The great George Steinbrenner used to tell me at a very early age that when you give you get. I would wonder what he was talking about. As time progressed I would figure it out. It took a while because the Boss never wanted you to know when he would be helping someone out.
It was very confusing for me because one minute he could be in a rage about a team situation and then he would drop everything to help someone in need. For me his good would always far outweigh the bad. It would truly become a great Yankee tradition. Helping people has become a major part of the Yankee organization. It truly keeps the Boss’s legacy very alive.
Wednesday was no different at Yankee Stadium. A little boy by the name of Ricardo Martinez actually reached out to Yankee second basemen Gleyber Torres through social media and explained how he came to America with his family from Venezuela because things had become so difficult for them there. He told Gleyber how he missed home. He explained that Gleyber had become his favorite player because they both come from the same country and that Torres truly inspires him with his wonderful personality on television.
Gleyber being a person with a wonderful heart, reached out and arranged for Ricardo and his family to come to Yankee Stadium so they could actually meet. When Ricardo got to finally meet his hero he cried true tears of joy. Torres gave Ricardo a wonderful hug. One that this young man will feel for the rest of his life. He also gave young Ricardo a baseball, one of his game bats, and most importantly a new friendship.
The very next day Torres and the Yankees would go on to Baltimore to play the Orioles. Gleyber hit a home run in his first at-bat. His second time up, he hit a double. In his third at-bat, Torres hit a three-run homer to give the Yankees the lead. Gleyber would top off the day with a single in his fourth at-bat to give him a 4 for 4 game.
After the game Torres received a phone call from Yankees’ co chairmen Hank Steinbrenner to tell him that he was very proud of him. At that moment I thought of George Steinbrenner and could almost hear him say that when you give you get. Gleyber did a wonderful thing for a young boy and like magic the next day he would have the greatest day of his young big league career.
Let’s not forget…We’re Yankees, it’s what we do!