Yankees add HOPE to a special family
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Jul 22, 2009 
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HOPE Week continued today with a special event for George and Kim Murray of South New Berlin, N.Y.
George, a 38-year-old veteran of the Army’s 82nd Airborne who no longer has use of his arms and legs due to ALS, wanted to watch a game a Yankee Stadium with the couple’s 4-year old son, Trason. The Yankees also arranged for a surprise anniversary party for the Murrays with Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, Phil Hughes, Phil Coke, Hideki Matsui, Brian Bruney and Cody Ransom joining 40 members of their family and friends in a suite at the Stadium prior to the game.
Following the game, the Murray family was taken on a private tour of Yankee Stadium with Jeter, Teixeira, Coke and Ransom.
Here are some photos provided by the Yankees of the event. Once again, more good work by the organization.
HOPE week rocks !!!
I haven’t been this proud to be a Yankee fan in the longest time. This team is playing their hearts out for love of baseball, yankees legacy, and most importantly, for the fans. They’ve gone back to what made most of us fall in love with them from the beginning. Excellence in every form. There are flaws on every team, but when your team busts themselves daily, show great teamwork, and exhibit great humanity….well I guess the wins are only icing on the cake.
white sox take the lead 4-3 over the rays
Very classy, guys
I can tell this is going to be a special year. The Yankees are really looking like a team with lots of heart.
Now if only my fellow countryman Wanger can come back, even for a little bit, in September in his best form and contribute to #27.
listen to how angry sutcliffe is. it’s not interference because varitek didnt touch him. how does he not know the rule.
sounds like Sutcliffe has money on the game.
im goin to my first game at the new stadium friday…can somebody tell me what time do the gates open
Ralphie, somewhere around 4 usually.
I’ve complained about the Yankees organization the last few years. I feel they were losing touch with the fan base, became disconnected to the true fans and lost contact with the community. These are such good steps and I am extremely happy they are refocusing on these things. Everything we heard about Hal before he truly took over painted an image of a guy not focused on baseball, disconnected and a bit non descript. He is clearly becoming a strong force in the direction of this organization on all fronts and I am extremely happy he is at the healm. We are back to having a fun team to watch, character guys with talent and a quality organization to be admired. There are still issues with the costs, ballpark etc, but I am very happy with the product they are putting out there and very proud to be a fan.
Oakland rookie Vin Mazzaro (2-6, 4.09), who grew up a Yankees fan in Rutherford, New Jersey, will face New York for the first time.
Gate Locations And Openings
Yankee Stadium has four gate locations for entry and exit:
* Gate 2: adjacent to left field: Enter via Jerome Avenue
* Gate 4: behind home plate: Enter via 161st Street and Jerome Avenue
* Gate 6: adjacent to right field: Enter via 161st Street
* Gate 8: adjacent to centerfield: Enter via River Avenue
* Babe Ruth Plaza: located on 161st Street between Gate 4 and Gate 6
Remember fans, on game days, arrive early. Yankee Stadium Gates on Babe Ruth Plaza and Gates 2 and 8, open three hours prior to the start of every home game. All fans are encouraged to arrive early to enjoy batting practice and infield workouts from select areas of the Field Level and the Bleachers; specifically, all fans may watch batting practice and infield workouts from Field Level Sections 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135 and 136 and from all Bleachers Sections. Please note, on certain game days the Yankees may elect not to take batting practice, infield workouts or both. Those fans who take advantage of the opportunity to enjoy batting practice and infield workouts from the Field Level and/or the Bleachers may remain until the players leave the field following the conclusion of the Yankees batting practice or 1 hour and 45 minutes after the Gates open. At that time, all fans will be asked to return their respective seats.
In addition, commencing three hours prior to the start of every home game, Monument Park, the Yankees Museum, Field Level Yankees Team Stores, the Tommy Bahama bar and select concession stands in the Bleachers and on the Field Level will be open for fans’ enjoyment.
Fans with tickets for the Legends Suite, the Delta Sky360 Suite, the H&R Block Suite Level and the Jim Beam Suite may access Yankee Stadium three hours prior to the start of every home game through the Suite Entrance adjacent to Gate 4.
All other Gates and areas of Yankee Stadium open two hours prior to the start of every home game.
Please remember Gate openings are subject to change for special events, doubleheaders, Opening Day and during postseason play.
gate info
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com.....uide.jsp#g
Have a great time RalphieD!
So they gathered with the family before the game?
No wonder the players seemed so familiar with the family in the post-game handshake line.
Terrific idea and execution by Jason Zillo and the Yankees. See? They’re not so evil after all.
