YES Network.com

ATHLETICS

Weeks 2B

Crisp CF

Matsui LF

Willingham DH

Allen 1B

Jackson RF

Suzuki C

Pennington SS

Sizemore 3B

Cahill RHP

YANKEES

Gardner LF

Jeter SS

Granderson CF

Teixeira 1B

Cano 2B

Swisher RF

Posada DH

Nunez 3B

Cervelli C

Sabathia LHP

ATHLETICS

Weeks 2B

Crisp CF

Matsui DH

Willingham LF

Allen 1B

DeJesus RF

Pennington SS

Suzuki C

Sogard 3B

McCarthy RHP

YANKEES

Gardner LF

Jeter SS

Granderson CF

Teixeira 1B

Cano 2B

Swisher RF

Chavez 3B

Posada DH

Martin C

Colon RHP

YANKEES:
Gardner LF
Jeter SS
Granderson CF
Teixeira 1B
Cano 2B
Swisher RF
Chavez DH
Martin C
Nunez 3B

Pitching: Burnett RHP (8-9, 4.54 ERA)

ANGELS:
Aybar SS
Kendrick 2B
Abreu DH
Hunter RF
Trumbo 1B
Wells LF
Izturis 3B
Bourjos CF
Mathis C

Pitching: Haren RHP (12-6, 2.81)

Follow Joe Auriemma on Twitter: @JoeAuriemmaYES

YANKEES:

Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Andruw Jones DH
Russell Martin C
Eduardo Nunez 3B
Brett Gardner LF

Pitching: Phil Hughes RHP (1-3, 8.24 ERA)

WHITE SOX:

Juan Pierre LF
Omar Vizquel 3B
Carlos Quentin DH
Adam Dunn 1B
Alexei Ramirez SS
A.J. Pierzynski C
Alex Rios CF
Alejandro De Aza RF
Gordon Beckham 2B

Pitching: John Danks LHP (4-8, 3.79 ERA)

Follow Joe Auriemma on Twitter: @JoeAuriemmaYES

John Lahutsky has a powerful story to tell. He is an amazing individual who has overcome so much to get to this point in his life.

John was born prematurely at six months and just 18 months later, his birth mother put him into the Russian Orphanage System. Lahutsky has Cerebral Palsy, which was considered incurable by the facility. The cruelty that he had to endure early on in his life is inexcusable.

John, along with many of the other residents of the orphanage system received no education, were barely, if ever, taken out of the facility, and were essentially left for dead. These children with disabilities were considered a burden of the state and were not even taught how to speak. John, even at a young age, had the instinct to learn how to communicate and with the help of a few nurses that truly did care, he learned the necessary skill set.

“I think I had the instinct from an early age to realize you need to communicate, you need to show people that you're much more than what people think,” John said. “I just thank God that I'm alive today.”

While at the orphanage, John, then known as Vanya, met a boy named Andrei. The two immediately became best friends. Like John's predicament before he self taught himself, Andrei couldn't communicate with others. With the help of his friend, Andrei also learned to speak.

“When we met, I knew that Andrei needed help. I knew that Andrei could not survive in the way he was,” John said. “We were in a room with silent people, with kids that were not speaking and didn't have any communication skills, that were banging their heads basically. Andrei was doing the same thing. I had to find some way to communicate with this person across the table. When I had a toy I would play with him and show him what the toy did and teach him how to communicate.”

Andrei agreed with John saying, “I don't think I would have made it had he not been there for me.”

In 1997, Andrei was adopted by Sullivan family and two years later John as adopted by the Lahutsky family. Both boys grew up and lived in America. Over the years each thought fondly of the long lost friend, not knowing how close they really were.

Lahutsky lives in Bethlahem, Penn., with his family. His story made such an impact that Dateline NBC did a story on him. The 21 year old has even written a book entitled The Boy from Baby House 10, chronicling the cruelties of the Russian Orphanage system.

The Yankees heard John's story and wanted to give the Yankee fan a day he would never forget. This is why he was chosen as a nominee for HOPE Week. With the help of the Yankees, Delta Airlines, the NBC network and many others, John and Andrei would finally be reunited.

