CHARLES FRANTZ DIED

Charles Frantz, Sr., the father of my friend Chuck Frantz, passed away early Saturday morning after a lengthy battle with Parkinson's Disease.

Mr. Frantz was 86.

Besides being a member of the Tri-County Baseball Hall of Fame, owner of a Northampton-based trophies business, and having a distinguished career as an area football official, my friend Chuck is the president of the Lehigh Valley Yankee Fan Club, the largest Yankee fan club in the country.

And Chuck said it never would have happened without his father being a diehard Yankee fan and bringing him up in the rich pinstripe tradition. Chuck's a good guy and his father certainly had a large hand in bringing up a fine son, not to mention the biggest Yankee fan I know.ChuckFrantz That's Chuck on the left.

Here is part of Chuck's touching e-mail sent to members of the fan club on Sunday morning:

To All Fan Club Members;

This by far is the most difficult thing that I have ever done in my life. I'm e-mailing everyone in the Fan Club informing them that I lost my father early Saturday morning (Charles F. Frantz Sr.). To friends and relatives he was also known as the " BABE".

I would like to take a quote that was once made by one of the most famous Yankees of all time Lou Gehrig.

" I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth." and add to it "to have a father like him."

My father was my inspiration for the Yankees as a little boy taking me to Yankee Stadium every year when I was only 4 years old.

We never missed a year. I got to see players like Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Billy Martin and last but not least, the Scooter. The only team we ever talked about at the dinner table was the Yankees.

The first baseball glove I ever put on was an autographed (not official) Mickey Mantle Glove. My father and I would go out and pitch every night and I was so proud to have that Mickey Mantle Glove. I even slept with it..... I've had so many great memories with him of the Yankees I could go on forever.

He taught me when I was young to be aggressive and challenging and to always try your best and never give up.

He told me to be respectful to others, to treat them the way you would like to be treated. He thought me well and I will never forget that and I will never forget seeing him at my baseball games (there weren't too many games he missed) yelling and screaming at me to get the pitch over the plate or to not pull my head out of the batters box.

Here's to you dad for bringing me up as Yankee Fan because of you this Fan Club I put together is here today. Oh how I wish you would have been able to go with Mary, and me and the rest of our family and your great grandkids to see our Yankees in the new Stadium.

I know he would have loved being at Yankee Stadium. I also know that he would have loved to be involved with this fan club. That's because I've been so fortunate to be surrounded by so many great Fan Club Members and their families that was truly something he would have loved. So Dad here's to you. Rest in peace, the pain is over and thanks for everything. One more thing Dad. Bring us home another World Championship....... Love-Ya Chuck GO YANKS !!!!