Friday should be a good one -
Joba vs. Brett Anderson (the guy who threw that CG in Fenway)
I think a lot of this has to do with Girardi and Hal. Girardi is an incredibly empathic person. King George always gave to charity, but now the yankees are doing much more involved community work.
Would not be at all surprised if Girardi suggested it or enthusiastically went along with a suggestion.
Great great Job by the Yankees!
Hugging and catching and trying against the Red Sox. It’s been a long long time!!!!
Poor George.
Incredible how little is really known about ALS with all the work being done for it.
I was at the game today, and I was really impressed by the things I saw. This is beyond sports and beyond the call of duty. Such a great thing by the Yankees.
I am a Francessa minion.
I agree with everything he says, from Joba to the pen, to wanting Arroyo.
I think his callers are great and I think his show over all is great. He’s not making $3 million dollars because he doesn’t know his sports!
This is really great stuff the Yankees are doing.
Not only is this a great idea but, the entire year has been filled with much more personal fan contact between the team and its fans.
Really great stuff. The entire organization should be proud.
You don’t need your owner making a jerk out of himself nightly on Twitter to “talk” to your fans.
Ledge
Mike is that you? Don’t be afraid to use your real name. We’ll be gentle.
“I haven’t been this proud to be a Yankee fan in the longest time. This team is playing their hearts out for love of baseball, yankees legacy, and most importantly, for the fans. They’ve gone back to what made most of us fall in love with them from the beginning. Excellence in every form. There are flaws on every team, but when your team busts themselves daily, show great teamwork, and exhibit great humanity….well I guess the wins are only icing on the cake.”
Well said.
Great job by the Yankees
The Yankees didn’t do this as often 5 years ago… and this year, I think all this great outreach will pay off. It’s unreal.
“I haven’t been this proud to be a Yankee fan in the longest time. This team is playing their hearts out for love of baseball, yankees legacy, and most importantly, for the fans. They’ve gone back to what made most of us fall in love with them from the beginning. Excellence in every form. There are flaws on every team, but when your team busts themselves daily, show great teamwork, and exhibit great humanity….well I guess the wins are only icing on the cake.”
Here, here.
Now burn, Red Sox, BURN IN HELL! Wallow away in that hot, unforgiving Arlington sun!!!!
Ledge July 22nd, 2009 at 10:43 pm
I am a Francessa minion.
I agree with everything he says, from Joba to the pen, to wanting Arroyo.
I think his callers are great and I think his show over all is great. He’s not making $3 million dollars because he doesn’t know his sports!
========================
Is that you Minko?
Ledge
Now that I read your comments about Francesca I can finally say your going off the…
“I am a Francessa minion.
I agree with everything he says, from Joba to the pen, to wanting Arroyo.
I think his callers are great and I think his show over all is great. He’s not making $3 million dollars because he doesn’t know his sports!”
Is this Jon Heyman?
“I was at the game today, and I was really impressed by the things I saw. This is beyond sports and beyond the call of duty. Such a great thing by the Yankees.”
My bf was at the game to and he told me he even teared up a little…must have been really nice for him to have teared up. Trust me.
wow, the yanks are really reaching out extra far this season.
Ive got a question: anyone here use the new metro-north station on 153rd st? Does the last direct train really wait for 45 minutes after the game is over? No matter when it ends? Just wondering because I’m thinking about using the metro north tomorrow
go yanks
Ledge,
Don’t worry, Francessa has plenty of minions. The few who do try and present a contrasting viewpoint usually get about a 5 second hook before they get hung up on. However, being a minion allows you an extra 5 seconds to stroke his ego before he eventually hangs up on you.
“Nick in SF-Meanwhile, Bucholz will be sitting at home talking to his kids about the highlight of his career: “”Kids, if only you could see your daddy then when he was good. I pitched a no hitter…””
You forgot the rest of the story:
Kids: We could see clips on youtube if we could find our laptops.
Dad: ummmmmmmm
Great job by the Yankees all the way around. I guess ESPN wont reporting this!
Yankees brought Swisher and CC in, two very high character guys, lots of charity orgs and events. They brought in another high character guy in Tex. As stupid as it sounds I really believe this is big for the players too. Sometimes I lose touch daily how lucky I am and it makes you take a step back and put things in prespective. I really think this is a win-win all around for the organization, players and the fans. I honestly see this as a very drastic turn around and it seems to have come over the last month or so in full force. I also love how not one of these high contract guys that have come in have tried to be bigger than this team, they have all fit in.
I wonder if Youk regrets getting Manny traded, or that David Arias doesnt have a ready supply of the juice all the time.
