If you are a New York Yankee fan then you probably have a few of these people in your life. They usually hail from Boston or the borough we should trade to New Jersey to get the Giants back…yes, I’m looking at you, Queens. These folks are obsessed with what the Yankees do. They say the Yanks buy titles, lie, cheat and steal. They believe that the Bronx Bombers are what’s wrong with baseball. Some of these people might be friends of yours. Perhaps they work with you or are even, God forbid, members of your family. Whatever the case they are lost souls. Just tune them out and go about your business. They won’t change. They are set in their misinformed, misguided ways. It’s sad, but hey, you can’t save everybody.
Lately the moaning from these poor fans of the “Also Ran’s” has been due to the news that 3 former Yankee greats will be having their numbers retired in the Stadium’s Monument Park. Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte and Bernie Williams will join the ranks of pinstriped legends.
Snarky media types (Heyman) and those outside the Yankee Universe are losing their collective minds! “Oh my lord! How many numbers can you guys actually retire? What’s the deal?”
The answer to this question is simple; WE CAN RETIRE AS MANY DAMN NUMBERS AS WE DAMN WELL PLEASE! What does it matter to other teams, fans and baseball writers? It is the business of the New York Yankees, end of story.
If they feel like it, they can even hang up the numbers of Charlie Hayes, Pat Kelly, Omar Moreno, Matty Nokes, Ruben Sierra and Deion Sanders! Go for it!
Let me ask you Mets fans, how many awful alternate uniforms can you wear? See what I’m saying? Who cares? Those are issues the Mets can deal with. It makes absolutely no difference to me.
Why are the Yanks retiring #20, #46 and #51? It’s because of the FACT that these players defined an era in New York Yankee baseball. Just as the Babe and Lou defined the Yankee way, so did Jorge, Andy and Bernie. They were champions on baseball’s biggest stage and were an extremely special group of players. They meant a lot to the fans, the city and the organization.
Just as Whitey, Yogi, the Mick and Joe D. meant so much to the organization’s history, this new crop of recent retirees are no different.
Some day soon Captain Derek Jeter will join his former teammates out beyond the center left field wall. They will all become the Patron Saints of the Big Ballpark in the Bronx. As Yankee fans we will pass on the stories and the memories of watching them play the game and win it all. And to those who feel the Yankees retire too many numbers…well, their opinions didn’t matter then, they don’t matter now and they won’t matter when the new Yankees begin to write their page in history.
** Here’s to the New York Yankees past, present and future. Cheers. **
1, (2), 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,8, 9, 10, 15, 16, (20), 23, 32, 37, 42, 42 44, (46), 49, (51)...
AND THE BEAT GOES ON…
--Mike O'Hara
Senior "Features" Writer
Twitter: @mikeyoh21
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