Yankees making a difference for Va Tech
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Mar 17, 2008 
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If you can, make time to watch the Yankees play Virginia Tech tomorrow on YES. It’s going to be something you’ll want to see.
Your team is doing a very good thing tomorrow. It was only 11 months ago that a madman killed 32 people on campus and wounded 23 others. The school has yet to complete its memorial to the victims and the Yankees are coming to town to play a game.
Jeter, A-Rod, Posada, Damon, the whole bunch of them. They’re going to wear the Va Tech logo on their hats, signs hundreds of autographs and allow a community to forget, even if just for a day, what happened.
I happen to know one of the coaches on the staff there and the team and the school are overwhelmed by the genorosity the Yankees have shown them.
The Yankees are as corporate as corporate can be most of the time. It’s good to see them extending themselves like this.
“This is something that the organization felt was important. I think it’s important for our guys to see,†Joe Girardi said this afternoon. “Most of us have kids, some of us have been on college campuses. I get emotional when I think about it. … I just think it’s important that we do this.â€
There is nothing more to say.
i can not wait for this game, it’s a great thing the yankees are doing
I’ve had some great days as a Yankee fan, and some not so great. My proudest will be tomorrow.
As far as I know the Yankees don’t have any ties to Virginia Tech and had no obligation to even donate money, much less a game. They have gone far beyond the call of duty. I’m proud to be a Yankee and a Hokie.
I really rreally wish I could skip class to see this, and I would, but I have commitments I can’t miss.
I’ll have to catch the replay.
I am dvr’ing the game to watch when I get home from work.
hopefully YES lets the event speak for itself and does not try to force things. It will be moving on its own and needs no crutches
George Steinbrenner started this by donating $1M to Va Tech.
Why? Who knows? He won’t or can’t say. But I do know that was one of the most generous things I’ve ever seen a baseball owner do.
Read the book “The Lords of Baseball”. and you will see that the history of this game is full of greedy, self-centered owners. Mr. Steinbrenner has never fit in that group.
My hat is off as a Red Sox fan to the Yankees for showing a great deal of class in reaching out to Va Tech.
Bronx Liaison,
I’m dubious about YES showing restraint based on all the pseudo-serious ads they’re running on today’s game.
Clare..
that’s my fear as well. this is for the people lost and surviving the incident at Virginia Tech and exploiting it only does them disservice and undermines why the Yankees are there
George has always had the team do nice things like this. Several years ago when the lightning were in the stanley cup finals he bought out entire sections of the arena and gave the tickets to men and women in the military.
The Yankees might show class.
YES is another matter.
“Pettitte No doubt I backed him off”
Pettitte: “No doubt I backed him off”
As a life-long Yankees fan, Virginia Tech student, and someone who is fortunate enough to be going to tomorrow’s game, I am truly grateful that the Yankees have extended themselves to try to help the University and community heal.
It’s funny how the team tends to be placed in the position of being the “distraction,” “healers,” etc. I can recall the 9/11 terrorist attacks, as everyone does, and remember how afterward the Yankees took on the role of being the pride of the city they represented, helping to bring the city and much of the nation together in one of America’s darkest hours.
Although the schootings here almost a year ago did not nearly have the same impact on the world as the events of 9/11, for the nearly 30,000 people in the Blacksburg community last April 16th, it was our 9/11; the same feelings, the same fear, and the same desire to get beyond it all resounded within us.
The Yankees, especially for me since they have been a part of my life since I was a kid, and their visit here truly are a blessing to Virginia Tech. My only hope is that the thousands of witnesses to this event will take something from it beyond the entertainment of a ballgame. I’m sure all of the members our community will forever remember the Yankees organization for the class and generosity it continuously presents.
“The Yankees are as corporate as corporate can be most of the time. It’s good to see them extending themselves like this.”
I’m not sure what this means — the Yankees have been extraordinarily charitable over the years. From tsunamis to kids with cancer.
hey pete,
i know over the years i have heard stories about The Boss making numerous gestures of generosity ( I cannot recall any specifics) but it always seemed that George was somewhere donating money or helping out a family in need. I dont think his acts ever get alot of press cause (either he didnt want the publicity or did it anonymously).
It would be great to hear some of those stories or catalog them. For all the heat and grief he has gotten over the years for the success the yankees have had… i would bet he has been more generous and philanthropic then any other owner (and you need to be very careful with what constitutes philanthropy).
The Yankees almost gave more money to VT than the Marlins are spending on their payroll this year.
This brings tears to my eyes. I am always so proud to be a Yankee fan, and always so proud of our Yankees. May tomorrow bring the greatest joy to the people at Virginia Tech. Have I mentioned how thrilled I am to have Joe Girardi at the helm?
Joe from Long Island says it best.
I am skipping con law to watch this game. Classy. However, letting that drunk Leyritz into the clubhouse was unclassy.
Jay I thought the same thing when I saw that “corporate as corporate can be” comment. Who has been more generous both in the large arena as well as with individuals than George Steinbrenner? In addition, so many of the individual players have foundations dedicated to helping kids. To me the Yankees are known for their great generosity. Tomorrow is just another shining example.
Scalia – con was one of my least favorite courses – tied for first with contracts!
And I will definitely tune into that game.
I’m really glad the yanks are doing this but I have one question, how are they going to play the VT team w/o beating them 30-0? I hate seeing stuff like that. The sox did it a few weeks back to BC and I just don’t like it. Btw, has anyone considered that if we let Igawa pitch instead of Karstens we might lose?