I was at the game today as well, and they treated this family like royalty. Besides introducing them on the field before the game, the father was asked to announce, “Play ball!” over the PA following the “SSB”, his kids were invited to play one of those match games on the big screen, and his wife was interviewed mid-game for the whole stadium to see (not to mention the several camera shots of the entire family during inning breaks). I was wholly impressed by the attention that was paid. Here’s hoping that this type of outreach extends beyond a designated week of action. Good job today, Yanks.
Jason Bay is really struggling
Nick-What is the whole Bucholz laptop thing?
Awww- I love HOPE week!
Something I’ve noticed about Tex, even before Hope Week, is that he really lights up when he sees or deals with kids.
Josh
July 22nd, 2009 at 10:56 pm
Jason Bay is really struggling
***
This is because my dad traded for him in his fantasy league a few weeks ago. He ruined Bay’s career
Thornton about to blow it against the Rays.
lol this Mathis guy is doing a great job for Texas
Nick in Sf,
are you sure you dont have Clay confused with someone else. The Red Sox only get high character guys
whew. Rays lose. Yanks pick up another game.
Angel Berroa remains hitless as a Met going 0-3 tonight. The Mets have still not won a game he has started
Kudos to the Yankees for Hope Week. Great work! The family looks very happy and Tex seems to have really taken to the boy, so sweet.
Bucholz stole like 30 laptops in his high school to sell them… Clay “I’ll do anything to make a Buc” Holz
Brandon, I can’t watch the videos as I’m on my hotel’s computer……..but it sounds like I need to rent Dumb and Dumber (and Bull Durham, for the Nuke La Loosh references, lol)
Didn’t the Sox have an abundance of pitching last week????
Well Wakefield went down …. with a back … again (to be expected, happens every year now and his age)
Penny was well Penny, done with his good stretch. Has pitched well for them, but not shaking when he takes the mound.
Smoltz, may still pan out, but 40 year old pitchers off shoulder surgery can only be so good….. well unless you are Clemens shooting up
Dice K…. was already found out before the injury … Japanese pitcher has a Nomo lifecycle of about 2-3 seasons before the deceptive delivery is no longer so deceptive.
Bucholz, great AAA numbers after last years disaster for him. Let’s not forget Sergio’s ERA and Igawa’s success pitching in the same league. Numbers don’t translate. He will be a good pitcher, not sold as being great, but yet to have a full season of struggling under his belt like Joba has had or Hughes has to an extent. He’s still at least another season away from living up to the quick success and hype.
Masterson. Projected as a relief pitcher. Success last year. Not as much this year. Will not be great in a starting role.
So left with Bard and Bowden, two unknown young pitchers.
So how does that leave them? A Beckett or Lester injury away from potential disaster as the rest of the staff has question marks. Every team may be in a similar boat, but who can they depend on week in and week out to show some dominance? Lester or Beckett. Short outings will also start to do some damage to that pen and tax it.
Why is Papelbon pitching the eight inning of a game where the Sox are behind?
I didn’t realize Houston suddenly got good. They just swept St. Louis. I was only made aware of this because I have a friend from Houston who got so excited last night he texted me at 1am to tell me “Astros 2 games out. So Buccholz it”
(Okay, he didn’t really say Buccholz but fill in the proper blank)
“Buchholz was arrested shortly before the 2005 draft when he and a friend stole 29 laptop computers from his high school to sell them. Buchholz admits it was a mistake, but stated “I was hanging out with the wrong person. But I think it helped me out in the long run.” In April 2009, he was reported [1] to be engaged to Lindsay Clubine, a former suitcase model on Deal or No Deal & host of HDNET’s Get Out.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clay_Buchholz
Because Papelbon hasn’t pitched in forever!
Papelbon hasnt gotten work since July 17, if ESPN is actually correct about something.
the Sox have now gone 48 innings without scoring more than 1 run.
——————-
HOPE week is nothing nothing short of incredible.
Just incredible.
When you don’t win games, your closer doesn’t pitch. Needs work at some point.
So far so very very good.
Today Francona said they would use Papelsmear because they are off tomorrow so he will get to rest no matter what.
HOPE week should be a tradition every year.
WOWSA
2 games up
Yeah I thought it might be because he didnt work in a while, too busy keeping tabs on my Yanks to fret about a second place team. This is the first Sox game I have time to watch in a while…and I’m liking what I see.
Yeah I thought it might be because he didnt work in a while, too busy keeping tabs on my Yanks to fret about a second place team. This is the first Sox game I have time to watch in a while…and I’m liking what I see.
Yeah I thought it might be because he didnt work in a while, too busy keeping tabs on my Yanks to fret about a second place team. This is the first Sox game I have time to watch in a while…and I’m liking what I see.
