Comments on: Thinking about the Yankees’ numbers

By: yankswin27

yankswin27 — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:43:46 +0000

Curtis Granderson – 14 (took it on December 17th)
Javier Vazquez – 22 (I could see him rockin’ the old Clemens jersey)
Nick Johnson – 36 (he wore this when he was first with the Yankees, plus Edwar will be DFA’d this year anyways)
Randy Winn – 12 (wore two last year, I can see him taking 12)
Marcus Thames – 18 (this is the number he wore as a rookie, so I could see him bringin it back… or 31, who knows)

By: MikeD

MikeD — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:45:10 +0000

If there is no rule, I’m surprised no player has tried it yet. Instead of having numbers in the 30s, or 40s or whatever, I’d like to be the first triple digit Yankee. Now batting, #100 catcher, Jesus Montero.

By: MikeD

MikeD — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:40:44 +0000

Wait, wasn’t Ruffing’s number retired? I seem to remember some ceremony for him a few years ago. Or was that more an honory day for him? Or maybe there was a plaque but no number retiring of a number?

By: Andy (different one) in Chilly NYC

Andy (different one) in Chilly NYC — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:09:23 +0000

Nettles was truly unreal defensively. Just watch that World Series game (’77?) where he made one jaw-dropping catch after another, and Tommy Lasorda said Nettles beat the Dodgers single-handedly. And he was very underrated as a hitter. I always used to fume when people said Brooks Robinson was so much better. Not true.

By: MikeD

MikeD — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:30:32 +0000

Under George Steinbrenner, the Yankees went a little crazy on retiring numbers. There’s no way that Billy Martin’s number should have been retired. Guidry? One of my all-time favorites, but unless a player makes the HOF as a Yankee, I would question the move. No way Bernie’s should be retired. Jeter and Mariano should, but both will be in the HOF. By the time it’s all said and done, A-Rod will have played 14 years with the Yankees, may even hit more than 500 HRs as a Yankee. #13 will be retired. Unless Posada and Pettitte make the HOF, then no to retiring thier numbers.

The Yankees need to create a new class to honor great Yankees by really playing up their induction into the Yankee HOF, even having their day to honor them, maybe even a plaque. But retiring a number should be reserved for the Ruth’s, Gehrig’s, Berra’s, Mantle’s Jeter’s and Rivera’s. Let’s stop them before it really gets out of hand.

Just my two, maybe two-and-a-half, cents.

By: MikeD

MikeD — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:18:38 +0000

I think there’s probably a happy middle ground here somewhere. It’s understandable that a number, such as O’Neill’s, might not be assigned to a new player for a period of time, but that doesn’t mean forever. At least I hope not. If the Yankees start retiring the number of every good to very good player that wears the pinstripes, we might have to move into the 1,000 class of #s.

By: bexarama

bexarama — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:08:17 +0000

He actually hasn’t been bad so far, though he hasn’t been on a whole lot either. They asked him for his predictions on Comeback Player of the Year and he actually didn’t pick Dice-K in the AL. I was amazed.

By: Richard Deegan

Richard Deegan — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:08:09 +0000

….and if females ever get to play in the bigs?

By: camilo Gerardo

camilo Gerardo — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:57:08 +0000

Thank you, took the words out of my mouth

-Hank

By: snArky Vaughn

snArky Vaughn — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:51:16 +0000

If you haven’t seen this site, you need to.

It had a graph on when the first Yankee will wear a 3 digit numbe:

http://www.flipflopflyin.com/f.....mbers.html