BONDING OVER A PINT

The picture below is the exact spot where I met Charles and Joey Moses back in 2012.  If you don’t know my friends, know this, they are wonderful people who root their heads off for the Yankees from Sydney, Australia.  They are Yankee fans and they are also BYB readers.  I’m happy to say that their also my good friends.

I can’t remember exactly how it happened but I remember I had BYB shirt order requests from the guys.  Here’s the thing; they were coming to New York to see a weekend of Yankee games, so the idea was simple…I’d personally deliver the shirts to them.  I thought it would be fun and after all, BYB was in it’s infancy still, so the idea of me introducing myself was kind of neat.

I met them on the streets of Manhattan. Obviously I knew who they were… they didn’t know me.  I walked up and introduced myself.  We should hands and I could see it in there faces... it was weird, but I got it.  We spoke briefly, got acquainted for a few and then Charles jumped in...

“Let’s go get a drink."

I agreed and we went to this exact spot.  It’s not a hot spot in Manhattan.  It’s not a party place.  It’s the Shula’s Steakhouse in New York, which is actually now closed. The bar was small, but the drinks were New York expensive and it was cozy.  It was also not overwhelming… it was more intimate.  We sat down and we each had a pint.  I handed over my box filled with brand new BleedingYankeeBlue.com shirts.  We checked them out briefly, and then we talked.  No, we really didn’t talk much about the Yankees. We spoke about life. It was that connection that made me realize that these people were genuine.  Sure, they were die-hards, but they were family people.  As we spoke, I realized we shared very similar values. Plus, we loved the Yankees. They also liked my product of BYB because it was “real”… the articles, the opinions.  It was flattering actually.

As I finished off my beer, I knew had to run. I had a meeting that day and so, I popped a piece of gum in my mouth and we all stood around that table for a moment. And as we shook hands, I felt the bond and brought it in for the real thing. I hug with my family before I walked out the door. 

The Moses family is like my own family.  Joey’s like my brother. We speak regularly to this day.  As I finished my meeting and boarded the train, I remember thinking that I was happy.  I knew right then that this bond was big and wondered how much bigger it would get, not just with the Moses family, but with the other folks that click on BYB when they wake up in the morning and have their coffee.

Well.. it’s been 5 years… our site is still in existence and we’re still plugging away.  Sure, there is so much more I’d love to do, but I have a life outside of this forum and so do my writers.  Trust me, Bleeding Yankee Blue is big and yes, we have made dozens and dozens of solid friendships since that meeting with the Moses family. But while I’d love to have some blow out party on the Hudson to celebrate our success… there’s a part of me that struggles with my privacy.  I choose my friends carefully.  When I met Charles and Joey, I chose wisely and I appreciate that very much.

To all of you that have asked about parties and meetings and signings… I mean signings?  What the hell am I gonna sign? Really? I appreciate the invites, but I'm not always that kind of guy. 

Yes, the BYB family is made up of regular folks. I am offered tickets and free stuff a lot… I don’t want any of it.  All I ever wanted was to write.  It’s what I love. Add in the Yankees and the friendships start to happen.  And with those bonds, BYB was born and today, is alive and well.

I don't know what it is, but I'm feeling nostalgic today.  I felt like I needed to share this with you all and as we move forward, look for more pieces in our BYB "Bonding" series... stories about me and some of you and the bond we've created here at BYB. 

Thank you all. Keep reading BYB. Keep wearing us.  Keep clicking and keep the conversation going.  Our website has developed into something so incredible, it blows my mind every damn day. It started with the Yankees, but developed in a family oriented websites which in the end is much, much bigger and better than anything I could have imagined.

Thanks for listening.  Enjoy your Saturday. Go do something great. Go make a bond.



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