The retired number 42

[Guest Anglesault]

Today I was doing my little mental analysis of the numbers that are likely to join those in Monument Park.

 

Of course, the usual suspects (Jeter, Torre, Paulie) came up, along with number 42, Mariano Rivera, who's absolutely a sure thing.

 

But of course, 42 is retired for Jackie Robinson all around the league. Now, I know this doesn't stop them from retiring Rivera's number, but I ASSUME they will add some kind of asterisk to Mo's little information thingamijig in front of the number.

 

Not only does this take a little something away from Rivera's big moment, but I don't think the absurdity of a Brooklyn Dodger being retired in Yankee Stadium can be overlooked.

 

I think I used a Yankee fan's perspective to ask you if you think retiring 42 for everyone was a good move and is fair to great players who might hold that number now.

[Bored 0]

Yes how dare Jackie Robinson take away Mariano Rivera's future special moment!

 

Anyways the biggest name player wearing #42 when they retired it in 1997 was Mo Vaughn and obviously no one is retiring his number. Rivera might be the last player wearing #42 in baseball although that I'd have to actually research. I'm sure Rivera will feel just as special having his Yankee #42 retired.

 

Edit: Rivera is the last player in baseball wearing #42.

[Guest Anglesault]

Yes how dare Jackie Robinson take away Mariano Rivera's future special moment!

I'm actually more annoyed at the thought of a Brooklyn Dodger being retired in Yankee Stadium under any circumstances.

 

Yes, I repect the man and he did alot for baseball, but you just don't do that.

 

That would be like baseball deciding that all teams must retire number three in honor of everything Babe Ruth did for the game...And then watching the Red Sox have to do it.

[Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes]

Yes how dare Jackie Robinson take away Mariano Rivera's future special moment!

I'm actually more annoyed at the thought of a Brooklyn Dodger being retired in Yankee Stadium under any circumstances.

 

Yes, I repect the man and he did alot for baseball, but you just don't do that.

 

That would be like baseball deciding that all teams must retire number three in honor of everything Babe Ruth did for the game...And then watching the Red Sox have to do it.

as if Yankee fans gave a rats ass about what Red Sox fans think. Go Yanks!

[Guest FrigidSoul]

I don't think it was needed. I think they should have just let the Dodgers retiring it be enough. I mean Jackie Robinson didn't play for every team, thus its another stupid Bud Selig decision.

[Guest Anglesault]

On a somewhat related note, I just saw an AWESOME suggestion on Yankee board.

 

Give Cairo number 46 and Clark number 22.

 

I don't think it was needed. I think they should have just let the Dodgers retiring it be enough. I mean Jackie Robinson didn't play for every team,

 

Put it better than me.

[Vern Gagne 0]

How about this. Rivera's #42 goes with the rest of the Yankee numbers. Robinson's #42. is placed in say CF. In the color Red, away from the other numbers.

[Guest Anglesault]

How about this. Rivera's #42 goes with the rest of the Yankee numbers. Robinson's #42. is placed in say CF. In the color Red, away from the other numbers.

No. Not in Yankee Stadium, and especially not placed in such a way that it's easier to see than the great Yankee players.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Fine. Put it away from the other numbers, but don't have it overshadow them.

[Guest Anglesault]

Fine. Put it away from the other numbers

As in outside the building somewhere.

[Vern Gagne 0]

No. Right smack dab behind home plate for everyone too see. A huge statue of Robinson towering over a cowering Babe Ruth with the words "Brooklyn ownz yo ass bitches" would be a nice touch has well.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

No. Right smack dab behind home plate for everyone too see. A huge statue of Robinson towering over a cowering Babe Ruth with the words "Brooklyn ownz yo ass bitches" would be a nice touch has well.

GOLD.

 

 

I have no problem with the Yankees having Jackie's number retired along with their own. After all, Robinson did play in New York City. A lot of old time Yankee fans have fond rememberances of the days of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Not all fans carried their alligences to Los Angeles. It's a credit to the Yankees to carry the flag of days past, when three teams ruled the city.

[nl5xsk1 0]

That would be like baseball deciding that all teams must retire number three in honor of everything Babe Ruth did for the game...And then watching the Red Sox have to do it.

To compare what Babe Ruth did for baseball (play it very well) to what Jackie Robinson did for baseball (break the color barrier) is a farce. No player, in any sport, deserves to have their number retired across the league just for being great (not even Gretzky, who re-wrote the record book like no other pro athlete ever has or will).

 

Although I can understand why you'd be upset to see a Brooklyn Dodgers' number in Yankee Stadium, with how many epic Brooklyn Dodgers/New York Yankees games you watched growing up (sarcasm intended), what Robinson did was incomparable, and he deserved to have his number retired for it.

