Growing up a kid from the South Bronx and Brooklyn I always felt like I wasn’t good enough. I use to feel that being of Hispanic and black heritage was a bad thing. I literally at times was ashamed of who I was.
The different thoughts that went through my mind used to keep me from reaching my full potential as I grew up.
I was so lucky that my mother Jenny was such a strong person who didn’t let me completely fall down. She was always pushing me and trying her best to make sure that I didn’t cave into the elements of the streets. At least not completely. Her brother Hector was an incredible athlete with great potential to do good in school however he loved the streets and felt that the working man was a sucker so he was continuously in trouble and getting arrested. My mom vowed that this was not going to happen to me. She really tried hard to help me with my self-esteem. She fought with me and for me. I can tell you, it wasn’t easy.
One day in 1973 as faith would have it, I got into trouble outside Yankee Stadium. I was caught doing graffiti on one of the walls outside the park. The blessing was that the man that apprehended me was nonother than George Steinbrenner, the new owner of the Yankees. Instead of having me arrested, for whatever reason he decided to give me a job as a Yankee batboy.
This was the most incredible and unimaginable thing that could have happened to anyone who came from where I came from. I remember Mr. Steinbrenner saying that I’m going to do this for you but don’t you f…. Me. He said that some of the people that worked there were rooting against me and we have to prove them wrong.
I really didn’t understand what he was talking about until days when the Boss would be out of town and the people that he was talking about would literally to my face tell me that I should know my place and that I really didn’t belong there. One individual even went as far as to say that he didn’t understand this love affair with me and the Boss. Another time when the Boss was away this individual literally walked on the field during batting practice, grabbed me by the arm, and dragged me off the field. He said that I was having too much fun out there and I was there to work. He took me to the visitor’s locker room and made me shine the shoes. I will never forget when all of a sudden Elston Howard the Yanks coach who happened to be the first black Yankee walked in and screamed at the guy … I saw what you did out there with the kid, give me the kid! As we were walking out the door Elston turned around and said to the guy… Steinbrenner will find out about this! and the Boss sure did!
The Boss kept asking me what the guy said to me and I told him that he said I should know my place and that I didn’t belong. I told the boss that maybe I didn’t belong and that I didn’t want to be a pain in the ass to him.
The boss asked me why do you think this is happening and I told him that I thought the guy was prejudiced. At that moment he just stared at me for what felt like an hour. Then he said, I’m going to tell you something. There is a very fine line between Prejudice and Jealousy. Did you ever think that these people might just be jealous of you? This shocked me and I would counter back, but I don’t have anything… The Boss said you are wrong. You have my friendship. Even though I was young I really did understand what he was trying to tell me. He also said that as I got older that I would find out that Jealousy would be more dangerous than prejudice. Man was he ever right.
He use to tell me in those early years not to listen to those people who would tell me to know my place. He once said that if someone can tell a person, especially a young kid that he doesn’t belong then you wouldn’t want to be there any way or maybe they don’t belong.
One day Mr. Steinbrenner was throwing a party for some of his old college friends and he had asked me to bring up some autographed baseballs for them. When I dropped them off I was in a hurry to leave because I did feel out of place around all those ivy leaguers. As I was leaving the boss said hold on a minute. So I stood there with my head looking down. The boss being the boss he decided to make a statement… he said to me… Ray look up, put your head up. Don’t you realize that you have gone to the best University of all … You come from the University of Steinbrenner. Most of these guys could never get a degree from there. All of a sudden they all laughed. I have to admit that I felt good about myself at that moment.
I have never taken it for granted at how blessed I have been to be around the Yankees all of these years. I always understood the incredible favor that Mr. Steinbrenner did for me. Not long after The Boss died someone came up to me and asked, Do you still feel privileged? Of which I responded by saying Until the day I die it will be an honor to be a very tiny part of the Yankees.
I have a very nice friendship with Maria Cooper the artist and daughter of the incredible movie actor Gary Cooper and her husband the World-renowned classical pianist Byron Janice. At their home, they treat me like a real friend. Their doorman who is a Latino tells me how they treat him like family.
Byron loves watching the Yankees every night and it is recommended not to call the house during the games.
Just recently the Yankees were playing a great game and Aaron Judge hit two homers. My phone rang and it was Byron. He was telling me how happy he was about how great the Yanks had played that night. We chatted for a couple of minutes and after we hung up I thought to myself how great it would be if we could all just look at each other as just people, one not better than the other.
Thank you Byron and Maria for being the kind of people that your friend George Steinbrenner said that people are supposed to be. Also, I thank Yankee President Randy Levine for the passion and love that he displays every day at the Stadium I even love the moments when he goes crazy in a rare negative Yankee moment because it reminds me of somebody… lol.
