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Thursday, March 19, 2009

Steinbrenner Is Forever Young in a New Children’s Book

The illustrated George Steinbrenner is smiling and robust on the cover of “One Last Time: Goodbye to Yankee Stadium,” the latest Yankees-themed children’s book by Ray Negron, an adviser for the club. Steinbrenner is wearing his familiar white turtleneck and navy sports coat, giving a thumbs-up with his right hand and patting a young boy on the shoulder with his left.

....

A bat boy named Ray is the central figure in all three of Negron’s books, the latest of which was released on Tuesday. The co-stars of the others were children stricken with illness, but Steinbrenner shares the lead role this time.

Steinbrenner comforts Ray the bat boy, who cries upon learning that the old ballpark is closing and stages a final game for the Stadium’s ghosts. The emotions were similar for the character’s inspiration.

“It’s okay son, I’ll make sure that you can get a upper-deck seat in the new place for a year’s worth of allowance.”

Gamingboy Posted: March 19, 2009 at 03:38 PM | 11 comment(s) | Login to Bookmark
Related News: General, NY Yankees, Books

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1. Guapo Posted: March 19, 2009 at 05:16 PM (#3108670)

You can use amazon.com's "Look Inside This Book" to read the first page. I quote the following copyrighted material for the purposes of sweet, sweet parody:

The game was over and the Yankees were in the locker room congratulating each other on another victory when the phone rang. Chien-Ming Wang picked it up.

"Hello? Hold on a second, Mr. Steinbrenner. He's here somewhere." He covered the receiver with his hand and called across the room. "Has anybody seen Ray, the batboy? There's a call for him. It's the Boss calling! Where's Ray?"

Ray walked into the room carrying a stack of Hideki Matsui's bats. "Here I am!" The bats clattered noisily as he dropped them onto the floor in front of Matsui's locker and took the phone.

"Hello? Yes sir, Boss, I'll be right up. I'm on the way!"

He hung up the phone and ran out of the locker room. AROD looked at Wang. "What do you think the Boss wants with Ray?"

Wang shrugged. "I don't know, but it sounds important."

Transcriber's notes:

(1) Yes, "AROD looked at Wang" is an actual sentence in this book.

(2) AROD is written in all caps, as one word, as transcribed above.

2. Slinger Francisco Barrios (Dr. Memory) Posted: March 19, 2009 at 05:38 PM (#3108697)

I got all choked up reading that.

Then I took a swig of pop and my bite of sandwich got down.

(1) Yes, "AROD looked at Wang" is an actual sentence in this book.

Eh heh heh heh heh heh.</beavis>

3. Dock Ellis on Acid

Posted: March 19, 2009 at 05:53 PM (#3108721)

If you're a batboy, I don't think you're supposed to literally drop everything when someone (even if it's Steinbrenner) calls. Isn't the chance of injury high enough on the Yankees roster? My god, Matsui could slip all over those bats.

That said, I really really wonder what George wants with Ray, the batboy.

4. Shooty: Applying to be Fearless Leader

Posted: March 19, 2009 at 05:55 PM (#3108724)

Jeez, why not just by your kid a copy of Mein Kampf?

5. Craig Calcaterra Posted: March 19, 2009 at 05:55 PM (#3108726)

Going to get a calzone?

6. Crispix Attacks Posted: March 19, 2009 at 05:59 PM (#3108730)

"Ray, you are a clone derived from the genetic material of Bucky Dent. I'm finally telling you this because you're going to be sent off to our secret training facility under Mount Pinatubo for relentless drilling and feistiness-inculcation."

7. Hang down your head, Tom Foley Posted: March 19, 2009 at 06:02 PM (#3108733)

Negron’s next book will be for young adults and will detail the wrenching days after Thurman Munson’s death in 1979.

Ray had dropped bats all over Munson's cockpit.

8. Shooty: Applying to be Fearless Leader

Posted: March 19, 2009 at 06:06 PM (#3108736)

Negron’s next book will be for young adults and will detail the wrenching days after Thurman Munson’s death in 1979.

I can't wait for the Robert Roche pop-up book!

9. Dag Nabbit and his imaginary friends Posted: March 19, 2009 at 06:37 PM (#3108755)

He hung up the phone and ran out of the locker room. AROD looked at Wang. "What do you think the Boss wants with Ray?"

Wang shrugged. "I don't know, but it sounds important."

I imagine it's like the time Bart was Krusty's personal assistant. George wants Ray to meet him in the conservatory to put his fingerprints on a candlestick.

10. john printer Posted: March 19, 2009 at 09:18 PM (#3108942)

Hey ray's first book was awesome. Keep them coming Ray.

11. Dock Ellis on Acid

Posted: March 19, 2009 at 09:58 PM (#3108973)

Hey ray's first book was awesome. Keep them coming Ray.

You hustle children's books, too?

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Thursday, March 19, 2009

Steinbrenner Is Forever Young in a New Children’s Book

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