Jim Leyrtiz Returns to Yankees Old-Timers Day This Weekend

The two time World Series Champion with the Yankees will return for Old-Timers Day for the first time since 2007.

It's been eight long years but Jim Leyritz will finally make his return to Yankee Stadium for Old-Timers Day this weekend. Leyritz, a weekly guest on "Armen and Levack", told the hosts today what it was like getting the call from the Yankees earlier this year.

Well it was one of those things where my better half, Michelle, called me when I was up in New York. She said “are you sitting down?” and I said “No, what’s wrong?” then she said that I need to sit down and I thought something was drastically wrong, something happened to somebody in my family and she was crying. I asked “what’s wrong?” and she said “I just got home and I found this envelope on the door. I opened it up, I thought it was a check or something.” Then she said it was invitation from the New York Yankees for Old Timer’s day. She said “Can you believe it? It finally came around.” And I was like wow; it did make me have to sit down for a second. This was something that for such a long time I had wondered after all I went through to prove that that stuff never happened, when I was exonerated from it I thought I would be right back and unfortunately Mr. Steinbrenner was not around and it took the powers that be a little be longer to let me come back and it was a pretty amazing feeling that this was the year that they finally decided to do it. I told you guys it was all in the works, they’d been telling be for a couple years that next year’s the year and then when I ran into Jenny Steinbrenner this year at the (management?) camp and I mentioned it to her. She said I think it’s about time that that happened do I think she gave it the final push and I am looking forward to it and I can’t think of anything better than 1, being back for Old Timer’s Day but also to be on hand to see Willie Randolph honored because Willie is a very good friend of mine. He was kind of passed a side a little bit by the Yankees a while back and for him now to be welcomed back like this it is going to be a great day.

 

The "stuff that never happened" Leyritz is referring to is a vehicular homicide accident in Florida in 2007. Leyritz was acquitted of DUI/manslaughter charges in 2010, served a one-year probation for DUI and settled a civil suit with the family of the woman who died in the accident for $350,000. After years of waiting, Leyritz believes it will be an "overwhelming" moment for him. But will he cry during this weekend's event? He answered that along with other questions this afternoon on "Armen and Levack" on 1045 The Team.