I recently visited Yankee Stadium for the Pinstripe Bowl (football game) A well known individual came up to me and said I have been reading your material on NY Sports Day and Newsmax.\u00a0 He commented, \u00a0\u201cYou must be making a killing.\u201d<\/p>\n
I said to him,\u201dI don\u2019t get paid.\u201d He asked, \u201cThen why would you do it? Why would you waste your time?\u201d I got a little annoyed with him but I kept my cool and told him that I do it because I get to tell stories, real stories about the greatest people that have made the Yankee brand what it is.<\/p>\n
Because I am not getting paid, the editors cannot tell me what and how to write.\u00a0 I can accentuate how much I really do love the Yankees, baseball, sports and how great it is be an American and not be afraid to say it.<\/p>\n
To me, a writer is someone who is not \u00a0afraid to tell a story. The very first book that I ever read was \u201cThe Old Man and The Sea.\u201d The author was Ernest Hemingway, perhaps the greatest novelist of all-time.<\/p>\n
That was story telling at its best because it was about a Cuban fisherman sitting out in the sea for two- and- a half days. He was wrestling a marlin on his fishing hook and at the same time fighting sharks who were trying to eat his giant catch. \u00a0Yes, that simple, yet Mr. Hemingway won every writing award possible for this story and they even made a major motion picture starring the great Spencer Tracey.<\/p>\n
I was only nine-years old when I read this book though I couldn\u2019t help to read every page.<\/p>\n
Years later I would get to know the great sportswriters Dick Young and Phil Pepe when I became a batboy for the New York Yankees. \u00a0They would teach me not to be afraid to tell a story, to write as if I were talking to a person or a group. Remember that writing is an expression.<\/p>\n
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Throughout the years I would notice that George Steinbrenner would love to sit down and write letters to people Most of the time he would get a pad and just write it out. They were actually beautiful letters of appreciation or dissatisfaction depending on who the letter was for.<\/p>\n
I remember, I needed a letter of recommendation to get into a school. He told me to write the letter and he would sign it. Well I wrote the letter, he read it then he tore it up and said, \u201cThis letter would be good for a school ran by Al Capone.\u201d<\/p>\n
He then sat down, picked up a pen and pad and wrote a great letter which his secretary would then type.\u00a0 This actually happened several times during my tenure with \u201cThe Boss\u201d.<\/p>\n
Many times Mr. Steinbrenner would actually send people hand written letters. \u00a0The recipients of the letters were always so grateful because no one did that anymore.<\/p>\n
Another wonderful writer was the sportscaster and author Dick Schaap. His books literally spoke to you. I remember asking Dick, how he learned to write like he did. \u00a0He said, \u201cIn this country we have something called the Freedom of Speech.\u201d \u00a0As long as we have that, \u00a0I can let my soul tell my story.<\/p>\n
Dick used to see me babysit some of the players kids. \u00a0Kids like Yankees second baseman Sandy Alomar\u2019s boys, Sandy, Jr. and Robbie, outfielder Bobby Bonds son, Barry, centerfielder Bobby Murcer\u2019s son, Todd, and even the Boss\u2019s son Hal, who\u00a0 later along with his big brother Hank,\u00a0 would grow up to run the Yankees.<\/p>\n
Dick Schaap asked me to watch over his son Jeremy, who today is one of ESPN\u2019s top sports journalists. On these occasions I would take advantage of Dicks\u2019 knowledge and ask as many questions as I could about the art of writing.\u00a0 Dick was the greatest when it came to sharing his craft.<\/p>\n When I wrote my first story, \u00a0which was on the days following the death of Thurman Munson, I think it saved my life. \u00a0For four days I could not catch my breath, continuous hyper ventilation and I thought I was going to die.\u00a0I had Incredible anxiety over the death of our friend, our team leader, Thurman. \u00a0Dick Schaap told me that if I wrote down my thoughts, it would serve as great therapy.<\/p>\n He was so right because by the time I finished writing my Munson story, Bobby Murcer would drive in all five runs to beat the Orioles in the tribute game to Munson and I could breathe again.<\/p>\n The pad and pen is still the best friend a person could have from the standpoint of telling a story, writing about \u00a0your soul or just flat out telling the history of this county that we live in.<\/p>\n The key to writing is don\u2019t be afraid to express yourself. \u00a0Many times, I\u2019m still guilty of that myself but I am living proof that it is never too late.<\/p>\n I still have dreams and goals even at my age. I will be honest with you, I dream to someday win a Pulitzer Prize and in America anything is possible because the pen is mightier than the sword.<\/p>\n Ray Negron can be heard every Sunday<\/span><\/span> on 1050 AM ESPN Deportes\u00a0from 11 am to 1pm<\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0and also can be read on Newsmax.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I recently visited Yankee Stadium for the Pinstripe Bowl (football game) A well known individual came up to me and said I have been reading your material on NY Sports Day and Newsmax.\u00a0 He commented, \u00a0\u201cYou must be making a killing.\u201d I said to him,\u201dI don\u2019t get paid.\u201d He asked, \u201cThen why would you do … <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/riveramarketingandmediagroup.com\/Test\/RayNegronV2\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/11.jpg\")