Members of the Yankees, the media, and even some local residents of the South Bronx gathered today to say goodbye to Howard Goldin.
Meeting at second base of Heritage Field, which is the location of home plate of the old Yankee Stadium, Yankee executive Ray Negron led the memorial service.
“We are here to say goodbye to our friend,” Negron said. “We are all his friends here and I am proud to say he was my friend. It’s fitting to do it here, since he liked the new building, but he loved the old stadium.”
Other speakers included Latino Sports publisher Julio Pabon and Cesar Diaz, its editor, Rich Mancuso, a long-time friend of Goldin’s who brought him into the industry and Joe McDonald, the publisher and editor of NY Sports Day.
Daniel Gesslein, the publisher of Goldin’s other outlet Bronx Voice and Scott Engel of the Fantasy Sports Network also attended, as well as kids from the neighborhood, who Goldin knew and some of his former co-workers at Monroe College.
“This can be a cynical business, but Howard always made it brighter with his big hello,” McDonald said. “He was the type of reporter who was at everything. That’s what made him good at what he did.”
“He was like family,” Mancuso added. “We didn’t always agree, but he had his own way. We had to accept that because he was good to everyone.”
The veteran reporter passed away Monday from a heart attack.