 

And as a Bostonian, I'd die laughing if MLB forced the Sox to retire Ruth's number. People here (Boston, not TSM) would have such a coronary, sports radio would be funnier than a sitcom)

[Guest Anglesault]

That would be like baseball deciding that all teams must retire number three in honor of everything Babe Ruth did for the game...And then watching the Red Sox have to do it.

To compare what Babe Ruth did for baseball (play it very well) to what Jackie Robinson did for baseball (break the color barrier) is a farce.

Babe Ruth rescued the game after The Black Sox Scandal. Without him, there might not have been a game for Jackie

 

I have no problem with the Yankees having Jackie's number retired along with their own. After all, Robinson did play in New York City

 

You're kidding, right? Jackie was one of, if not the biggest pain in the ass to the Yankees all throughout the 1950s

 

A lot of old time Yankee fans have fond rememberances of the days of the Brooklyn Dodgers

 

That's certainly news to me.

 

Not all fans carried their alligences to Los Angeles

 

Yeah, they went to Mets when they eventually showed up. Few pwople said "Hey, there goes my team, I might as well root for their hated rivals. That's like saying that if the Yankees moved to Utah, I'd become a Red Sox and Met fan. It's absurd.

[Guest Anglesault]

what Robinson did was incomparable, and he deserved to have his number retired for it.

In LA.

[nl5xsk1 0]

what Robinson did was incomparable, and he deserved to have his number retired for it.  

In LA.

What cracks me up about this post is that the fact that it came like 3 hours after your last post. Did you come back to this thread just looking for more to complain about? And when no one had responded to your last post, decided to re-read previous ones to find something to nitpick about?!?

 

The guy broke the color barrier. What he did was bigger than sports and bigger than mere rivalries. Bigger than LA and bigger than NY. Does it suck to have the number of a non-Yankee posted in Yankee Stadium? Yes, I'm sure it does. The same way that it sucks for the Red Sox, and Mets, and Indians, and Braves, and Cardnals, and Cubs, and White Sox. Hell, the Giants have a bigger rivalry with the Dodgers than the Yankees do (or did) but you don't see any Giants fans upset that a Dodger has their number retired there.

 

And to say that Ruth "saved" baseball is hyperbole. Baseball wasn't in drastic danger of disbanding without the great Bambino. Revisionist history to prove your point, at least in my eyes.

[Guest Anglesault]

And when no one had responded to your last post, decided to re-read previous ones to find something to nitpick about?!?

Bingo

 

It was more of a bump because I'd like this thread to be discussed, but I didn't want to just say "bump."

 

Does it suck to have the number of a non-Yankee posted in Yankee Stadium? Yes, I'm sure it does. The same way that it sucks for the Red Sox, and Mets, and Indians, and Braves, and Cardnals, and Cubs, and White Sox.

 

The Mets have no reason to care, and it almost makes sense to have his number retired by a team that came in and tried to fashion some aspects of their team after the Giants and Dodgers.

 

Hell, the Giants have a bigger rivalry with the Dodgers than the Yankees do (or did)

 

New York Yankees/Brooklyn Dodgers World Series.

 

1941

1947

1948

1952

1953

1955

1956.

 

(Yankee/LA Dodgers World Series: 1963, 1977, 1978, 1981. But that's not the point I'm trying to make.)

 

And to say that Ruth "saved" baseball is hyperbole. Baseball wasn't in drastic danger of disbanding without the great Bambino. Revisionist history to prove your point, at least in my eyes.

 

I was always under the impression that Babe Ruth more or less single handedly restored interest after the Black Sox, to the point where he was such an enormous and integral draw around the league that other AL owners refused to let the AL president suspend Ruth of a couple of occasions.

 

Of course, I could be wrong.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I was always under the impression that Babe Ruth more or less single handedly restored interest after the Black Sox, to the point where he was such an enormous and integral draw around the league that other AL owners refused to let the AL president suspend Ruth of a couple of occasions.

 

Of course, I could be wrong.

 

Ruth brought fans into the game and brought popularity, but I don't think he saved the game. What saved the game is Commissioner Landis cracking down on gambling in a major way. After the 1919 scandal, fans were disillusioned about the legitimacy of the game. Landis brought that back.

 

As an aside, Ruth first broke the home run record before the scandal, in 1919, with the Red Sox incidently. What a season 1919 was for the Babe. He broke the record AND pitched 133 innings of above average ball. And the Sox let him go.

[treble 0]

Really, it's just a number, and it's a rather simple way to pay respects to what the man accomplished. If they were requiring every player to have his face tattooed on their back, I could see being a little upset about it, but I doubt Rivera's going to be crying himself to sleep that even if it wasn't for him that no other Yankee would be wearing 42 ever again, anyway.

