oh this is a total marketing grab, but whatever it'll be fun. I get having hard standards for the HOF, but this isn't the HOF.
I feel like people are reading way too much into this. It's not like their numbers are being retired. And honestly I think you can make a stronger case for O'Neill being honored than Reggie Jackson.
[3] ???????????? Reggie RULED New York back in the late 70s and hit the most famous WS home runs ever. 2 championships, 3 WS in only 5 years. He's more than worthy.
[6] neither did Casey Stengel. And his managerial record outside of the Yankees is . . . well in 1938 he went 77-75 with the Boston Bees, otherwise, why is he in the HoF aside from managing a bunch of talented players.
Listen I love Reggie...but Reggie is an Athletic. The only reason his number is retired is because George wanted him in the HOF as a Yankee, that's it. 5 years, 1 of which was terrible, that's not retired number material.
Hell I even think Maris, Martin, and Guidry are SUPER questionable choices.
Love Joe Torre, and believe his number should be retired. But since we have 2 retired #8's, can I get some traction for some of the other #6's, like Roy White and Clete Boyer and Joe Gordon?
if the new thing is honoring guys who are really good Yankees but maybe not all-timers by splitting the difference and saying "Plaque in Monument Park, day at the Stadium, but no retired number" then I think that's kinda cool and has some potential.
But it also means Willie Randolph needs a plaque. Like...now.
9) I think you're missing the point with Reggie. He was the biggest star the Yankees had since Mantle. He put asses in the seats. He won 2 World Series and had one of the most dramatic performances of all time. Maybe he had one bad year of the five but he also had a near MVP season too. He was better as an Oakland A. But I disagree, he's remembered as a Yankee. O'Neill could have been a better Yankee on the field. But as a star attraction he was a just another really good player, a fan favorite even, but not a name-in-lights star like Reggie. Jackson doesn't get the plaque because of just George it's because he made the Yankees famous again. It was Munson's team but Reggie made them great.
Last year I was at the Yankees spring training site. A coach walked by and some young guys asked him if a certain player was in camp. The coach wearing a Yankee windbreaker told them no politely and moved on. I asked the 20-something fans if they knew who the coach was. They said no and I told them it was Reggie. They had no clue. Somehow, as someone who grew up in the fifties, I didn't mind.
12) I kinda think Reggie is the biggest curator of his own legend, which is his right but that doesn't mean I have to buy into it. He was a star attraction, no doubt about it. But so were a ton of people in Yankee history, that's what makes them the Yankees.
I think when we're talking about place in team history length of tenure has to count for something. You don't have to be homegown, but 5 years is really pushing it.
Of COURSE Reggie was the biggest curator of his own legend. He brought his star with him to New York, after all. lol
You make a fair point and I'd have to say that Reggie is the exception. Sort of like Koufax or Kiner in the Hall of Fame. Usually way too short but Reggie did so much, on the field and off, while he was here. He was the straw that stirred the drink, Billy's worst nightmare and George's wet dream of a Big Name star.
[11] "But it also means Willie Randolph needs a plaque. Like...now."
I was going to go with "yesterday", but yes. You guys know Willie was my favorite player as a kid (even over Donnie Baseball), and so I am biased. But still, as Steven Goldman put it yesterday:
"Instead, since we're talking about plaques and retired numbers, I would like to finish by observing the following. Think of a player who:
Is the franchise's all-time leader in games played at second base.
Ranks eighth on the team's all-time WAR list.
Was a five-time All-Star as a Yankee (Martinez made it once, even with his manager picking the reserves).
Won two rings as a player and five more as a coach.
Is, again by WAR, the 11th-greatest second baseman of all time. (Martinez is the 64th-greatest first baseman.)
His name is Willie Randolph. His number has not been retired. It has been given out to Cory Lidle, Sean Henn, Matt Smith, Scott Patterson, and is presently worn by Dave Robertson. He has no plaque. There are other Yankees as yet unrecognized by the team in any formal way, including Hall of Famers Tony Lazzeri and Joe Gordon, as well as third baseman Graig Nettles and Roy White, but put them aside. That Randolph was an unrecognized great we take for granted, but that he should be a non-person even to the team that had him while it celebrates a non-entity like Tino Martinez is just painful."
Shame, shame, shame on the Yankees in this regard.
16, 17) it's weird too because Willie is obviously part of the family, he was in Spring Training as an instructor, so it's almost like no one even thought of it. Not like he got snubbed or anything. Weird, but someone should probably get on that.
When Bernie's number goes up expect me to be a puddle of emotion.
the wife is a BIG (and I mean BIG) Tino fan, so I got tickets for that one.
I'm happy about O'Neill though
They were both good Yankees. But why not Mike Stanton then? Or Mr. Sojo? I bet Steiner Sports is behind this. LOL
oh this is a total marketing grab, but whatever it'll be fun. I get having hard standards for the HOF, but this isn't the HOF.
