June 2010
An Honor and a Privilege
June 3, 2010 — There will be a very special quote of the month in the July issue of Yankees Magazine. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell was at Tuesday night’s game, and I conducted a brief interview with him in George Steinbrenner’s suite.
I had hoped to interview Powell, who was born in Harlem and grew up in the Bronx, for my first book, Yankee Stadium: The Official Retrospective, but he was not available for the interview at that time.
Tuesday night’s meeting was ironic — and especially meaningful to me — because after so many failed attempts to get the interview between 2006 and 2007, it fell into my lap three years later.
Secretary Powell was gracious, interesting and funny. He spoke in glowing terms about Yankee Stadium (see the July Quote of the Month), and told me something I already knew about him.
“I’m a Giants fan,” he whispered with an ear-to-ear smile.
As I wrote in the copy of the Yankee Stadium book I gave him, it was an honor to meet him, and it was a privilege to interview him.
–Alfred Santasiere III
Barber Shop
June 3, 2010 — CC Sabathia and Marcus Thames are not taking up a new occupation. But the pair of Yankees did help out the staff of Jordan Sport BarberShop in the Bronx on Tuesday, giving haircuts to a few youngsters. Sabathia and Thames were at the local establishment as part of an annual event in which 30 kids received free haircuts.
I spent some time with Sabathia before he had a pair of scissors in his hands, and we discussed his willingness to give of his time to the local community.
“I want to be a presence in this community,” Sabathia said. “This is a cool event, because everyone comes to the barber shop.”
As for his hair-cutting skills Sabathia said, “I’m terrible.”
–Alfred Santasiere III
Alfred Santasiere III
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