The Villages New York Yankees Club is hosting a special program on Wednesday, Jan. 30.
The event, which begins at 7 p.m. at the Savannah Center, will feature former Yankees first baseman Chris Chambliss. There is no charge for the event but membership in the club is required to attend. Residents are welcome to join the club that evening and attend. The annual dues are $20.
Chambliss played for the Yankees from 1974 to 1979 and was a member of World Series championships teams in 1977-1978. A former Gold Glove winner, he was the American League Rookie of the Year with the Cleveland Indians. And he also played for the Toronto Blue Jays and the Atlanta Braves.
As a hitting coach, Chambliss was with the Yankees when they won World Series Championships in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000. He also was credited with teaching Yankees players patience at the plate, resulting in some long at bats designed to wear down opposing pitchers.
The New York Yankees Club typically meets the fourth Wednesday of the month in the evening at the Eisenhower Recreation Center. The scheduled speaker for the Feb. 27 meeting is former Yankees favorite Mickey Rivers. A Florida native, Rivers played for the Yankees from 1976 through a portion of the 1979 season, when he was traded to the Texas Rangers. As a member of the Yankees, he played on two World Series Championship teams.
In addition to speakers throughout the year, New York Yankees Club members go to spring training games and work together for SoZo Kids, a local charity that helps children living in the Ocala National Forest. The club also gathers for social evenings and hosts a golf putting tournament.
For more information about the upcoming event or the club, contact president George Reever at (863) 266-4069 or tvyanksclub@gmail.org.
