Freddy Sez
Encyclopedia
Freddy Schuman better known as Freddy Sez or Freddy "Sez", was a New Yorker
and supporter of the New York Yankees
, known for his activities in promoting the team and encouraging fan participation.
for most of his life. When he was 9 years old, he suffered an accident during a stickball
game, in which he lost the use of his right eye. From about , until his death, he was an unofficial promoter for the Yankees.
.
Schuman also took his signs and frying pan to other events, as shown below.
. During the games, he moved throughout the stadium, making his way from the Grandstand down to the Main Section, and finally to the Field Level.
commercial that aired during the 2007 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby
. He can also be seen for a few seconds near the end of House of Pain
's 1992 music video for their hit single "Jump Around
". Schuman himself has claimed his tickets circa 2003 were sponsored by Modell's Sporting Goods. After his death in 2010, Schuman can be seen briefly in a Nike
Boom commercial, featuring Craig Robinson and Robinson Cano
.
Jaspers, the Fordham University
Rams and Lady Rams, the Columbia University
Lions, the Princeton University
Tigers, and the Cornell University
Big Red
. In 2008, Freddy was spotted at the New York Giants
parade in New York, commemorating their Super Bowl XLII
victory.
.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and supporter of the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, known for his activities in promoting the team and encouraging fan participation.
Biography
Freddy was born on May 23, 1925, and was a resident of The BronxThe Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
for most of his life. When he was 9 years old, he suffered an accident during a stickball
Stickball
Stickball is a street game related to baseball, usually formed as a pick-up game, played in large cities in the Northeastern United States, especially New York City. The equipment consists of a broom handle and a rubber ball, typically a spaldeen, pensie pinkie, high bouncer or tennis ball. The...
game, in which he lost the use of his right eye. From about , until his death, he was an unofficial promoter for the Yankees.
The pan
Schuman carried a frying pan with a shamrock painted on it, which he said "Brings 'em luck." Fans were encouraged to bang on the pot with a spoon to make noise. The pot made a distinctive sound that echoed throughout the stadium and could be heard in the background during TV broadcasts. One of his pans is on display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame along with another at the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center in New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
.
Signs
Schuman also carried a number of colorful hand-painted signs adorned with messages to encourage the team and the fans. The signs usually began with "Freddy 'sez'". Some Freddy messages included "Again & Again Yankees Prove They Are Great", and "Fans, We Got To Help Yankees Out Of Slumps". Sometimes, Schuman would give the sign to a lucky fan at the end of a game.Schuman also took his signs and frying pan to other events, as shown below.
Route
Before the games, Schuman could be found outside Yankee StadiumYankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
. During the games, he moved throughout the stadium, making his way from the Grandstand down to the Main Section, and finally to the Field Level.
Sponsorship
Schuman can be briefly seen in a baseball themed MasterCardMasterCard
Mastercard Incorporated or MasterCard Worldwide is an American multinational financial services corporation with its headquarters in the MasterCard International Global Headquarters, Purchase, Harrison, New York, United States...
commercial that aired during the 2007 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby
2007 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby
The 2007 State Farm Home Run Derby was a 2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game event. The Home Run Derby was held on July 9 at AT&T Park, the home field of the San Francisco Giants. As usual, the competition had eight competitors, seven of whom were eliminated over three rounds. The Home Run...
. He can also be seen for a few seconds near the end of House of Pain
House of Pain
House of Pain is an American hip hop group who released three albums in the 1990s before lead rapper Everlast left to pursue his solo career again. The group's name is a reference to the H.G. Wells novel The Island of Dr...
's 1992 music video for their hit single "Jump Around
Jump Around
"Jump Around" is the title of a song by the band House of Pain, produced by DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill. This song became a hit in 1992, reaching Number 3 in the USA. A 1993 re-release of the song in the UK, where the original had been a minor hit, peaked at Number 8. On VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of...
". Schuman himself has claimed his tickets circa 2003 were sponsored by Modell's Sporting Goods. After his death in 2010, Schuman can be seen briefly in a Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
Boom commercial, featuring Craig Robinson and Robinson Cano
Robinson Canó
Robinson José Canó Mercedes is a Dominican baseball player who currently plays as a second baseman for the New York Yankees.-Family and early life:...
.
Other teams
College basketball and football teams whose games Schuman had been known to attend and promote include the Manhattan CollegeManhattan College
Manhattan College is a Roman Catholic liberal arts college in the Lasallian tradition in New York City, United States. Despite the college's name, it is no longer located in Manhattan but in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, roughly 10 miles north of Midtown. Manhattan College offers...
Jaspers, the Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
Rams and Lady Rams, the Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
Lions, the Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
Tigers, and the Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
Big Red
Cornell Big Red
The Cornell Big Red is the informal name of the sports teams, and other competitive teams, at Cornell University. The university sponsors 36 varsity sports, as well as numerous intramural and club teams. Cornell participates in NCAA Division I as part of the Ivy League.The men's and women's hockey...
. In 2008, Freddy was spotted at the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
parade in New York, commemorating their Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
victory.
Death
Schuman died at the age of 85 at Lenox Hill Hospital on Sunday, October 17, 2010 after suffering a heart attack the previous Friday night. In a tribute, the Yankees displayed some of his memorabilia and held a moment of silence prior to Game 3 of the 2010 American League Championship Series2010 American League Championship Series
The 2010 American League Championship Series was the best-of-seven game series pitting the winners of the 2010 American League Division Series for the American League Championship. The American League wild card-winning New York Yankees faced the American League Western Division champions Texas...
.
External links
- Freddy "Sez" Home Page
- Stirring Enthusiasm, With Élan and a Pan. The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, (May 15, 2006). - Photos tagged "Freddy Sez" on Flickr