Wait till they come to OUR house AGAIN
July 22nd, 2009 at 11:07 pm
HOPE week should be a tradition every year.
****
I agree. But they should advertise it more in advance and really put events out there. It would be nice to have events were average people, like me can volunteer
RANGERS – DIFFERENCE MAKERS!!!!!
2 games up!!!! hell yea
Sox lose.
WE HAVE A TWO GAME LEAD!!!!!!
Good night all. VERY Productive game!!!
2 Games up!
2 game lead in the books. Keep it up. Hope Yankees get into the next series with a lead in the division and proceed to even out the season series burying the Sox a bit and making them more concerned about the gaining Rays.
And a good time was had by all.
Trisha
LMAO
Good night all. This happy girl is going to bed!!!
Good night Yankee People!!!
Woooooohooooooooo
2.0 games up. Thank you Texas. Thank you.
“Brandon, I can’t watch the videos as I’m on my hotel’s computer……..but it sounds like I need to rent Dumb and Dumber (and Bull Durham, for the Nuke La Loosh references, lol)”
Yes, they are must and Major League.
time to watch NESN postgame and that new show Dark Blue
Gotta split!
2 games up!
And the fact that it ended with Jorge Varitek staring at a 90 mph fastball right down the pipe is even better.
Picked up games over the Rays & the Sox.
Life is good. But that KC bullpen better be this bad when we face them.
“Good night all. This happy girl is going to bed!!!
Good night Yankee People!!!”
Ditto. And why the hell did my last post appear three times? Gosh I hate my new computer…
Sox play Baltimore next and I hope theyre the type of the team that doesnt allow themselves to be swept twice in a row.
Im not satisfied.
I want 3 games up. Then when we get 3. I wont be satisfied until 4.
And so on and so on.
Send the word! And you know what to tell them…!
Too bad the Rays lost.
If we keep winning and Sux keep losing I’ll be rooting for the Rays to overtake Sux for Wild Card. Nothing makes me happier than seeing Big Poopi take a big swing at that BBQ rib at his local buffet in October.
GO ORIOLES!!!! I have faith in you.
Brandon, I LOVED Major League ………
2 games up? LOL The Yankees, by the way, have a very good record against the Rangers. The Sox? Not so much…….
Last time we had a 2 game lead, we got swept by Boston. I’m not about to underrate the A’s – any team is dangerous. That said, 2 game lead is very sweet. Wow – the Yanks made up 5 games on the Sox in 6 games – that’s incredible.
This week has given us the highs and low of how people should treat one another.
On the high side – PR dude Jason Z. gets massive kudos for the impressive HOPE campaign. The Yankees can be faulted for many things – but this isn’t one of them. “Hope”fully this good cause will continue in years to come.
On the low side – The NY Post. Doing anything for ratings and stooping to new lows for shock and titillation, they throw Erin Andrews under the bus. Each person who works at that paper should ask themselves – if their privacy and Fourth Amendment rights were violated – would THEY want their own pictures made public?
Just FYI, a couple of players have made a point of crediting Jason Zillo for working on this project for months.
Fantastic job by the Yankee organization! Thanks for the pictures. It really does look like the Yanks are getting as much out of this as they are giving. I hope they do it every year!
Hope Week is one of the nicest, coolest things I’ve seen the Yankees do in some time. Really creative and very moving. Big, big, big ups to the people who put this together and everyone who participated.
Jason Zillo and the rest of the public relations team has done a FANTASTIC job of getting the players to do things in the community. it seems like every week it’s something else that the team is doing to lift the spirits of a lot of deserving people!
i almost cried looking at these pics! . Great Job Yanks !
Hey Pete, Can you post bigger pictures? Tex is so hot and I can barely see him
Excellent job all around. Nice to see. Makes me want to root even more for these guys than I already am.
Well, I know the family in the pictures, because their my family. Although I was not there attending I believe they truly did have an amazing experience. Dreams really can come true.
I worked with George when he was a guidance counselor for a local school district here in Upstate, NY. I can say he is most deserving to have gone to HOPE Week. I remember when he was forced to resign his job because his ALS was getting worse. He is the sweetest person and so humble it’s not funny. I am so glad the Yankees had him and his family down to the stadium for this special event. While I am sad that he has lost the ability to use his arms and legs, hearing he was able to make it to HOPE Week brought a tear to my eye. Having been a lifelong Yankee fan, even working for a minor league affiliate and meeting a lot of Yankee brass, I knew they had class. Way to go Yankees, you hit it outta the ballpark on this one and made one Upstate, NY family the happiest crew on earth.