The title of this post was on a sign that Freddy Schuman, AKA Freddy "Sez" had to carry outside of the New Yankee Stadium because the Yankees wouldn't let him into the stadium without a ticket on Saturday and Sunday. Here's more from
Jeremy Olshan:
In years past Schuman, who like Yogi Berra turns 84 next month, received free season tickets from sponsors such as Modell's, or was simply let through the press gate with a wink from a stadium official.
On Opening Day he had no trouble getting into the new ballpark for free through the press gate, but on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday he had to depend on the kindness of fellow Yankee fans for free seats.
On Sunday he stood outside the stadium holding his frying pan and a sign that read, "Freddy Sez, Yankees say 'I can't go in. Must buy ticket!"
"The Yankees say I am a part of the stadium. What part am I, the toilet bowl?" Schuman said. "But the fans have come through. They gave me $40, and even $100 tickets."
The uncertainty about his future presence at the stadium has given him insomnia and indigestion, Schuman said.
Yankee officials insist that shutting out their superfan was just a "miscommunication." When Schuman first told the Post he was nervous about being shut out two weeks ago, a team spokeswoman said "We love Freddy and will accommodate him."
"That's fantastic news," said Schuman, who lost his eye in a stickball injury, now lives on a fixed income of little more than $750 a month, he said.
He also said that he has just one more wish:
"For some reason I have survived to this particular point even though all the members of my family are gone," he said. "All I ask for is one more World Series parade."
Hopefully the Yankees do the right thing and allow him in. He
is part of the stadium as well as a part of the experience of going to the stadium. I enjoy hearing the 'clank, clank, clank' of the pan during games.
18 Comments:
wow, "a misunderstanding"? how do u not know who he is... they cant let him sit in 1 of the 500 empty seats in the lower level? he should have is own luxury suite for free.
This is ridiculous. Freddy rules, there is no reason why he shouldn't be allowed in any day.
He is literally our mascot.
And Dan, you're right, he should have his own suite or very good seats, not grandstand tickets for cheap.
ur right, he kind of is our mascot. him and the bleacher creatures.
If they really want to be assholes about it they'll some how profit off him, and then let him him. Whether its selling different versions of his signs, or Freddy-Sez shirts and merchandise.. i dont know.
Can't say I'm surprised. They wouldn't let me run my ad for my book in their opening day program, even though it's about being a Yankee fan. The irony is that there's a picture of me and Freddy in the Freddy Sez
"newsletter" that he handed out at the Stadium. Sigh.
Hey, im lookin for a job, God Forbid, but i think i may have an interesting new career path if the old man passes on...
Position Desired: Be an icon. haha.
WOW, that's messed up...
like Yankeeboy98 said, he's our mascot!
hmm no wonder why the stadium has been even quieter
That's really terrible to do to Freddy, I'm glad they got embarrassed into fixing it. Jerks.
i remember last season me and ma sis went to a game and he let me clank that pan it was preety cool i think i still have the picture.
It's understandable that with the increased number of employees, as well as changes in personnell in the new stadium, that Freddie could have gotten overlooked by someone who didn't know who he was or whatever. They'll take care of him, don't worry.
Freddy is the man. I remember back during the strike in 1994 Freddy went down to Princeton and was doing his thing at the old Palmer Stadium for a Princeton football game. Once after a Yankees game a few years back I rode the subway back downtown with him. He's such a part of the Yankees...but in watching the opening series against the Indians on TV, I didn't hear the "ping ping ping" of his pan? Maybe I just missed it, or maybe the sound doesn't carry in the new stadium (unlike the 20 long-balls!)
"I didn't hear the "ping ping ping" of his pan? Maybe I just missed it, or maybe the sound doesn't carry in the new stadium "
Anon... I was sitting on the 3rd base side behind the foul pole and I was able to hear him
Let him in ! I remember him being there since the mid-80's.
As one who has ping-ed that pan of his on many happy occasions, here's my opinion---
(1) The Yankees should give him a lifetime pass into the ballpark.
(2)He should be allowed to walk or sit in any part of the ballpark he chooses.
(3)He should have a "free water & Yankee hot dogs" card.
He's a character, sure. Some people are even annoyed by him (I'm not). But he's harmless, and he's a true Yankee fan & that goes far with me. And one day he'll be gone & we'll all miss him terribly. Baseball is meant to be fun, not to be taken overly seriously. Every palace had its joker.
I'm going to be the next Freddy so I can get in for free.
OMG I KNEW THEY WERE GOING TO DO THIS! BECAUSE THE NEW STADIUM IS SO 'HIGH CLASS' WITH THEIR $2000 SEATS THAT FREDDY IS JUST TOO 'GHETTO' FOR THE YANKEES NOW. THEY ARE REALLY PIECES OF GARBAGE.PERSONALLY I HATE THE NEW STADIUM THEY SHOULD HAVE RENOVATED THE OLD ONE. I MEAN WHO OTHER THAN STEINBRENNER WOULD TEAR DOWN THAT CATHEDRAL?!
I doubt it's resolved yet. If so, why was Freddy out in the cold this weekend, two weeks after the Yanks claimed there was "miscommunication."
Maybe they'll upgrade it to Frederick the Fan, with some rich guy getting people to tap a Dom Perignon bottle or something.
Why is this a surprise? Every day there's another story about some flaw with the building or some public relations blunder (i.e., empty seats, wind tunnels and HR etc, etc).
Levine, who is the face of greed and arrogance of this organization, better start getting his act together. He came here in 2000 riding the end of the championship run and has contributed nothing except bullying his way through the approval process to get the new stadium built. And I don't consider that a positive.
In all other facets of the job he has been a disaster. Whether it was the whole Torre "pay for performance" flop; or the admission that the Yankees made a business choice between the added revenues from the Mohegan Sun building or the un-obstructed views of the bleacher fans (and we know what he did there); or how he proudly announced to the press that the obstructed view seats in the bleachers had sold out (as if fans would not have paid the full $12 for a full view of the whole field). He has shown nothing but distain to the average fan and has demonstrated his loyalties only to corporate sponsors and fans.
There is no excuse for not knowing about Freddy and that he is part of the fabric of Yankee Stadium. Employee orientation should have covered this along with "roll call" and other stadium traditions. I don't buy for a minute that this was a misunderstanding. Levine has demonstrated his arrogsance too many times to give the Yankees the benifit here. It's becoming all too common for the Yankees to make these PR blunders (brought to you from the two who make the stadium blunders).
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