It's Only A Number...

Shortage: Available Yankee Jersey Numbers…

The Yankees announced a few number assignments and reassignments yesterday so I thought I’d take the liberty of putting all the numbers together on one list.  

I thought it was interesting that Greg Bird’s number is shared with Billy Burns, a non-roster invitee, assuming the information on the Yankees website is correct. There are a few other duplications but Bird stood out the most. I don’t think it means anything but it is a message to Bird that he had better bring his “A” game to Spring Training if he intends to keep the number.  

Not that it is our concern but I worry about how many numbers will be available a hundred or two hundred years down the road. Personally, I think they should make it mandatory for coaches to wear numbers in the eighties to free up the lower numbers for players. Phil Nevin and I seem to be in agreement on this topic although his choice of numbers makes me think of Dallas Cowboys’ greats Drew Pearson and Michael Irvin (even though I am not a Cowboys fan).  

I am assuming 35 is out of circulation for Mike Mussina due to his recent induction into the MLB Hall of Fame. The number has been assigned out since Moose’s retirement, primarily held by Michael Pineda during his stay. I think Phil Nevin wore it last year after he gave up 53 to Zach Britton. But there are other retired numbers that were worn by subsequent players, like Graig Nettles with 9 or Chris Chambliss with 10, before they were taken out of circulation. A couple of other numbers are open but not in circulation (13 for Alex Rodriguez and 21 for Paul O’Neill). If, by chance, Manny Machado were to become a Yankee (unlikely), it would be interesting to see if A-Rod would consent to giving up his number. I think he would but the way the market is playing out, we may never know.  

Frankly, I am not a big fan of retired numbers. I think it becomes more of a popularity contest and numbers get retired for good, not great, players when retiring numbers should be reserved for those truly special once-in-a-lifetime players like Babe Ruth or Lou Gehrig.

Number	Player	Number	Player
0	Adam Ottavino, LHP	50	Reggie Willits, First Base Coach
1	Billy Martin	51	Bernie Williams
2	Derek Jeter	52	CC Sabathia, LHP
3	Babe Ruth	53	Zach Britton, LHP
4	Lou Gehrig	54	Aroldis Chapman, LHP
5	Joe DiMaggio	55	Rex Brothers, LHP (NRI)
6	Joe Torre	56	Jonathan Holder, RHP
7	Mickey Mantle	57	Chad Green, RHP
8	Bill Dickey Yogi Berra	58	Larry Rothschild, Pitching Coach
9	Roger Maris	59	Josh Bard, Bench Coach
10	Phil Rizzuto	60	Mike Harkey, Bullpen Coach
11	Brett Gardner, LF	61	Ben Heller, RHP
12	Troy Tulowitzki, SS	62	Danny Coulombe, LHP (NRI) Marcus Thames, Hitting Coach
13	Open	63	Domingo German, RHP P.J. Pilittere, Asst Hitting Coach
14	Tyler Wade, 2B/SS	64	Carlos Mendoza, QC Coach/Infield Instructor
15	Thurman Munson	65	James Paxton, LHP
16	Whitey Ford	66	Kyle Higashioka, C
17	Aaron Boone, Manager	67	Jonathan Loaisiga, RHP
18	Didi Gregorius, SS	68	Dellin Betances, RHP
19	Masahiro Tanaka, RHP	69	No Comment
20	Jorge Posada	70	Giovanny Urshela, 3B (NRI)
21	Open	71	Stephen Tarpley, LHP
22	Jacoby Ellsbury, CF	72	Kyle Holder, SS (NRI)
23	Don Mattingly	73	Open
24	Gary Sanchez, C	74	Joe Harvey, RHP
25	Gleyber Torres, 2B	75	David Hale, RHP (NRI)
26	DJ LeMahieu, 2B	76	Nestor Cortes, Jr, LHP (NRI)
27	Giancarlo Stanton, DH/OF	77	Clint Frazier, LF
28	Austin Romine, C	78	Kellin Deglan, C (NRI)
29	Open	79	Francisco Diaz, C (NRI)
30	Ryan Lavarnway, C (NRI)	80	Jorge Saez, C (NRI)
31	Aaron Hicks, CF	81	Open
32	Elston Howard	82	Open
33	Greg Bird, 1B Billy Burns, OF (NRI)	83	Open
34	J.A. Happ, LHP	84	Brady Lail, RHP (NRI)
35	Open	85	Luis Cessa, RHP
36	Danny Farquhar, RHP (NRI)	86	Domingo Acevedo, RHP
37	Casey Stengel	87	Albert Abreu, RHP
38	Open	88	Phil Nevin, Third Base Coach
39	Drew Hutchison, RHP (NRI)	89	Open
40	Luis Severino, RHP	90	Thairo Estrada, 2B/SS
41	Miguel Andujar, 3B	91	Cale Coshow, LHP (NRI)
42	Jackie Robinson Mariano Rivera	92	Estevan Florial, CF (NRI)
43	Chance Adams, RHP	93	Michael King, RHP (NRI)
44	Reggie Jackson	94	Trey Amburgey, OF (NRI)
45	Luke Voit, 1B	95	Mike Ford, 1B (NRI)
46	Andy Pettitte	96	Matt Lipka, OF (NRI)
47	Jordan Montgomery, LHP	97	Open
48	Tommy Kahnle, RHP	98	Raynel Espinal, RHP (NRI)
49	Ron Guidry	99	Aaron Judge, RF