Each of the young men were brought to the set of the Today Show. Backstage the boys locked eyes and knew immediately that their long lost search for their childhood best friend was over. Fourteen years had passed and they instantaneously connected once again. It was as if no time had even passed as the boys quickly caught up. The TODAY Show showed a clip of the reunion on air during a feature spotlighting the Yankees inspirational stories of HOPE Week.

The young men and their families met the band Journey, the musical guest on the show that day and then were taken on a tour of the NBC studios. From there the group was taken to Central Park where they enjoyed a carriage ride on the beautiful summer day in New York.

The Yankees next surprise was a personal tour of the Central Park Zoo where some very special guests from the Yankees organization joined up with them. Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who had already been with the boys all morning, was joined by Mark Teixeira, Brett Gardner, Kevin Long and Larry Rothschild.

“This is such a great story,” Teixeira said about meeting John and Andrei. “And to see two friends, and what they went through, is really inspiring for us. You know, these guys deserve to have a day like this and I’m happy to be a part of it.”

From the Zoo, the boys went to lunch with everyone before making their final stop at Yankee Stadium to take in that night's baseball game. Both families came to the Stadium, got to hang out on the field during batting practice and met all of the players.

Michael Margolis, the Yankees' Assistant Director of Public Relations, knew the importance of reuniting these two individuals from the time the Yankees came across the story as a possible nominee for HOPE Week.

“In knowing about John and what he went through and what he's overcome and how far he's come, the one thing that almost seemed missing was his relationship with Andrei,” Margolis said. “This is what HOPE Week is all about. It's about making these types of things happen; completing the circle. It's a pleasure. These two young men couldn't be more appreciative. They couldn't be more grateful. They're just perfect.”

Girardi, who spent the entire day with John and Andrei echoed Margolis' sentiments, but also praised the Public Relations department for the tireless work that went into sharing these wonderful stories with the World.

“I think it’s an outstanding thing. The concept that Jason Zillo came up with, I think it’s wonderful,” Girardi said. “To me, hope is what gets you up in the morning and allows you to persevere through the day. Without that, it’s very difficult. And for us to give a little bit of our time is wonderful. I think a lot of times it puts life in perspective for all of us that are involved.”

John Lahutsky and Andrei Sullivan, with the help of the Yankees organization and all that were involved, were reunited and got to experience so many wonderful things on this unforgettable day. “It's been great,” John said. “I can't believe it. It's a dream of a lifetime. I really thank the Yankees organization for this.”

As the third annual HOPE Week came to an end, it was a perfect way to finish off a perfect week. The Yankees have proven, so much more can be done to enrich the lives others. Over the three years of the initiative, HOPE has been given to so many and in turn has made everyone involved better off for it.

Follow Joe Auriemma on Twitter: @JoeAuriemmaYES

The earthquake that struck Haiti in January 2010 affected the lives of almost three million people living on the island. The 7.0 quake left many people homeless, damaged most of the country’s infrastructure and caused a catastrophic loss of life. Haiti already had the unfortunate distinction of being the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, and a natural disaster of this magnitude nearly crippled an entire nation.

The international front bonded after this disaster to help by any means necessary. Many governments and private agencies came together to provide aid for a country in desperate need. A year and a half later, the country is still in dire straits, even with the relief efforts by so many.

A school in Queens Village, N.Y., Ss. Joachim and Anne's School, had an instant connection to this story. The school's parochial vicar, Reverend Jean-Moise Delva, was a native of Haiti, and during the quake's aftermath, he was given extremely sad news. The elementary school he attended was not only destroyed, but the parish priest and his mentor were killed in the tragedy.

This was a chance for the school to step up and make a difference. It was, at this time, that the school decided to take in 15 child refugees directly affected by the disaster. Many of the children lost relatives near and dear to their hearts and came to New York with nothing but a dream of a better life.

The New York Yankees also had a direct connection to this story. Immediately following the earthquake's aftermath, the organization donated $500,000 toward the relief efforts. That is one of the many reasons why this story was chosen as a nominee for the third annual HOPE Week.