I feel like people are reading way too much into this. It's not like their numbers are being retired. And honestly I think you can make a stronger case for O'Neill being honored than Reggie Jackson.
[3] ???????????? Reggie RULED New York back in the late 70s and hit the most famous WS home runs ever. 2 championships, 3 WS in only 5 years. He's more than worthy.
[3] Sorry Raging, didn't mean to sound 'outraged'. My love of Reggie is just a bit irrational and emotional :)
[5] Dude, Reggie's not white enough. He can't be a try Yankee. ;>)
BTW, they should not be retiring Torre's number. He never played for the Yankees. Now, they've run out of single digits.
sorry "true" Yankee.
[6] neither did Casey Stengel. And his managerial record outside of the Yankees is . . . well in 1938 he went 77-75 with the Boston Bees, otherwise, why is he in the HoF aside from managing a bunch of talented players.
Listen I love Reggie...but Reggie is an Athletic. The only reason his number is retired is because George wanted him in the HOF as a Yankee, that's it. 5 years, 1 of which was terrible, that's not retired number material.
Hell I even think Maris, Martin, and Guidry are SUPER questionable choices.
Love Joe Torre, and believe his number should be retired. But since we have 2 retired #8's, can I get some traction for some of the other #6's, like Roy White and Clete Boyer and Joe Gordon?
if the new thing is honoring guys who are really good Yankees but maybe not all-timers by splitting the difference and saying "Plaque in Monument Park, day at the Stadium, but no retired number" then I think that's kinda cool and has some potential.
But it also means Willie Randolph needs a plaque. Like...now.
9) I think you're missing the point with Reggie. He was the biggest star the Yankees had since Mantle. He put asses in the seats. He won 2 World Series and had one of the most dramatic performances of all time. Maybe he had one bad year of the five but he also had a near MVP season too. He was better as an Oakland A. But I disagree, he's remembered as a Yankee. O'Neill could have been a better Yankee on the field. But as a star attraction he was a just another really good player, a fan favorite even, but not a name-in-lights star like Reggie. Jackson doesn't get the plaque because of just George it's because he made the Yankees famous again. It was Munson's team but Reggie made them great.
Last year I was at the Yankees spring training site. A coach walked by and some young guys asked him if a certain player was in camp. The coach wearing a Yankee windbreaker told them no politely and moved on. I asked the 20-something fans if they knew who the coach was. They said no and I told them it was Reggie. They had no clue. Somehow, as someone who grew up in the fifties, I didn't mind.
12) I kinda think Reggie is the biggest curator of his own legend, which is his right but that doesn't mean I have to buy into it. He was a star attraction, no doubt about it. But so were a ton of people in Yankee history, that's what makes them the Yankees.
I think when we're talking about place in team history length of tenure has to count for something. You don't have to be homegown, but 5 years is really pushing it.
Of COURSE Reggie was the biggest curator of his own legend. He brought his star with him to New York, after all. lol
You make a fair point and I'd have to say that Reggie is the exception. Sort of like Koufax or Kiner in the Hall of Fame. Usually way too short but Reggie did so much, on the field and off, while he was here. He was the straw that stirred the drink, Billy's worst nightmare and George's wet dream of a Big Name star.
[11] "But it also means Willie Randolph needs a plaque. Like...now."
I was going to go with "yesterday", but yes. You guys know Willie was my favorite player as a kid (even over Donnie Baseball), and so I am biased. But still, as Steven Goldman put it yesterday:
"Instead, since we're talking about plaques and retired numbers, I would like to finish by observing the following. Think of a player who:
Is the franchise's all-time leader in games played at second base.
Ranks eighth on the team's all-time WAR list.
Was a five-time All-Star as a Yankee (Martinez made it once, even with his manager picking the reserves).
Won two rings as a player and five more as a coach.
Is, again by WAR, the 11th-greatest second baseman of all time. (Martinez is the 64th-greatest first baseman.)
His name is Willie Randolph. His number has not been retired. It has been given out to Cory Lidle, Sean Henn, Matt Smith, Scott Patterson, and is presently worn by Dave Robertson. He has no plaque. There are other Yankees as yet unrecognized by the team in any formal way, including Hall of Famers Tony Lazzeri and Joe Gordon, as well as third baseman Graig Nettles and Roy White, but put them aside. That Randolph was an unrecognized great we take for granted, but that he should be a non-person even to the team that had him while it celebrates a non-entity like Tino Martinez is just painful."
Shame, shame, shame on the Yankees in this regard.
16) That is a disgrace.
16, 17) it's weird too because Willie is obviously part of the family, he was in Spring Training as an instructor, so it's almost like no one even thought of it. Not like he got snubbed or anything. Weird, but someone should probably get on that.
When Bernie's number goes up expect me to be a puddle of emotion.
I mean, Tino over Willie? That just makes zero sense.