Yankees in the Rain

October 28, 2009

New York, NY – Tonight, baseball fans around the country will have their eyes set on Yankee Stadium. At exactly 7:57pm, the New York Yankees will take on the defending champions, the Philadelphia Phillies, in game one of the World Series.

Freddy "Sez" Schumann

That is, unless the rain breaks up the party, as it did at the Times Square pep rally held by the city of New York at mid-day today. The afternoon downpour did not prevent hundreds of fans from gathering, but it did prompt organizers to keep the party short.

“Yankees fans will come out no matter what,” said John Woods, 43, one of the organizers of the pep rally. Woods was actually happy it was raining. “Let’s get this rain over with now, so they can play tonight!”

In front of the stand in Times Square there were hundreds of umbrellas, Yankees ponchos, Yankees caps and even posters as fans tried unsuccessfully to stay dry. Gathered by the giant Yankee jersey set up next to the stand, were kids in strollers, teenagers, construction workers, men in suits…

And then there was Freddy Schumann, known to fans as Freddy “Sez”, an 84 year-old who’s been a fixture at Yankees games for the past two decades.

“To be a true Yankees fan you can’t let the weather bother you,” he said. Schumann brought a hand painted sign protected by plastic: “World Series 27. Let’s go Yankees.” He was also carrying his signature frying pan with a shamrock painted on it, which he said brings the team luck. And he walked around hitting the pan with a spoon to cheer on the team he’s been supporting his whole life.

Freddy plans to attend all the upcoming games. “I’ll keep coming as long as I’m alive,” he said. His dedication has paid off. As he moved through the crowd, fans started cheering “Freddy! Freddy! Freddy!” Then three men in full Yankee gear came through to escort him to the front of the crowd.

As the rain got stronger some fans started getting impatient. That’s when a group of Phillies fans walked by, triggering some “Phillies suck” cheers from the Yankees.

Like many fans, Mike Rowles, 35, gave up on his lunch hour to join the pep rally. Rowles works at a nearby construction site and was still wearing his construction hard hat covered with various Yankees stickers. But Rowles didn’t plan on staying out very long. “I’m saving myself for tonight and game 6.”

Game 6 is when most fans want the Yankees to close the deal, because it will be played in New York. And the celebration could be huge. Not only could the Yankees win their first title since 2000, but they could also make history during their 40th shot at the World Series. If they beat the Phillies, the Yankees will hold a record 27 World Series titles.

“Are you ready to see the trophy come back to where it belongs?” Mayor Bloomberg had just stepped onto the stage under a mix of cheering and booing, but quickly won the crowd over with this single question. He then cheered along with “the best fans in the world” as they screamed “four more wins!”

Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson, a.k.a. Mr. October, and Jeff Nelson, a former Yankees pitcher, were also there, but the speeches were kept short because of the rain. “Mayor Bloomberg, can we have a bigger party downtown next time?” said Michael Kay, from the Yankees Network.

A few minutes later the men cleared the stage and the pep rally ended on Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York.” But fans weren’t disappointed. “Hell yeah it was worth it!” said Arnie McCarthy, 21. “Some people say it was too short, but it was to the point and it was definitely worth coming here.”

Freddy had some last words for the Yankees’ opponents: “The only good thing about Philadelphia is the Liberty Bell and Philadelphia cream cheese.”