The children of Ss. Joachim and Anne's School were in for a big surprise. Although each of the students thought they were in for a modest trip to the library, they were instead delighted when they found out the day would be filled a trip to watch a game at Yankee Stadium, hanging out with players, and touring the city in which they now live, but rarely get to see.

After the game, the kids, ranging in age from seven to 13, got cozy in the dugout while waiting for the next surprise. CC Sabathia, Jorge Posada and Freddy Garcia, joined by coaches Tony Pena and Mike Harkey, came out of the clubhouse and onto the field. This was a time to bond with each of the children. They gathered the kids together for a fun competition. As the kids ran the bases, they could be seen wearing priceless smiles on their faces.

Following on the on-field festivities was a walk to remember, as everyone made their way through the center-field wall and onto a Grey Line double-decker bus for a tour of New York City. The first destination was the Empire State Building, where the players and kids went up to the top to see the wonderful sights of New York City.

"I've never been on a bus tour and to be able to hang out with these kids, it means a lot,” CC Sabathia said while cruising down Fifth Avenue. He even joked about the visit to the Empire State Building saying, “I'm excited, I think I'm more excited than the kids are.”

According to the Yankees Director of Communications and Media Relations Jason Zillo who, along with his staff, has spearheaded this campaign the past three years, the kids have “been spending time in Queens, but have never really had the opportunity to experience what they are in the middle of today, which is spending the day touring the great borough of Manhattan."

Everyone exited the bus and entered the New York landmark. Once inside, the players and children had the distinct pleasure of lighting the top of the building in the Yankees' colors, signifying the importance of HOPE Week. They were even able to ride all the way to the observation deck and see miles and miles of their new home.

It was onto the next surprise as the bus stopped for pizza. Dinner was delivered on the bus by the world's most famous pizza delivery man, and most recent member of baseball's 3,000-hit club, Derek Jeter, who joined the tour and hung out with the kids for the rest of the trip, which was onto its next and final stop -- St. Patrick's Cathedral in the heart of Manhattan.

Archbishop Timothy Dolan was there to not only greet the children, but to take them on a tour of one of the most beautiful religious structures on the planet. In a very powerful moment, Archbishop Dolan took the Ss. Joachim and Anne's School group to the candle area of the parish to reflect and pray before they continued back on the tour.

"They've been through a tough time, and it's just good to be able to get them away from it for a day and be able to hang out,” Sabathia said about the events of the day. The All-Star pitcher also marveled at another successful HOPE Week event put on by the Yankees saying, “I think it's great. Players sign up. There's no shortage on guys signing up. More organizations are doing it and it will become more of a Major League Baseball event.”

“HOPE Week in a nutshell is people helping people,” Zillo said. “When you hear stories like this, you're compelled not just to think about it, but do something about it.” He went on to say, “We're blessed to have a team and an organization that gets it and understands the impact that we can make on others.”

That's truly what HOPE Week is all about. These children have been given an opportunity by some special individuals in Queens Village to start their life anew in the aftermath of a tragedy, and the Yankees are once again at the forefront of helping others with this initiative. Even if it was just for a day, the memories will last a lifetime.

For more information about these wonderful children or to make a donation to the Ss. Joachim and Anne's School please visit: www.SSJASchool@aol.com.

YANKEES:

Gardner LF
Jeter SS
Granderson CF
Teixeira 1B
Cano DH
Swisher RF
Chavez 3B
Martin C
Nunez 2B

Pitching: Garcia RHP (9-7, 3.23 ERA)

ORIOLES:

Hardy SS
Markakis RF
Jones CF
Guerrero DH
Davis 1B
Reynolds 3B
Pie LF
Tatum C
Andino 2B

Pitching: Arrieta RHP (10-7, 5.12 ERA)

You can follow Joe Auriemma on Twitter: @JoeAuriemmaYES

Yankees:

Gardner CF
Nunez SS
Teixeira DH
Cano 2B
Swisher RF
Chavez 3B
Posada 1B
Dickerson LF
Cervelli C

Pitching: Colon RHP (7-6, 3.29 ERA)

Orioles:

Hardy SS
Markakis RF
Jones CF
Guerrero DH
Lee 1B
Reynolds 3B
Pie LF
Tatum C
Davis 2B

Pitching: Tillman RHP (2-3, 4.69 ERA)

You can follow Joe Auriemma on Twitter: @JoeAuriemmaYES

We will never forget. The city of New York and the people of this country still mourn the loss of many family and friends on that faithful day in September 2001. The recovery process over the course of the last decade has made the people of this nation stronger and given many a new perspective on life.

