Carl Yastrzemski was an addict. Yes, he was an addict to baseball. Just like many children across America, his dream was to be in the ‘Big Leagues’.

A dream like that came to no surprise as a kid from Bridgehampton, New York, where the Yankees were in their dynasty with the likes of Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle, winning 11 championships in his child/teen life (1939-1958). Just like his Yankees, with the help of his passion, drive and will, nothing would stop him from reaching his dream.

Carl Yastrzemski was born on August 22, 1939, in Southampton, New York. His parents were Carl Yastrzemski Sr. and Hattie Skonieczny. They were both of polish background, therefore, Yaz was bilingual during his childhood years. They were considered part of the working class at the time. At a young age, he and his family would move to Bridgehampton, New York, a small town on Long Island. Bridgehampton at the time, “was a farming community of about 1200 residents” (bhmuseum.org). Famous for its potato farming, Bridgehampton worked together as a community to have essential foods. At the time (1940’s), “families were issued rationing coupons, so they were allowed small amounts of scarce items such as sugar, butter, and most meats”(nhmuseum.org). The rationing coupons were a result of conserving resources for the USA troops during WWII. Because of this, many farmers in Bridgehampton were self-sufficient by growing their own cattle for meat. Although Yaz was born at the end of the Great Depression, which occurred during 1929-1939, it was still tough for many Americans to survive. Because of this, Yaz’s father was a farmer. They lived on a farm, becoming self-sufficient. For many Americans like Carl Sr., they put their dreams aside to make a living in the United States through the depression.

While working on the farm, Yaz made sure every bit of task he did benefited his baseball ability in any way. For example, he would lift heavy sacks of potatoes on a tractor cart saying “I used to love those little sacks……Christ, I was like 12 years old, picking those things up. Seventy-five pounds. I kept saying to myself – and this is why I loved it – this is going to help me get strong, help me make it to the big leagues. It was going to help me in baseball” (biography.com). He would make sure he spent his spare time wisely. He would fit baseball into everything he could from swinging a stick with a rock while out on the fields, to swinging a baseball hung from the ceiling before and after dinner.

Even though farming was of big importance in the household, getting his kid to have an education was Carl Sr.’s top priority. Carl Yastrzemski attended Bridgehampton High School, where he was considered a star on the baseball, basketball and football teams. He would go on to post incredible stats in high school such as a .512 career batting average, and 628 points in his senior basketball season. These stats would eventually raise eyebrows from scouts. His dream would eventually come true when he would be offered a $60,000 contract to play for the New York Yankees. But Carl Sr. told his son not to accept anything below $100,000. Therefore, listening to his wise words, Yaz would attend Notre Dame University on a scholarship. Eventually, after just one year, he would be offered a $108,000 contract from the Boston Red Sox. From that day onwards, there was a legend in the making.