Freddy holding one of his signs near the Bleachers entrance before a game between the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers.

Freddy Schuman (born May 23, 1925) better known as Freddy Sez or Freddy "Sez", is a New Yorker and supporter of the New York Yankees, known for his activities in promoting the team and encouraging fan participation.

Biography

Freddy was born on May 23, 1925, and has been a resident of The Bronx 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. Since about 1988 he has been an unofficial promoter for the Yankees and other local sports teams.

Yankees promotion

The pot

Schuman carries a frying pan with a shamrock painted on it, which he says "Brings 'em luck." Fans are encouraged to bang on the pot with a spoon to make noise. The pot makes a distinctive sound that echoes throughout the stadium and would be recognizable to anyone who has heard it before. The sound can also be heard in the background during T.V broadcasts.

Signs

Schuman also carries a number of colorful hand-painted signs adorned with messages to encourage the team and the fans. The signs usually begin with "Freddy 'sez'". Some Freddy messages include "Again & Again Yankees Prove They Are Great", and "Fans, We Got To Help Yankees Out Of Slumps". Sometimes, Schuman will give the sign to a lucky fan at the end of a game.

Schuman also takes his signs and frying pan to other events, as shown below.

Route

Before the games, Schuman can be found outside Yankee Stadium. During the games, he moves throughout the stadium, making his way from the upper deck down to the main section.

Sponsorship

Schuman can be briefly seen in a baseball themed MasterCard 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 around 2003 were sponsored by Modell's Sporting Goods.

Other teams

College basketball and football teams whose games Schuman has been known to attend and promote include the Manhattan College 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 Times Square, commemorating their Super Bowl XLII victory.

External links

• Freddy "Sez" Home Page
• Stirring Enthusiasm, With Élan and a Pan. The New York Times, (May 15, 2006).