It is easy to have a debate about a player’s stats, because those can be backed up with facts. On the other hand, nostalgia or an opinion is all subjective. I found myself in a room full of baseball fans yesterday. The television was tuned to ESPN and on the ticker the news about Kevin Youkilis signing with the Yankees had everyone buzzing.
There were a few Red Sox fans in the room, and for the first few minutes, they were venting their frustrations. They couldn’t believe that Youkilis had crossed into “enemy” territory. Then, someone cracked a joke that quickly changed their mood for the better…and made me a little defensive. “Now batting for the Yankees… Number 20, Kevin Youkilis!” A man chuckled. I wanted to chime in….but I didn’t. Trust me, I wanted to scream…. because that number belongs to Jorge Posada! The man I watched for years behind the plate and admire so much. He was such a competitor and he was a good leader. He’s a legend in my mind and I miss his charisma. Nothing against Youkilis, but that number will always belong to Jorge and I just can’t see him, or ANY other player wearing it.
I thought I did a good job hiding my reaction
but I didn’t. I shook my head, and I did it without even realizing it until it
caught the attention of some guys in the room. “What’s the problem?” they asked
me. I told them exactly what I was thinking in my head. One guy laughed at me,
and he replied with “So what? It’s just a number!” I can’t repress that
reaction.
There are all kinds of numbers out there: lottery numbers, mathematics equations, our age…..I could go on and on. A number on the back of a Yankee jersey is not just ANY number. The numbers on those jerseys tell stories. They are tied to our memories, moments as sports fans we look back on and remember fondly. They are traditions we will pass down for many generations to come.
I
reminded the guys who said “it’s just a number” that we are all too quick to
forget about number 42. Jackie Robinson broke barriers for this sport. Because
of his accomplishments both on and off of the field Major League Baseball
honors him by retiring that number for the entire league. Once Mariano Rivera
retires, we won’t see it anymore but what his number symbolizes will live on in
history. Sure, they don’t see it the same way and they said that “this is different,”
but last time I checked meaningless numbers were not retired.There are all kinds of numbers out there: lottery numbers, mathematics equations, our age…..I could go on and on. A number on the back of a Yankee jersey is not just ANY number. The numbers on those jerseys tell stories. They are tied to our memories, moments as sports fans we look back on and remember fondly. They are traditions we will pass down for many generations to come.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not comparing Jorge and Jackie Robinson but a number on a jersey is more than just a form of identification. In my mind, number 20 belongs to Jorge. When I see that number I can’t associate that with anyone else. Some things are sacred for fans, and this is for me. Times change and players retire, but the memories stick with you.
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