I have been meaning to call you to express my feelings about the passing of Hank Steinbrenner.” At that moment I said to Max, “Please do me a favor, don’t tell me, tell the world.”
Here are Max’s words and feelings about Hank Steinbrenner:
As I, Max Watt, learned of the incredibly sad news of the passing of Hank Steinbrenner a lot of thoughts and emotions went through my mind. I reflected on how lucky I was to have not only met this great man, but to have spent some quality time with him as well. Thanks to Ray Negron I was able to experience these moments in my life by being invited to play on “Hank’s Yanks” a team sponsored by Hank Steinbrenner and the New York Yankees.
This team opened up my life to so many opportunities and experiences I would’ve never thought I would even come close to experiencing. Without this team I would not be the man I am today, I would not have had the life experiences I have had and I wouldn’t have the accomplishments I have been able to achieve in my life. Without meeting Hank, and being one of the lucky few to be on this team, I wouldn’t have been able to receive a scholarship to play baseball in college, nor would I have had the opportunity to play Minor League Baseball for the Boston Red Sox.
All of those things are great, but most importantly without Hank I wouldn’t have been able to learn and grow into who I am today. That’s why I am forever thankful to have met this great man.
—-Max Watt
