RIP: Freddy Sez, the old pot banging guy at Yankee Stadium By 'Duk Another elderly icon of Yankee Stadium has passed away. First it was Bob Sheppard, then it was George Steinbrenner and this time the bad news pertains to Freddy "Sez" Schuman, the devoted and always noticeable Yankees super fan with the hand-printed signs of support and ever-present pot and spoon. He passed away on Sunday at the age of 85. From the New York Daily News: "At almost every Yankee game, Freddy could be seen outside Yankee Stadium with his daily message for the Yanks and a frying pan he banged like a drum. He also let other fans bang it as well. "He became such an institution that his lucky frying pan and spoon, thanks to (friend Chuck) Frantz, were put into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Yogi Berra museum in 2004." Benjamin Kabak at River Avenue Blues points us toward this 2006 New York Times feature Freddy Sez for his complete mythology. A resident of the Upper West Side, Schuman had only one eye (the result of a stickball accident), no teeth (he used to be a candy store owner) and a scratchy and raspy voice (from cheering for the Yankees, of course). What he did have was an unmistakeable love for the Yankees and the NYT estimated in '06 that he had been to over 1,300 Yankees games. Everyone from Mayor Michael Bloomberg to George Steinbrenner has whacked on his pot for good luck. Some Yankees fans didn't like the ruckus his cheers created, but others believed that no ballpark trip was complete without running into him. I first saw him in person at the 2008 All-Star Game and was amazed at how the sighting almost seemed to be an official benediction of my trip, like the ride on the subway or hearing the roll call. The best thing about Freddy Sez, I think, is that he was one of those living and breathing examples that the baseball universe is big and enough to make anyone from any background a well-known star, whether he or she plays or not. Ronnie Woo Woo is a great example of the sport's non-judgmental atmosphere here in Chicago and Freddy Sez was that guy in the Bronx. There are many other people like them — lives who might have been long lost and forgotten were it not for the magnetism of baseball — across the major leagues. As Manny Fernandez of the NYT so excellently put it: "He is a real-life mascot with one eye, one tooth and a raspy voice, the unpolished and unlikely cheerleader of a baseball empire with a nearly $200 million payroll." Indeed he was. So rest in peace, Freddy Sez. May you never be forgotten and may your noisy pot banging always make beautiful music at that great ballpark in the sky. [YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILui7W41M60[/YOUTUBE]
I remember seeing him spending a lot of time by Shea Stadium in the 80's... not sure what that was about but RIP Fred.
I first met Freddy when I was a little kid and he let me hit that frying pan during a 9th inning rally. The guy was a Yankee Stadium institution. He'll be badly missed. RIP
I was just about to post this. Good call Tee. R.I.P to a mainstay of the stadium. You didn't see him try to monger up publicity like fireman whore, he was a true blue Yankee fan that will be missed.
I posted this in the ALCS thread, didn't know how well known he was outside of the Yankee universe. Freddy was great, I can't remember how many times he let me hit the pan over the years. It'll be bizarre not seeing around for the next Stadium rally. RIP.
I was very sad to read that this morning, I loved seeing Freddy at the games and he was the #1 Yankee fan.
What a lot of people don't know about Freddy Sez was that he was also a die hard Manhattan College Basketball fan, back from the day when that used to mean something and Manhattan was a national power. My cousin Martin is in the Manhattan College Hall of Fame and my sister went there, so every year we go to a game, most recently Hofstra/Manhattan games. Freddy was always there, banging his pot. The last time I saw him was up in Riverdale. -X-
It's a damn shame. I go to Manhattan College and I just heard of this. I knew he was a huge Yankee fan and I've seen him at the stadium, but I didn't know he was an MC fan. I went to MC 2 road games last year but no home games.
It was Freddy... he was even rooting for the Mets. I know, I saw it myself. I spoke to him about it years later.
That's good enough reason to love Freddy. he will definitely be missed by anyone that goes to Yankee games.
Weird because I just googled the guy...his name was Karl Ehrhardt, "Mets fan known for witty signs at Shea, he died at age 83" So you're saying it's not the shea sign guy you saw @ shea stadium but actually Freddy who you then confronted about it. Did he confirm?
I never mentioned the sign guy. I'm certain I can tell the difference between the two. I also didn't confront Freddy about his times at Shea, I simply talked to him about it. He is an approachable and nice old guy, there wasn't a confrontation or cover up, it's a fact that he used to go to Mets games too... we laughed about it.