I know we've touched on this before but I needed to add my additional 2 cents..... Currently the Yankees have retired 17 numbers. 7 of which IMO should not have been retired. 1 of those 7 I'm really okay with but NOT for the player that it was retired for. I'll explain. 1) Billy Martin (Hell no) Earle Combs was more deserving wearing #1 for 12 seasons while batting a career 325. But #1 should still be open. 3) Babe Ruth - (YES) 4) Lou Gehrig - (YES) 5) Joe DiMaggio - (YES) 7) Mickey Mantle - (YES) 8) Bill Dickey - (YES) 8) Yogi Berra - (YES) 9) Roger Maris - (NO) I know he had that one remarkable season & 3 or 4 other good seasons but all in all he had maybe 5 good years while wearing the pinstripes. IMO not worthy of a retired # but yes to a plaque. 10) Phil Rizzuto - (NO) Like Bob Sheppard a plaque for his many yrs in the broadcast booth. 15) Thurmon Munson (NO) Not saying no to Munson just to him having the #. No.15 should have been retired many years earlier for Red Ruffing. 15 seasons (1930-1946) (2 yrs military) Yankee record of 231-124 with 4 twenty win seasons. I mean hell how can you have Guidry (170-91) & not Ruffing? 16) Whitey Ford (YES) 23) Don Mattingly (NO) A plaque DEFINITELY but 5-6 good years don't warrant his # being retired IMO. 32) Elston Howard (YES) 37) Casey Stengal (YES) 42) Mariano Rivera (YES) 44) Reggie Jackson (NO) This honor was not only a joke but IMO deminished the honors going forward. 49) Ron Guidry (NO) And while I'm on this horse of mind I also don't think either Gossage or Martinez deserved a plaque.
According to the OP- we were getting your 2 Cents......we got a buck, do you want the change back......? PS: what about Tom Tresh.....?
Buy a bag of cheetos & send them over to Ron. And Tresh was one of my favorite players. ROY in 1962 followed by 3-4 solid years but then just went flat & retired in 69 at the young age of 30.
Munson is deserving based on his leadership alone & whatever # he would have been given had the Yankees done right by Ruffing. I stand by the others, mostly Rizzuto, Sorry Steve I loved the guy in the booth (my all time favorite) but his playing #s do not warrant a retired #, plaque only. http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rizzuph01.shtml Even his MVP was undeserving IMO. I know back then it usually went to a team member that was in the WS but he had 2 team mates that were more deserving. Berra & DiMaggio.
You mean they DID NOT retire Paul's number just the other day, on P.O. day.....? Why have a day for an ex-great player, if your not going to retire his number. Otherwise its just a big clusterfk hoopla of a pointless day...IMO..!
It was basically the same thing they did for Martinez & Gossage though Paul IMO was the only one deserving of the day.
Thanks for the Info...Rick Sad, they didn't at least retire a real Yankee Great's Number......O'Neill was one of the few in his time, to play without letting injury slow him down....!
