August 22, 2014 – The third annual edition of Yankees Magazine en Español will be on sale on September 2, when the Yankees take on the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium.
Without a doubt, this year’s Spanish-language publication is the best one we’ve put out. For starters, the cover features a beautiful portrait of Derek Jeter that Yankees team photographer James Petrozzello took in the bullpen at George M. Steinbrenner Field during the captain’s final spring training. In the photo, the stoic shortstop is sitting in front of the wide expense of the field and the huge Y-A-N-K-E-E-S graphic that hangs above the seats on the left side of the ballpark.
The cover story on Jeter, scribed by contributing writer Jorge Arangure Jr., delves into Jeter’s popularity in Latin America, where so many youngsters revere him.
I got an idea of how universal Jeter’s appeal is when I was in Panama with the Yankees in March. Every time I was in a public area with Jeter — walking through the airport, getting on a team bus at the hotel, walking out of the ballpark — the excitement among the crowds of people was off the charts.
As Arangure describes in his story, Jeter is not only admired, followed and emulated by fans in Latin America but also by the great majority of young ballplayers.
The reason for the team’s trip to Panama was to honor Mariano Rivera in his home country. The Yankees played two games against the Miami Marlins in Rivera’s homeland, and a special pre-game ceremony for the closer was held before the first game. Rivera also took his teammates to the Panama Canal during the trip. I was fortunate enough to witness all of it, and I also conducted a lengthy interview with Rivera during the first game of the “Series of the Legend,” for a feature that is included in Yankees en Español.
I also traveled to Puerto Rico to spend a few days with legendary centerfielder Bernie Williams in his homeland. My story on Williams is one of the favorite pieces I’ve written, mainly because the subject cared so deeply about making it special and historic. From visiting the first field that Williams played baseball on to the field where he was playing when a Yankees scout discovered him, to his high school, I covered all the bases in Puerto Rico. And, my conversation with Williams’ mother and brother shed light on why Williams was a great baseball player and why his humility and kindness will always stand out.
A few months before my trip to Puerto Rico, executive editor Ken Derry traveled to the Dominican Republic to explore how so many prospects — as well as a few star players — hone their craft at the Yankees Baseball Academy. In Derry’s exclusive story, he illustrates the unique challenge of making it in professional baseball.
A little closer to home, I found a real diamond in the rough. The most extensive collection of rare treasures from the life of Roberto Clemente are on display in the Pittsburgh museum — in an old firehouse — that bears his name. If you’re interested in learning about the legacy of Clemente, whose pioneering paved the way for countless Spanish-speaking ballplayers who followed him to the United States, I encourage you to read my story on the museum.
Lastly, there is a Q&A feature with Cuban native Gloria Estefan in this publication. I interviewed the seven-time Grammy Award winner last fall in New York City, and Estefan spoke with me about a wide array of topics that made for an interesting piece.
Enjoy this annual publication.
–Alfred Santasiere III
