WE'RE GONNA NEED A BIGGER... PARK!

It’s one of the most quoted movie lines you’ll hear. Chief Martin Brody of the Amity Police Department slowly staggers over to his boat mates, Matt Hopper and Captain Quint, and with a stunned look on his face he utters, “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.”


Now if you saw the Spielberg classic, you know Brody was referring to the Great White Shark that had surfaced just feet from the Orca scaring the living hell out of the aquatically adverse civil servant. In the Bronx I think we can now officially say that we are gonna need a bigger Monument Park…a much bigger one in my opinion.

This past Saturday the New York Yankees retired former manager and Hall of Famer Joe Torre’s number 6. It was great to see Mr. T happily back in the Yankee Family and solidified in Pinstripe History. You could see how much Joe meant to the organization, players and fans. He was an outstanding manager and Mr. Torre is also one hell of a guy. The day made me nostalgic for the era when Torre skippered the Bronx Bombers.

Seeing Yogi, Reggie, Gator and Torre’s soldiers, Pettitte, Coney, Bernie, Paulie, Jorge and Tino was outstanding. These former players sat and watched like an old platoon there to honor the decorated General. After the ceremony wrapped up I got to thinking…there should be many more of these special days to come.

Earlier this year the Yanks dedicated plaques to Tino, Goose and Paulie. They are all very deserving, but what about Andy (Core 4, one of the greatest Post Season pitchers of all-time), Bernie (A career Yankee and the guy who ushered in the Core 4 era), Coney (As Mr. T said, “Trust David with your life.” As good a big game pitcher as the Yankees have known…oh and once PERFECT) and Jorgie (Core 4, career Yankee and the heartbeat of those teams in many ways)? Don’t these guys get into Monument Park? I still don’t see how Bernie Williams hasn’t had his appreciation day…granted he was still not technically retired years after he left…but still.

The Captain will join the Monument ranks this fall and #2 will be retired immediately. I just wonder what the criteria are to get a retired number and/or a plaque beyond the outfield walls. I would say lose the Mohegan Sun eye sore and make room for names like Cone, Posada, Pettitte, Williams, and so on. I think if we are going on sentimentality Willie Randolph and Graig Nettles should be in there…how about Sweet Lou or Big Dave Winfield? There have been so many players that endeared themselves to the Yankee fan base. Guys that, even if they weren’t here very long, managed to convey how much being a New York Yankee meant to them.

Congratulations to Mr. Joe Torre once again. He is a class act through and through and guided the Yankee dynasty with respect, pride and excellence.

** The first time I ever met Joe Torre was at a restaurant in Little Italy. This song was playing and this one’s for the Italian kid from New York that did so much in the game of baseball. Welcome to the Park, Mr. T.”

--Mike O'Hara
Senior "Features" Writer
MLB Fan Cave Host, Season 1
Twitter: @mikeyoh21
   "Paulie was always my favorite player."

 
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