Those statements still ring loud and clear a decade after 9/11, and it certainly rings true for a charity organization called Tuesday's Children. Many of us were affected by these attacks, but this group focuses in on the children who lost a close family member so suddenly on that tragic day.

Tuesday's Children is a non-profit charity that was developed one year after the attacks. The organization made a promise at that time and they have stuck to their words since the beginning. “The Promise” is to support the 9/11 children into adulthood, while continuing to address the evolving needs of this population. The program pairs up adult volunteers with children who have been directly affected by the tragedy. These volunteers become mentors for the kids. Some have now been partnered up for years developing a bond and becoming a friend and in many instances a surrogate family member. This bond may never fill the void that was left by losing a loved one, but the time that is spent between the mentors and the children is invaluable. The mentors and mentees do many activities and every moment they spent together helps in the child's development, while building confidence and strength.

The New York Yankees organization has many things in common with this charity. The 2001 Yankees had an immediate connection with a whole population of New Yorkers in desperate need of something bright and uplifting in the cities darkest hour. The Yankees, along with the Mets and every other sports organization in New York, stepped up to the plate to visit recovering victims in hospitals, while taking the time out to do what they could to ease the pain of an entire city. Little did they know that just playing the game they loved was enough.

That is why the Yankees chose this wonderful charity as one of this year's nominees for their HOPE Week initiative. The plan was set in motion to honor the charity by having a beach party at South Street Seaport. Each mentor would be there along with their mentee or mentees to celebrate with food, fun and a lifetime of memories. The Yankees would also surprise them with many players to join in on the fun with the children. The event started off with the children being introduced to Mariano Rivera, Curtis Granderson, Cory Wade, Luis Ayala, Steve Garrison, Phil Hughes and former manager Joe Torre.

The Yankees and Tuesday's Children then honored Keith Pryde from Middletown, N.J., as the “Mentor of the Year.” Pryde mentors Robert, who was only one month old when his father, an employee of Cantor Fitzgerald, was killed in the attacks. Robert is now 10 and will serve as Pryde's ring bearer when he gets married in September 2012.A $10,000 check was then given to Tuesday's Children as a donation from the Yankees. After the presentation, the party began as the players immediately connected with the children.

After lunch Granderson initiated a fun water balloon fight between the Yankees and the children. He also knew how important these fun activities meant to each child on this special day.

“You get a chance to just have fun,” Granderson said. “That's the main thing and we also get a chance to give back to the community that helps the Yankees be the Yankees.”

Hughes agreed by saying, “It's outstanding giving back. This is just one of the things we do over the course of this week. Guys are really excited to do this sort of thing.” Hughes also wanted to recognize the job of the mentors by adding, “These are the real people that give their time. We just give one week a year. It's such a great thing being able to be a part of this and being around these people.”

Many of the mentors joined the program out of the kindness of their heart just wanting to give back to the community and this wonderful cause. Some on the other hand had a direct connection with the foundation.

One of these individuals is James Giaccone, who tragically lost his brother Joseph Giaccone, an employee of Cantor Fitzgerald, on 9/11. James joined Tuesday's Children as a mentor five years ago and started mentoring a young boy named Nicholas at that time. Nicholas lost his father in the North Tower. When his brother Matthew became of age, Nicholas' mother asked Giaccone if he could also take Matthew on as a mentee, a request James immediately accepted with open arms. Nicholas is now 12 and Matthew is nine.

