The baseball scouts of New York held their annual dinner at Leonard’s of Great Neck on January 16. Yankees scout Cesar Presbott was presented with the 2009 A.B. “Turk” Karam award for his Scout of the Year honors. The Dominican-born Presbott proudly accepted the award and added a Latin flavor to a phrase made famous by the legendary Joe DiMaggio. “I want to thanks the good Lord for making me a Yankee,” Presbott said from the podium. 

A Yankee scout since 1982, he praised everybody in the organization from general manager Brian Cashman to the likes of Mark Newman (Sr. V.P., Baseball Operations) and Damon Oppenheimer (V.P. Amateur Scouting), amongst others for making this award - which is named after a former Brooklyn Dodger scout - possible. You can feel Presbott’s appreciation for this honor as he’s seemingly thanked everyone that he ever crossed paths with.

Presbott’s everlasting smile beamed even wider when he was informed of being this year’s recipient of the award. “Overwhelmed,” is how he described it. “This is right up there with the other awards presented to me in the past, like the Yankee organization Scout of the Year in 2003. A big honor for me.” Recent signees Dellin Betances, (who’s making great strides on his road to the Bronx) and Stony Brook University alumni Andres Peres were in attendance, along with Presbott’s lovely wife Angelica and daughters Kim and Wynda. They shared this night that goes even deeper than just signing raw talent.

Scouting since 1972, Presbott’s first signee was while working for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1977. He persuaded a kid named Julio Franco to give up his love of basketball for the riches he can make on the diamond. Franco turned into a folk hero, playing over 23 years throughout the world (USA, Korea, Mexico, and Japan). Presbott possesses another prized possession that’s even more rewarding than his eye for talent. He gives the gift of hope to every young ballplayer he comes across.

He logs miles on his Dodge Charger to go look at a kid that was referred to by a friend of a friend. Presbott’s job is to grade a player, but his passion for the game turns him into a teacher. He’ll roll up his sleeves, put on a glove and conduct his own personal clinic. He’ll take ground balls and show the correct way to pivot the feet and transfer of the ball. He’ll call it “the Yankee way.” He does it over and over until the kid gets it right.

Presbott then dusts off the infield dirt from his patent leather loafers and tells the kid, “Keep practicing that technique. I’m coming back to see you in six months.” With Presbott it’s all about the youth. He’ll never turn down anyone.

Yankee advisor Ray Negron will call Presbott for his availability to visit a hospital or school. Presbott’s response always is, “What time you want me there?” Presbott is in the process of starting his own charity for the needy of Santo Domingo, and in between will show the proper way to perform a “crow hop throw.” Negron is amazed by him. “Cesar represents a man who has a giant heart in a world where most people don’t care, and he won’t accept that, and that’s the beauty of the man,” the long time Yankee employee said.

Whether you’re young or old, it doesn’t matter to Presbott. The recently-retired Franco can still give basketball a shot. Presbott’s son-in-law Chuck Martin is the head basketball coach at Marist College. With Presbott putting in a good word for the 52-year-old Franco, hey, you never know!

It's all about hoping and dreaming, and with Presbott's backing there's always a shot.