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A Family Fandom: The Pineda start that solidified my love of the Yankees

Related Topics: Michael Pineda

I’m a third-generation Yankees fan. My grandfather Jack, a son of Eastern European immigrants, was my first ancestor to don a Yankees cap. He grew up in Washington Heights, just across the river from the Stadium, but was too poor to attend many games. To achieve financial stability, he studied hard to become a doctor, first at Bronx Science, then at Cornell, and ultimately at Columbia. The entire time, he remained a New Yorker and a Yankees fan. Eventually, he moved to Westchester to practice dermatology about an hour north of New York City. In turn, he had to settle for watching most games on TV, even though he could now afford to attend.