Remembering Marvin Hamlisch, composer, Yankee fan, visitor to Yankee radio booth, hit a single off Whitey Ford at Yankees Fantasy Camp

Update, 8/14/12, Suzyn Waldman and John Sterling, both friends of Marvin Hamlisch, dedicated tonight's game to the memory of Mr. Hamlisch who was also a great Yankee fan and visitor to the Yankee radio booth. Suzyn and John remembered the composer during their post-game show re-cap, tonight's game 3-0 Yankees over Texas. Suzyn mentioned the memorial service for Hamlisch that took place in Manhattan today. It sounded like both she and John attended the service.

• Boxscore, 3-0, Yankees over Texas

11/18/2001, Gainesville Sun, "Hamlisch: he's a diehard Yankee fan"

• "He became a diehard Yankees fan as a kid, and was at all the New York games during the recent World Series. And he once attempted a Yankees fantasy camp. "This was about seven, eight years ago, and I hit a single off Whitey Ford," he says. "I can't believe it. Of course, I think he pretty well grooved it to me. I take this seriously. I was at Yankees spring training last year in Tampa. It's a beautiful stadium.""

8/7/12, "Pittsburghers remember Marvin Hamlisch," post-gazette.com

• ""I loved the fact that he was a regular guy -- here's a man who won every award that he could in his profession and he wanted to know the score of the Yankees games while we were working."...

10/6/11, "Legendary Hamlisch to take the stage for MCHE," Kansas City Jewish Chronicle

• "When he’s not on the road, Hamlisch loves spending time with his wife of 23 years, Terre Blair, and watching baseball. He’s an avid New York Yankees fan.

• “I still have the first Yankees shirt I got at age 6,” he said. “I’ve been a fan for 40 years.”"

8/7/12, "A Past Interview With Marvin Hamlisch, Who Died Monday At Age 68," courant.com

• "Q: Incidentally, are you a Yankee fan?
• A: Absolutely.
• Q: Are you still loyal?
• A: You bet.
• Q: You once went to a Yankees fantasy camp and even stroked a single off the immortal Whitey Ford. Would you have traded your fame as a composer to have been, say, a star center fielder for the Yankees?
• A: There you go. Oh, yeah. Are you kidding? That would have been it for me. That's the thing I love most. It's funny about me and sports. I don't like every sport, but baseball I do love and just love watching it."...

• 8/7/12 Obituary

Ed. note: Marvin Hamlisch joined Suzyn Waldman and John Sterling in the Yankee radio booth during a spring training game a few years ago. UPDATE: During tonight's Yankee radio broadcast v Detroit, Suzyn and John noted the untimely passing of Marvin Hamlisch. Suzyn said he was a good friend of both John and herself, had been in the Yankee radio booth numerous times over the years, was a great Yankee fan, and a great musical talent. Suzyn said she knew Marvin from both her careers, having been in musical theater before her Yankee career.

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