Yanks to retire their 23rd uniform number

Now it's Paul O'Neill.

https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-yankees-to-retire-paul-o-neill-s-no-21-in-pregame-ceremony-on-sund

Two questions, when do they start to use 3-digit uniform numbers?  And when does Don Gullett get his number retired?


I thought that was crazy at first, but he put up really solid numbers and they won multiple championships with him in the middle of the order.


jfinnegan said:

I thought that was crazy at first, but he put up really solid numbers and they won multiple championships with him in the middle of the order.

He was a very good player. But somehow he wasn't worthy of this distinction before now? It's like the Yankees have to retire a number every year and he was the best player left. 


Can they unretire Billy Martin? That one doesn't look so great in hindsight. 


Now batting…..  The shortstop….. Number One hundred and Two…. Derek…. Jetehhhhh…. Junior…. Number One hundred and Two…..


Ticket sales must be in the toilet for NY's second class team.


jimmurphy said:

Now batting…..  The shortstop….. Number One hundred and Two…. Derek…. Jetehhhhh…. Junior…. Number One hundred and Two…..

number negative 2...


ml1 said:

Now it's Paul O'Neill.

https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-yankees-to-retire-paul-o-neill-s-no-21-in-pregame-ceremony-on-sund

Two questions, when do they start to use 3-digit uniform numbers?  And when does Don Gullett get his number retired?

They haven't used any fractions yet. (No one wants negative integers, though)


This is a stretch at best. O’Neill was a very good player but this doesn’t make sense. If he gets a retired number, then why not a lot of other players?


yahooyahoo said:

This is a stretch at best. O’Neill was a very good player but this doesn’t make sense. If he gets a retired number, then why not a lot of other players?

I'd vote for Charlie Silvera. He was Yogi's backup catcher and never missed a game.


O'Neill is an old white guy who fits the old white guy stereotype that Yankee fans adore.  And of course none of them remember any of the good but not great players from 50 years ago.  Boomers strike again.  


sbenois said:

Ticket sales must be in the toilet for NY's second class team.

Screw the Yankees. 


dave said:

They haven't used any fractions yet. (No one wants negative integers, though)

Actually, back in the day when Robert Merrill would sing The Star Spangled Banner for big games, he'd occasionally come out in a jersey with one and a half on the back. You can see it in a picture here:

https://www.robertmerrill.org/baseball


DanDietrich said:

O'Neill is an old white guy who fits the old white guy stereotype that Yankee fans adore.  And of course none of them remember any of the good but not great players from 50 years ago.  Boomers strike again.  

O'Neill had a terrible temper and used to throw tantrums after making a tough out. It seems a lot of old white guys really like that kind of "fiery" player. But I have to believe his teammates found it pretty annoying. 

The 20 biggest cybabies in baseball history


ml1 said:

The 20 biggest cybabies in baseball history

Who knew that so many of the 20 biggest crybaby players and managers in baseball history were active in the season before that 2011 list was compiled?


DaveSchmidt said:

ml1 said:

The 20 biggest cybabies in baseball history

Who knew that so many of the 20 biggest crybaby players and managers in baseball history were active in the season before that 2011 list was compiled?

whatever.

the fact that O'Neill made anyone's list of crybabies tells us enough doesn't it?  And if it's updated, Jeff McNeil goes on it too.  Maybe there's something about names with "Neil" in them.


jfinnegan said:

No Ty Cobb?

I think he's on the bully list.


jfinnegan said:

No Ty Cobb?

Or Evelyn Gardner.


I really liked Paul O'Neil as a player.  But not the temper tantrums.   He is also a very good color commentator during games and has lots of good insights with some humor.   PS:  I thought Louis Soho was an underrated player and his good play helped the Yankees win.  He could play multiple positions which is a big plus.  I guess you can tell I am mainly a Yankees fan.  But I do like the Mets.  No hate here.  


O'Neill was a very good player.  I do like to poke fun at the Yanks' retired numbers though.  It feels like pandering to the fans of the teams of the late '90s though.  There are a bunch of Yankees Hall of Famers whose numbers weren't retired.  But at this point with the addition of O'Neill, there will be seven members of the '96-'00 teams with retired numbers.  Some of them undoubtedly deserve it -- Jeter, Torre, Rivera. But Posada, Williams, Petitte and O'Neill?  Meh.

OTOH, the Mets have been too stingy retiring numbers.  It was good to see Koosman and Hernandez get the honor.  I'm not as keen on seeing Gooden and Strawberry's numbers retired, but I can see why the team would.  But the next retired Mets number really should be #5.


As far as the Mets go, you could argue that Olerud was better than Hernandez.


Why not O'Neill though if you want to retire Hernandez? O'Neill was with the Yanks a similar amount of time, they won multiple championships. And I want Hernandez, Gooden and Strawberry's numbers retired. I saw a stat where O'Neill was one of only 8 or 9 Yankees to hit over. 300 and have a 125OPS+ in at least 1,000 games. So was Cano. I don't think he's getting his number retired.


#11 for Gardner or Lefty Gomez? 


DanDietrich said:

As far as the Mets go, you could argue that Olerud was better than Hernandez.

Olerud had three outstanding years for the Mets, but unfortunately he chose to sign with Seattle.


ml1 said:

  But the next retired Mets number really should be #5.

Great to see another Steve Henderson fan!


In 1986 I went to 25 games at Shea Stadium. It was a very good year for me, for the Mets and for baseball. I'd sit in my seat and yell "Trade Daryl! Trade Daryl!" I thought he was check full of potential never realised. Plus I like to stir things up. 

About ten years ago, I heard an episode of Alec Baldwin's podcast Here's The Thing where he interviews Doc Gooden. Very, very  interesting. Even though Baldwin can't keep his fat yap shut, Gooden shares some very interesting stories. One memorable tale: when he was in his last seasons in Cleveland,  he threw a fastball and looked up and saw the on the scoreboard 98 MPH. He said he knew damn well that pitch was nowhere near 98 MPH. He asked about it after the game and was told, "yeah, they pump up the velocities for the fans."  I'm sure you can find the episode wherever you get your podcasts. (I'll add a link to it below. 


One of my best baseball memories is being at a Mets game when Willie Mays played his last year.  Willie had a good game and actually helped score the winning run without hitting the ball.   As I recall, Willie was at-bat in the bottom of the ninth, tie game,  and the Mets had a runner on third.  The ball got away from the catcher.  Willie, seemingly trying to be helpful, pointed to the catcher the wrong opposite way from where the ball went.  In the couple of seconds, until the catcher realized he was looking the wrong way, the runner dashed home from third!  I hope my memory from fifty years ago is right on this.  Perhaps there is a way I can check.  


It's amazing how a thread begun with the intent of discussing the Yankees has been turned into, once again, a pitiful mewling about the hapless Mets. So sad.


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