2013_TWF_Journal-WEB

Adult Honorees
Ray Negron
Ray Negron is a sport’s executive with over
thirty years experience in baseball who has
influenced three generations of baseball players.
His first job came from a chance encounter with
George Steinbrenner as a youth. Ray was caught
by Steinbrenner scrawling a Yankee logo on a
Yankee Stadium wall and instead of punishing
the erstwhile graffiti artist, Steinbrenner hired
him as the Yankee bat boy and propelled him
into a “dream job”; sharing the dugout with the
“Bronx Zoo Yankees” of the Seventies. Despite
his young age, Ray was a positive influence in
the fiery clubhouse that included manager Billy
Martin, superstar Reggie Jackson, the legendary
Thurman Munson, and more.
A standout shortstop in Springfield Gardens
High School, Ray was a second round draft pick
for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1975.
Ray worked with the Cleveland Indians and
the Texas Rangers as a team counselor, working
behind the scenes to help players handle any
off-field challenges before they escalated into
insurmountable problems.
Ray currently works with the New York
Yankees and once was a personal consultant
to George Steinbrenner. In addition, he is also
Director of Community Relations for Spalding,
Trey Whitfield Foundation, Inc. 25
America’s oldest baseball company, where he
has been instrumental in supporting baseball in
underprivileged areas with equipment donations
and volunteer efforts from some of baseball’s
biggest stars.
An avid writer with a love of children, Ray
has written and published three children’s
books. Ray’s first book, The Boy of Steel, was #2
on the NY Times Bestseller List and is currently
on display at the National Baseball Hall of
Fame in Cooperstown, NY. The Boy of Steel was
instrumental in helping numerous charities,
little leagues and the Boys & Girls Club to raise
funds for their programs. The proceeds from the
book were distributed through the NY Yankees
Foundation for cancer research and education.
Ray’s second book, The Greatest Story Never
Told: The Babe and Jackie has helped juvenile
diabetes and the Dewayne Murcer Foundation
for cancer research and education.
Ray’s third and latest children’s book entitled
One Last Time: Goodbye to Yankee Stadium was
released by HarperCollins Publishers on March
17, 2009. The foreword was written by Reggie
Jackson and the book is a beautiful tribute to
George Steinbrenner and the New York Yankees.
A portion of the proceeds were used to help
the Boys and Girls Clubs, the DeWayne Murcer
Foundation for cancer research and to charities
to help the homeless. One Last Time has already
reached # 1 on Amazon’s Best Seller List.
Ray has received numerous Humanitarian
awards including one from the Bronx Chamber
of Commerce and the National Conference
of Puerto Rican Women. Ray has also been
recognized for his work in the community by
many organizations including Promesa and the
North Shore Family & Child Guidance Center.
Ray was inducted into the Ted Williams Hall
of Fame Museum and the International Latino
Sports Hall of Fame. Ray has received an award
from the Department of Homeland Security for
his achievements and accomplishments as an
author and for being a positive role model in the
community.
Twenty-First Anniversary Banquet