Bedford Park News: Yankees’ Good Luck Charm Passes Away

Bedford Park News: Yankees’ Good Luck Charm Passes Away: Yankees’ Good Luck Charm Passes Away (Bill Stimers with Bert Blyleven, a Basebll Hall of Famer, in the broadcast booth at YS.    —Ph...

Yankees’ Good Luck Charm Passes Away

Yankees’ Good Luck Charm Passes Away

(Bill Stimers with Bert Blyleven, a Basebll Hall of Famer, in the broadcast booth at YS.    —Photo by Howard Goldin)

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 15- There are very few fans of sports teams who have become a part of the organization they root for. Bill Stimers, who passed away at the age of 67 on Thursday at the Hebrew Home of Riverdale, his place of residence for the past 10 months, was considered a valued member of the Yankee family by the Steinbrenners. 

Stimers, a devoted rooter for the Yankees since his early childhood, met Steinbrenner at Shea Stadium, where the Yankees played their home games during the refurbishment of Yankee Stadium, shortly after the Cleveland businessman led a group that purchased the Yankees from CBS. The story, as Stimers always told it, went like this, “I said to George, ‘Let’s hope the Yankees win today,’ and he just took a liking to me.”

Stimers was an only child, a brother died in a miscarriage, born to a middle class couple in Queens. His father worked on the Long Island Railroad and his mother was a telephone operator. The couple and their young son moved to Brentwood, Long Island, where they each remained for the rest of their lives. Even though both parents worked full-time, they were devoted to their son. To the day of his death, he told stories of his parents concern for him to a close friend. He remembered them with love and respect and was not embarrassed to say how much he still missed them.

At the age of five, Stimers attended his first baseball game in May of 1952. As his memory was astonishing, decades later he recalled seeing Mickey Mantle hit a home run and the Yankees winning the ballgame. He did not return to the Stadium for several years as his father thought he was too young for such an outing. 

He was an enthusiastic sports fan, especially of baseball, throughout his life. His ability to remember what he read, what he heard and what he witnessed made him exceptionally knowledgeable of many topics. He was one of the most well-known callers to radio station WFAN, where he was known as “Bill the Baker”

The sobriquet came from Stimers’ occupation at Entenmann’s Bakery in Bay Shore, Long Island. In his senior year in high school, Stimers worked in a co-op program at Entenmann’s. He kept the job after his graduation, and worked there until his retirement at the age of 50. 

Over the past several decades, Stimers attended many MLB All-Star Games and  World Series games. He told interesting stories of many events such as the earthquake during the World Series in San Francisco and seeing the final hit (#3,000) of Roberto Clemente. 

For whatever the reason, Steinbrenner was dedicated to the well-being of Stimers. On July 26, 1976, Stimers moved to a seat with his own nameplate in the Press Box at Steinbrenner’s behest. The Yankee owner told Stimers, “You’ll be more valuable to me in the press box than in the stands.” Stimers’ seat was next to Steinbrenner’s box in the old Stadium. The Yankee owner and members of his family often came to Stimers’ seat and engaged the dedicated fan in conversation. Steinbrenner joked with him, solicited advice on players and discussed that day’s game. He also invited Stimers to travel with the team to post-season playoff trips. 

Bill, who considered Steinbrenner his greatest friend, liked to recall that shortly after his mother died, Steinbrenner invited him to travel to the American League Division Series. When Stimers was threatened with the loss of the family home due to a second mortgage that his late mother took out, the Yankee principal owner saved the home by paying off the money owed. Those who are familiar with the relationship between the two men understand the charitable nature and compassion that was an important part of Steinbrenner.

Stimers retained his seat in the Yankee Stadium Press Box through the 2012 a. L. Division Series. He attended only nine games during the 2014 season, but had a seat in the lower stands. 

On an even more personal note, another devoted Yankee fan and extremely knowledgeable observer of baseball, my brother Jeffrey also passed away in 2014. The two had many congenial baseball conversations. Jeffrey was well-educated and had much knowledge and understanding of many diverse matters. He worked quietly, but with great capability and effort for the New York State Court System for many years. Despite being a private person and soft-spoken, he was very pleasant to spend time with because of his highly advanced sense of humor and kindness. Like Bill, the 65 year-old man passed away far too soon. He was a blessing to his family and all who knew him.

May you rest in peace Jeffrey and Bill. You are both missed.

Bedford Park News: ATM Bandits Strike Again

Bedford Park News: ATM Bandits Strike Again: Despite Arrests, ATM Bandits Strike Again... and again By David Greene BRONX, NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 14- Police are asking the publi...