“After years of mourning, I searched for a way to honor my brother's memory,” Giaccone said. “I looked for fundraisers and golf outings, and the thing that I came upon was Tuesday's Children. I found out the more I gave, the better I felt. I think the boys get a lot out of it, I personally get a lot out of it and I hope my brother's proud. I'm not a rich man and my most valuable commodity is my time, so I try and give my time.”

Jackie Iaria is another special individual that gives her time. Jackie, unlike James, does not have a direct connection to 9/11, other than the obvious that she is a lifelong New Yorker. “The reason that I did it is that as a kid my mother used to make us walk to the nursing home by my house and visit the people there,” Iaria said. “I wanted to teach my children that it's our job to give back. It's been a great experience.”

Iaria's mentee is Sophie, who also has an older sister and a twin brother involved in the program. Sophie and Jackie have been paired up for three years and they also get involved in many activities together, especially arts and crafts, which is Sophie's favorite.

These are just two of the many wonderful stories that were told during the course of Tuesday's Hope Week event. Torre was of course a big part of the 2001 Yankees team that had that deep connection with the city. He was truly taken aback by the program and what the mentors are doing with these children.

“To be about caring and understanding of what's needed. This world is very tough to survive in and anytime anyone thinks they can do this on their own, I think they're mistaken. You need someone to help you along the way,” Torre said.  “The world is not going to stop. It will continue on and we can not do anything about five minutes ago, much less 10 years ago. We just need learn from it, move on and see if we can do something along the way that will help other people. That's what this mentoring program and Tuesday's Children certainly tells us.”

The day of surprises continued as the Yankees told the children and the mentors that the entire group was invited to that night's Yankees-Mariners game at Yankee Stadium. Beforehand, however, the group would be taking a water taxi around the city, taking in the sights on the way up to the Bronx.

Once at the stadium, the children were given a personal tour and taken to the field for batting practice where they got to meet even more of their favorite Yankees. Pryde was honored on the field before the game with his mentee Robert. They delivered the lineup card and got to throw out the first pitch.

The players and children had a terrific time together, for it truly was a day of fun for everyone. From the activities in the early afternoon all the way to the night ending with a Yankees victory, the children really seemed to have a day that would be a positive memory to last a lifetime.

Follow Joe Auriemma on Twitter: @JoeAuriemmaYES

“I get this all the time where someone will reach out to me and say it's great that you found these ordinary people and give them these memorible days and it's just not accurate. They're extraordinary people.” - Jason Zillo, Yankees Director of Public Relations

Monday marked the start of the third annual Hope Week initiative by the New York Yankees and the first nominee was just as Mr. Zillo stated, extraordinary.

Daniel Trush is a young man that has gone through a lot in his lifetime. In 1997, Daniel, just 12-years-old at the time, had five brain aneurysm's in his head. One of those aneurysm's burst putting Daniel into a coma for the next 30 days. During that time the Trush family had never given up hope that their son would recover even when the diagnosis looked gloomy. And then one day he opened his eyes.

The road to recovery was a long one for Daniel. He spent the next 341 days in the hopital and was in a wheelchair for the next two years, but the Trush family never waivered in their faith and hope. They stayed strong as a unit and watched Daniel slowly flourish as he took his baby steps to recovery.

During this time, Daniel had a very strong connection to music and essentially it became a part of his recovery process. Music is very powerful on many levels and it became the biggest part of Daniel's life.

The connection to music started when Ken Trush, Daniel's father, would sing to Daniel while he was in a coma. It continued when Daniel took music therapy classes. The connection to music was so palpable that in 2006 the family started Daniel's Music Foundation. The foundation provides free musical instruction to all individuals with disabilities. It began with one class of five people and today just five years later, this non-for-profit organization now boasts 150 students with 26 on-site and three off-site classes.

The Yankees franchise wanted to honor Daniel Trush, the Trush family and their foundation by setting up a way for the honorees to put on a grand concert like none other it has done since the foundation's inception. They were about to play their music in front of a packed house on Broadway.

Daniel's story in connection with what music represented to his recovery and what it means to Daniel on a daily basis is what lured Yankees Russell Martin, Francisco Cervelli, Chris Dickerson and the always entertaining Nick Swisher to surprise the foundation's participants and be a part of the performance.