[HarleyQuinn 0]

Red Sox management back then was just dumb

 

July 29th, 1919: Traded Carl Mays(despite a 5-11 record, had a 2.47 ERA) to the Yankees

 

Dec. 15th, 1920: Traded Waite Hoyt to Yankees

 

March 4th, 1921: Traded Harry Hooper to Chicago White Sox after he hit .312 the previous season

 

Dec. 20th, 1921: Traded Sam Jones(After going 23-16 in 1920) to the Yankees

 

Dec. 24th, 1921: Traded Stuffy McInnis(.300 in 3 of 5 past seasons prior to trade) to Cleveland

 

January 30th, 1923: Traded Herb Pennock to Yankees. Proceeded to get 20+ wins in 2 of next 4 seasons

 

Looking back, management just tore apart the Red Sox and basically killed whatever chance they had to win during the 1920's. Hell, they were doing the dismantling prior to trading Ruth away. In 1916 they traded away Tris Speaker, then traded Duffy Lewis in 1918 to the Yankees. Gave Smokey Joe Wood to Cleveland in 1917 too. Traded Dutch Leonard to Detroit in 1919, Ernie Shore in 1918 to the Yankees, ...

 

Sorry about going on but this is just fucking mind boggling at how many great players we just traded away. Man, in the 1920's Boston could've fielded a team with Babe Ruth, Duffy Lewis, Tris Speaker, Dutch Leonard, Ernie Shore and Smokey Joe Wood...

[Guest Anglesault]

Really, it's just a number, and it's a rather simple way to pay respects to what the man accomplished.

Right. And I'm glad the Dodgers are doing it.

 

but I doubt Rivera's going to be crying himself to sleep that even if it wasn't for him that no other Yankee would be wearing 42 ever again, anyway

 

Neither do I, but from fan's perspective, it annoys me.

[Rob E Dangerously 0]

Red Sox management back then was just dumb

 

July 29th, 1919: Traded Carl Mays(despite a 5-11 record, had a 2.47 ERA) to the Yankees

 

Dec. 15th, 1920: Traded Waite Hoyt to Yankees

 

March 4th, 1921: Traded Harry Hooper to Chicago White Sox after he hit .312 the previous season

 

Dec. 20th, 1921: Traded Sam Jones(After going 23-16 in 1920) to the Yankees

 

Dec. 24th, 1921: Traded Stuffy McInnis(.300 in 3 of 5 past seasons prior to trade) to Cleveland

 

January 30th, 1923: Traded Herb Pennock to Yankees. Proceeded to get 20+ wins in 2 of next 4 seasons

 

Looking back, management just tore apart the Red Sox and basically killed whatever chance they had to win during the 1920's. Hell, they were doing the dismantling prior to trading Ruth away. In 1916 they traded away Tris Speaker, then traded Duffy Lewis in 1918 to the Yankees. Gave Smokey Joe Wood to Cleveland in 1917 too. Traded Dutch Leonard to Detroit in 1919, Ernie Shore in 1918 to the Yankees, ...

 

Sorry about going on but this is just fucking mind boggling at how many great players we just traded away. Man, in the 1920's Boston could've fielded a team with Babe Ruth, Duffy Lewis, Tris Speaker, Dutch Leonard, Ernie Shore and Smokey Joe Wood...

Smokey Joe Wood was done as a pitcher by the time he was sold.

[HarleyQuinn 0]

What happened to him? Went 15-5 in 1915 with a 1.49 ERA @ age 25 and then just missed all of 1916...

[Rob E Dangerously 0]

An injury in 1913 caused Joe excruciating pain in his shoulder and arm. He sat out the entire 1916 season in an attempt to nurse his arm back to health.

[HarleyQuinn 0]

Damn...that's a shame considering he was really blossoming in 1911 & 12

[Rob E Dangerously 0]

his batting stats were pretty good too.

 

http://www.baseballreference.com/w/woodjo02.shtml

 

If Wood was played full-time from 1918 onward.. he would have had some good numbers. And he left baseball at 32 as well.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Just goes to show you how fragile pitchers can be.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Ruth brought fans into the game and brought popularity, but I don't think he saved the game. What saved the game is Commissioner Landis cracking down on gambling in a major way. After the 1919 scandal, fans were disillusioned about the legitimacy of the game. Landis brought that back.

I don't know how much Landis really cracked down on gambling. There's plenty of rumors that say Ty Cobb and other big name star of the day should of been in trouble for gambling but Landis did nothing.

[JJMc 0]

I don't like it for several reasons. The biggest reason is because in Fenway, we have 5 retired numbers on the right field facade for Sox players. 1,4,8,9,27...all in red. Then right next to those is 42 in BLUE. It sounds stupid, but it just doesn't look right.

[Guest Anglesault]

The biggest reason is because in Fenway, we have 5 retired numbers on the right field facade for Sox players. 1,4,8,9,27...all in red. Then right next to those is 42 in BLUE. It sounds stupid, but it just doesn't look right.

 

It doesn't sound stupid.

 

It LOOKS stupid.