ATM Bandits Strike Again

Despite Arrests, ATM Bandits Strike Again... and again

By David Greene

BRONX, NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 14- Police are asking the public's help in identifying a lone individual wanted in connection with a string of as many as 54 burglary's since the beginning of the year-- and despite four arrests in June, thieves recently hit three stores in the Bedford Park section of the Bronx.

On Tuesday, October 28 Detective Michael DeBonis, an NYPD spokesman confirmed that two separate burglary patterns have now been linked together, saying, "Yes, it's a citywide burglary pattern and their wanted for all of these incidents."

After police announced three arrests at a heist at the Spin City Laundromat on East 204 Street in the Bronx on July 30, it was revealed that the suspects were wanted for 32 similar jobs in Manhattan, the Bronx and Westchester, the thieves often targeted businesses with ATM machines.

The bandits would either steal or dismantled the businesses surveillance equipment before stealing cash and other valuables.

The same group is now credited with 20 additional thefts that occurred in Queens and the Bronx.

The brazen burglary teams list of jobs now include a break-in at the popular Mar y Tierra Restaurant on Bainbridge Avenue in June and another business on Prospect Avenue as well as a dozen cases in Queens.

In the most recent incident that took place on Monday, October 22, thieves smashed their way into Connie's Laundromat, the Bedford Park Cleaners and the Wai Kang Kitchen along East Bedford Park Boulevard.

Thieves again made off with cash from all three registers as well as security cameras and equipment, before they reportedly cleaned-out the ATM machine inside the Wai Kang Kitchen.

According to Mar y Tierra manager Nelson Fernandez, "They took the ATM machine and moved it over to there," pointing to an open floor in the back of the restaurant, and continued, "and they sawed it (open) and took the money out."

He added thieves removed $4,000 from the ATM, $1,000 from the register and also removed several bottles of the restaurant's best liquor.

The restaurant shut for a day so police could conduct their investigation and Fernandez could make repairs to the ventilation system, where the thieves smashed their way through the roof and squeezed through the vent and into the restaurant.

Now open minus the ATM machine, Fernandez responded to a question about the missing ATM machine, with his own question, "Do I look stupid?" Customers will now have to bring cash or credit cards or visit the nearby bank.

Police have released a lone security camera photo of one suspect, but police could not immediately say where it was taken. The subject is wearing blue jeans, a sweat shirt and a baseball cap.

Anyone with any information on the case is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 1 (800) 577-TIPS.

Bedford Park News: Police make arrests in 2 unrelated homicides

Bedford Park News: Police make arrests in 2 unrelated homicides: Police make arrests in 2 unrelated homicides Suspects charged in October nightclub killing By David Greene BRONX, NEW YORK, N...

Police make arrests in 2 unrelated homicides

Police make arrests in 2 unrelated homicides

Suspects charged in October nightclub killing

By David Greene

BRONX, NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 12- Detectives in the North Bronx had a busy week, quickly solving two homicides that occurred on the same day as well as charging two suspects in last month's nightclub homicide in Fordham.

Officers from the 52nd Precinct responded to a 911 call of a male shot at a house party at just after midnight on November 2, inside of 2316 Loring Place North in University Heights.

The victim was discovered with multiple gunshot wounds to the torso and was transported to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.

Police would later identify the victim as 19-year-old Jordany Correa of nearby Morris Avenue.

Police say a witness to the killing found a photo of the suspect on the social media website Facebook, investigators ran the photo through the NYPD's facial-recognition software and came up with the suspects name.

On November 4, detectives announced the arrest of Carlos Ramirez, 19, of Claflin Avenue. Ramirez was charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon.

On the afternoon of November 2, police were called to the Grand Concourse Motel, located at 2327 Grand Concourse and discovered the victim, Richard Rivera, 45, stabbed several times in the torso in the building's stairway at 5:30 p.m.

Paramedics rushed Rivera to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he died a short time later.

Police quickly arrested neighbor Eddie Davis, 53, who is facing

murder, manslaughter and weapons possession charges. Investigators offered no motive for the killing.

On November 3, police announced the arrest of two men, charged in the wild nightclub brawl in Fordham that left one man dead and five others wounded.

Officials said that the October 5 brawl broke out inside the Xtreme Lounge on Valentine Avenue and spilled onto the street and involved a gun, a knife and a baseball bat.

Detectives charged Zaire Bansey, 19, of Castle Hill and Peter Hajdari, 18, of Westchester Square with murder, manslaughter and weapons possession charges in the death of Dennis Rodriguez, 24, of Mott Haven.

Bedford Park News: Enough of the A-Rod Circus

Bedford Park News: Enough of the A-Rod Circus: Enough of the A-Rod Circus By Rich Mancuso BRONX, NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 7- Sooner than expected the Alex Rodriguez circus returned...