Bold/Italicized = Retired Numbers

NRI = Non-Roster Invitee

The Boston Red Sox seem to be scavenger hunting for bullpen help. In the last couple of days, they’ve added RHP Brian Ellington and LHP Dan Runzler. Who? Exactly…

The ping pong match between the Chicago Cubs and White Sox with former Yankees prospect LHP Ian Clarkin has finally come to an end. One team would place the player on waivers and the other would claim him. It started when the White Sox placed him on waivers this off-season, claimed by the Cubs, waivers and claimed by the White Sox, waivers and reclaimed by the Cubs. He was placed on waivers again by the Cubs but went unclaimed and was sent outright yesterday to Triple A Iowa. I’ve always liked Clarkin and hope he can find success in Chicago (one park or the other). I would love to see Clarkin back in the Yankees organization but not at the expense of a 40-man roster spot.

It is Groundhog’s Day but this is one day that I’d never want to repeat. This off-season has been brutal and I would not want to extend it one more day. February 13th, when pitchers and catchers report, cannot get here fast enough. The first workout for the pitchers and catchers will be Valentine’s Day, while the position players must show up by Monday, February 18th. Full squad workout the next day, and then the first exhibition game on Saturday, February 23rd when the Yankees travel to Fort Myers, FL to play the Boston Red Sox at JetBlue Park. 

I am so ready to talk about the players on the field and not the hypotheticals about certain 26-year-old free agent superstars. Soon, very soon…

As always, Go Yankees!

My Thoughts on Todd Frazier Wearing the #21

So if you’ve been living under a rock for the past week you probably missed the blockbuster trade between the New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox earlier in the week. Actually, I take that back. WIFI reaches about everywhere these days, even under rocks, so you have no excuse. Shame on you. Anyway, I digress. As I tuned into the game on Wednesday, a day game between the Yankees and the Minnesota Twins, I heard that Todd Frazier was wanting to wear the #21 as he made his Yankee Stadium debut. My initial thought was that of shock because that’s Paul O’Neill’s number so I immediately went to Twitter to see if our followers shared the same sentiments and it seemed like they were just as shocked as I was. Now with a day or two to digest the fact that the #21 may be back back in circulation here are my thoughts on Frazier potentially wearing O’Neill’s old number.

Personally I think the whole retiring numbers thing is getting a bit watered down. I know that’s not a popular opinion amongst Yankees fans but it’s mine. Sure, you retire the numbers of Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle and the other Yankees legends but there are a few numbers I simply have a problem with. I won’t name Reggie Jackson’s name but there are a few names you could really make an argument against, and for probably as well. Roy White I’m looking at you and the need for a Roy White Day here at Yankee Stadium. The fact that O’Neill’s number hasn’t been retired by now though and the fact that the team held a Paul O’Neill Day at Yankee Stadium suggests that it’s time for the number to be put back into circulation.

O’Neill walked off the Yankee Stadium field during the 2001 World Series never to be seen again in New York as a player, it’s been 16 years folks. O’Neill finished the World Series in Arizona during that season and retired. The Yankees haven’t retired the number and they have given him his plaque in Monument Park. O’Neill was tremendous for the Yankees and was a huge part of the dynasty that brought New York four World Series championships in five years and nothing can take away from that but I reiterate… it’s been 16 years and the number hasn’t been retired. Give it to someone.

So that’s what the Yankees did. If Todd Frazier wears the #21 for the remainder of the 2017 season I’m okay with that. I’m borderline indifferent to be completely honest. It doesn’t bother me to see anyone wear Tino Martinez’s #24 uniform and he was my favorite player growing up so it shouldn’t and won’t bother me to see anyone wear O’Neill’s #21. I’m sorry but it doesn’t. I know, again, that’s not the popular opinion around these parts but, again, that’s mine and only my opinion.  ---

Frankly I’m happy to see the number potentially back in circulation as I have quite a few #21 jersey’s hanging in my closet somewhere that can now be put to good use again. So Todd, talk to O’Neill before heading back to Yankee Stadium like you intend to and enjoy the number if you get his okay. Either way you’ll make us proud.