Scalia – you won’t miss much. I hated con law, too.
Clueless Pete, Clueless Pete
hopefully someone does a Denny McLain and grooves one to one of the college kids.
It would of been nice if YES came on the air a half an hour or so before the game starts so we can see all of the pregame. But they are coming on when the game starts at 3 so we will miss all of that. Even though we won’t see it I am sure it will be nice.
captains corner – i find it very strange that the yes network would skip the pregame stuff… maybe the game is actually going to start a little later than that?
Pete – This is really a classy move by the Yanks. It would be nice if there was a facility here where fans could sign a ‘petition’ to do things like wish Murcer well, thank the Yanks for this move, thank the Yanks for not trading for Santana, etc., and have it presented to the Yankees so they could hear first hand what some fans think.
Petition is not the write word, but ya know what I mean.
This is a really classy thing to do indeed, and I will echo what Pete said on how touched, proud and honored Virginia Tech is to have the Yankees there. A friend of mine works there (and won tickets for tomorrow in the lottery!) and everyone at the school is SO excited, and has been for some time, about tomorrow. And for me, it makes me feel so good that my team goes out of their way to help people in need and do what they can in restoring hope, faith and happiness to a community; in fact, it makes me never want to complain about ticket prices again! I am so proud to be a Yankee fan and even though I have finals this week, can’t wait to ditch the studying for a few hours and watch the game! My girlfriend sent me a Yankees vs V-Tech hat from the campus store, and even tho I am a Hurricanes fan, I will be sporting it very proudly tomorrow while cheering on both teams.
Speaking of which – does anyone know if I can order this as a single game off mlbTV rather than listening to it on the radio? I’m in PA for school and my fam is taping it off YES for me but I don’t want to wait till I go home!
Oh, and re: “no doubt I backed him off”? Gawd I love Andy.
Peter, I have disagreed with you about many things that you have written about this team that I have followed for 45 years.. these Yankees from the Bronx,but your last 2 posts re: A-rod and now about their game tomorrow at VT are 2 of the best posts ever written about them by any blogger. That is why this is the best Yankees blog on the net, and I can only say that I agree with my brethren that tomorrow will be a proud day to be a Yankees fan, and it really puts that Yankees/Tampa Bay Rays brawling crap in perspective and this is why as much as other teams want to be like the Yankees there is only 1 team from the Bronx, your New York Yankees, enough said!
BBB,
Someone (I forget who) said in an earlier comment that this game was available for free on mlbtv. I didn’t check myself though.
BBB- hey there..
is the game actually even being shown on MLB-TV? even if it is, i don;t think they sell individual games. they like to get as much $ from you as they can…
BBB cancel that last statement…it IS being shown on MLB-TV GREAT!!—i still think you have to pay for the month of service. get the cheaper plan for 14.95 maybe?
I’m excited.
hello clare and andrea! ( the other night owls)
yeah, i’m very excited about tomorrow as well. i hope the weather holds up. it looks liker it maybe cold and wet there
hey MikeEff: Sorry I didn’t respond. I was ignoring the blog because I thought no one was in here.
Cold I think they can deal with. Wet might be a problem.
Thanks guys! MikeEff, I know they sell individual games on MLBtv during the regular season, it’s something ridiculous like $4 a game, although for this I would pay it, just not sure if they do it during spring games or not. I guess I’ll find out tomorrow – crossing my fingers that it actually is free, but knowing MLB, not counting on it!
BBB: how much is just a month of MLB.tv? maybe it’d be worth it so you could get this game…I know it’s like $119 for the year. I can’t imagine it would be too much for a month.
I did hear rumors about it being a free game tomorrow. That would be very nice of MLB to do.
Hey Mike, if you’re still around. I’ve been stuck talking mostly to myself on the last thread.
Tell me, do you have to get up and go to work in the morning? I do.
On MLB’s website there is a picture of Jeter and it says that the game will be free tomorrow. So everyone who doesn’t have YES can watch it!! That was a really nice thing for MLB to do.
That’s awesome for MLB to do. This whole thing is just a great thing to do. I’m glad the Yankees are a part of it.
This says a lot about the Yankee organization by them doing this.
http://aroundthemajors.blogspot.com/
I can’t understand how people like Cho Seung-Hui can be so barbaous, maybe is because I grew away from violent. But anyways, Virginia Tech deserves this day hope they enjoy this game, and for get last year happening, at least for one day.
Andrea, Mlb t.v is only $14.99 for ST.Excluding the regular season of course.
well, ST is almost over, so I’m not sure it would be worth it for someone wanting to watch a game. But hopefully BBB will see that.
Thanks for the info!
it’s a beautiful thing.
and i think joe g really means it.
good for the yankees for taking the initiative.
A lot can be said here about the compassion of the yankees… Its interesting that the yankees can stand out sometimes as more than a team but an organisaation that goes beyond.
Great Post, Pete !
Hope it’s a great day for everybody! I’ll have YES on in my office.
It is on for free.
I was the one who posted it last night. Go to Yankees.com and follow the links.
trish and ellen – con law is not bad; it’s business law that bores me. Nonetheless, I am going to skip it today to watch the Virginia Tech game.
Being here in Blacksburg & a born in the Bronx Yankee fan, this is more proof as to which sports franchise all others aspire to be. Not all fans are created equal, but these Yankees & their blue caps, are welcome in the Old Dominion of Virginia.
Thank you George Steinbrenner & family, you are the most misunderstood leader in the Free World, with the biggest heart, the eyes of Dixie are upon you, and we see who you really are.