The Yankees’ Commitment An Interview with Randy L. Levine, President, The New York Yankees Editors’ NotE Prior to becoming specific areas where you wish to President of the New York Yankees, make the most impact? Randy Levine served as the Chief we are a professional baseball Labor Negotiator for Major League team, so recreation, health, and edu- Baseball, and negotiated the land- cation are very important to us. we be- mark labor agreement in 1996, lieve in empowering the people who facilitating the sport’s return to live in the community. when i say the prominence. Having also served as community, it is targeted, but not lim- Principal Associate Deputy Attorney ited, to the bronx. General at the U.S. Department of we have fans who are senior Justice, he is a recipient of a BA citizens. so if a senior citizens center from George Washington University needs assistance, we will do what we and a JD from the Hofstra University Randy L. Levine can to make the lives of those who School of Law. Levine also served as use it better. if we can make their day Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and a bit special by bringing them to the ballpark, my main goals: we created the YES network, Administration and as Commissioner of Labor we do that. we are building a new stadium, and we are ex- Relations for the city of New York. Today, in professional sports, players panding the yankee brand all over the world. i earn a lot of money, but many give back take great pride when i travel and see people CompaNy BriEf The New York Yankees is a and get involved. Do you make this a part wearing yankee hats or yankee shirts. premier Major League Baseball franchise based of the Yankee culture? Is there growth for the brand in the in­ in the Bronx borough of New York City. Founded yes. the players have demonstrated a great ternational markets? in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1901, they moved to willingness to step forward. Joba chamberlain it is a very complex formula, because al- the Bronx in 1903. As Major League Baseball’s and Johnny damon recently spent a great deal though the brand is expanding, many of the most successful franchise, the Yankees have of time at the memorial sloan-Kettering pediat- rights aren’t ours – they belong to major league won 26 World Series Championships and 39 ric cancer center, with which we are affiliated. baseball. however, we think there is tremen- American League Pennants, which also makes others visit various youth centers. mariano dous benefit, because the more people who them the most successful franchise in North rivera and bobby abreu were just at the Kips know about the yankees, the more who come American sports history. bay boys’ club; derek Jeter has his own foun- to new york and go to our games and buy dation; and alex rodriguez has been out and our merchandise. we are building the brand How important is community involvement about in the community. we urge the players in china, Japan, latin america, and elsewhere, to the New York Yankees? to remain committed, and they understand how continuing to illuminate yankee pride and what it is essential. when we decided to stay in committed we are to helping the community. the yankees stand for: winning with pride and the bronx and build a new stadium, we under- With the development of the new sta­ dignity. obviously, winning on the field is our stood that there were bumps in the yankees’ dium in the Bronx, is this message of com­ number-one priority. relationship with the community. it wasn’t any- mitment getting across to the public? we won four world series, and we’ve been body’s fault; i think there was a disconnect. it we have spent a lot of time and money to the world series six times in the past 12 years. became critical for all of us to reassure the pub- trying to get the message out. we want people the value of the yankees continues to grow. i lic that community is important to us. to understand what we are about. think Forbes estimated it last year at $1.2 billion we are quite active in the community. we we have hired many people from the com- just for the team; others have estimated the value distribute tickets, grants, and equipment to a munity who are working on the stadium – it of the yes network to be close to $3 billion. it whole host of educational, recreational, and gives us a great sense of pride. tens of millions is our job to continue to increase the value and health-related community organizations. For of dollars have gone to bronx contractors. it has explore new ways to increase revenue in order the next 40 years, the yankees are going to been a real success story. to continue to deliver a championship-caliber make grants – cash, tickets, and equipment – Nine years ago, did you know this product. to a charitable trust formed by elected officials role was something you were going to stay Some would think that with an organi­ and community leaders in the bronx. they will with? zation like the Yankees, the expectation is distribute these grants at their discretion to orga- yes. i go back with george steinbrenner always to win a championship. nizations in need. demonstrating the yankees’ quite a long time. i’ve been in baseball for a From george steinbrenner on down – we commitment to our fans, neighbors, and young long time; i was the chief labor negotiator feel if we do not win the world series, it is a people in the city and, in the bronx specifically, for major league baseball. i understand how failure. it is a high standard, but it is the one is essential. the baseball industry works and how business we live by.• You touched on many areas of need, works. my role as deputy mayor and labor such as education, recreation, and health commissioner allowed me to understand how Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain entertains children at the cancer care. To be successful, do you hone in on the city works. we have accomplished three of treatment center at Memorial Sloan Kettering 62 leaders posted with permission. copyright © 2008, leaders magazine, inc. volume 31, number 2.