“The resilience of Daniel is incredible,” Yankees outfielder Chris Dickerson said before the show. “From the greatest extremes, to comeback and create such a great thing from what was potential tragedy is a true example of what the human spirit is capable of and the character that Daniel has.”

Daniel and the rest of the music foundation did not know that the Yankees were coming to the show along with other special guests. While the foundation was performing a dress rehearsal behind the stage curtain, the players got into position on stage. The curtain was raised revealing the Yankees much to the delight of the group.

“They were surprised, I was surprised,” Yankees All-Star catcher Russell Martin said. “I didn't know there was going to be that many participants on-stage when the curtain raised. There were all kinds of people, kids to adults and the one thing they all shared in common was they all had that smile and that was huge. That was key, that's what makes it all worthwhile.”

Nick Swisher went on to say, “To be able to come here and put smiles on their faces and let them know, hey man, you've got some people out there thinking about you. It's just an amazing time and it puts things in perspective. For all of us we need that from time to time.”

The players used the time between the dress rehearsal and the opening of the show to get to know the members of Daniel's Music Foundation. In fact, Francisco Cervelli and Daniel had a lengthy conversation back stage before the event. Cervelli was clearly taken by Daniel and his story. “To think when you hear things like this, stories like this, anything is possible in life,” Cervelli said. “He's a perfect example for everybody. He was in the hospital for a long time. Now he's playing music, smiling and having fun. That's the best thing.”

More surprises were handed out as the group was also told that performing artist Romeo and Yankees legend Bernie Williams would also be joining the cast.

As it grew closer to show time, the Brooks Atkinson theater filled up to capacity. The crowd was definitely abuzz for the start of the program. With Yankees radio broadcaster Suzyn Waldman serving as emcee, the show went off without a hitch. The show featured a mix of inspirationally written original songs and old classics, while the crowd gave Daniel's Music Foundation several well-deserved standing ovations.

The foundation may have had a successful open on Broadway with the help of these Yankees players, recording artists and Broadway stars, but Jason Zillo and the organization saved the biggest surprises until the end of the show.

With the crowd still in attendance, the Yankees invited each foundation member along with their family to Yankee Stadium to take in the opening game of the Yankees-Mariners series and that they were going to sing the National Anthem before the game, while Daniel would be throwing out the game's first pitch. The foundation also received a $10 thousand donation on behalf of the entire Yankees organization.

The entire day, from the theater to the Stadium embodied the essence of what Hope Week is all about.

“This event just solidifies the kind of family aspect I feel that the Yankees have,” Martin said after the show. “They really take care of everybody. It's pretty special, especially these days where you don't see events like this very often. It rubs off on everyone on the team. You understand what team is all about. Team is just like a family. When you are a family, you are a teammate all at the same time. The Yankees are a class act all the way around. They have proven that they take time out for the community and they want to make a difference and that's cool.”

You can follow Joe Auriemma on Twitter: @JoeAuriemmaYES

ATHLETICS:

Jemile Weeks 2B

Coco Crisp CF

Hideki Matsui DH

Josh Willingham LF

David DeJesus RF

Conor Jackson 1B

Kurt Suzuki C

Cliff Pennington SS

Eric Sogard 3B

Gonzalez LHP

YANKEES:

Derek Jeter DH

Curtis Granderson CF

Mark Teixeira 1B

Robinson Cano 2B

Nick Swisher RF

Russell Martin C

Andruw Jones LF

Eduardo Nunez SS

Brandon Laird 3B

Colon RHP

ATHLETICS:

Jemile Weeks 2B

Cliff Pennington SS

Hideki Matsui DH

Josh Willingham LF

David DeJesus RF

Scott Sizemore 3B

Ryan Sweeney CF

Conor Jackson 1B

Landon Powell C

Rich Harden RHP

YANKEES:

Brett Gardner LF

Derek Jeter SS

Curtis Granderson CF

Mark Teixeira 1B

Robinson Cano DH

Nick Swisher RF

Russell Martin C

Eduardo Nunez 2B

Brandon Laird 3B

A.J. Burnett RHP