Pettitte, Posada and Bernie Williams heading to Monument Park this year

[Lose Remerswaal]

and not just for a visit, all of them are getting their numbers retired.
 
How long before kids are wearing jerseys with numbers in the triple digits for the Yanks?

 

[jon abbey]

It looks like they have sixteen retired numbers currently, so these three plus Jeter will make it an even 20. 

 

[Flunky]

I am always pleased when Bernie gets cred. He was one of my favorite of the hated. Mostly because he kicked ass on my roto roster back in the late 90's. 2 man keeper league, Williams and Schilling stayed with me for a while.

 

[bankshot1]

Any truth to the story that Giambi's gold thong will get a plaque in Monument Park?

 

[mauf]

When I saw the story about Pettitte, I was going to post here and say "what next, Tino Martinez?" Then I realized he already has a plaque.
 
The Red Sox go too far the other direction (Dwight Evans should be on the facade, and we shouldn't wait on the BBWAA to put Papi up there), but having standards is nice.

 

[Spacemans Bong]

Meh, all four of these guys are, if not Hall of Famers, pretty close to it.
 
Pettitte has 60 bWAR (which I find a little high, but it's clear he's HOVG). Bernie has 50, with 60 offensively - he lost a lot by playing CF much too long. Dumbo has 42, which is probably in the top 20 all time for a catcher. 
 
26 World Series + a policy that retires numbers for guys like Guidry, Mattingly, Billy Martin and The Canton Aviator? The Core Three That Aren't Jeter + Bernie deserves their numbers retired as much as those four. That'll get you to 20 retired numbers.
 
Put it like this: everyone else's favorite hockey team has 18 retired numbers, all Hall of Famers, and they only retired Guy Lapointe's number last year. Steve Shutt, Jacques Lemaire, Tom Johnson, Toe Blake, etc - none have their numbers retired. 

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

Pettitte the first admitted PED guy to get a number retired?

 

[rembrat]

In fairness, looking at their current roster and what's coming down the line, it might be another 15-20 years before the Yankees have anyone with a career that would merit a plaque in their hall. Smoke em' if you got em'. 

 

[jon abbey]

Oh, Rivera too, of course, so that will be 21, although Jackie Robinson shouldn't count, so really still 20. 

 

[NYCSox]

What, #2 hasn't been retired yet? The nerve.
 
Also Mo's jersey retirement won't move the needle since his number is the same as Jackie Robinson's.

 

[jon abbey]

Oops, duh, good point. 

 

[mauidano]

"Can't we all just get along?"  Chuck Knoblauch; of ALL people, one of the stars of The Mitchell Report himself and the guy who likes to hit women, throwing shade on Andy Pettite.  
 
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2366774-chuck-knoblauch-throws-shade-at-andy-pettitte-over-yankees-retiring-number

 

[edoug]

"Can't we all just get along?"  Chuck Knoblauch; of ALL people, one of the stars of The Mitchell Report himself and the guy who likes to hit women, throwing shade on Andy Pettite.  
 
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2366774-chuck-knoblauch-throws-shade-at-andy-pettitte-over-yankees-retiring-number

Knoblauch throwing anything is a little dicey.

 

[glennhoffmania]

I almost teared up reading this:
 

"People are going to say what they want to, believe what they want to. When you say PEDs to me, man, I just can't even comprehend that with me just because I don't really believe I tried to enhance my performance on the field," Pettitte said. "If I would have, I would have told y'all that. Man, my story has been an open book. When it all came out [in the Mitchell report in 2007,] I sat in the press conferences there for hours, I believe. 

"I was told that [HGH] might be able to help me heal from an injury, in a time when I was searching and desperate to get back on the field. When you say that -- and people are going to believe what they want to believe -- it makes me cringe. 

"I've never tried to do anything to cheat to enhance my performance on the field."
 

 

[JohntheBaptist]

Holy shit I'd almost scrubbed his "aw shucks" thing from my brain. I fucking loathe that guy.
 
As full of shit as they come.

 

[NYCSox]

Even Slappy would find that disingenuous. Well almost anyway.

 

[BoSox Rule]

Retiring Pettitte's number the same year you are going to fight A-Rod for his HR bonuses is just way too awesome.

 

[JimD]

So when does Roger Clemens get his number retired by the Yankees?  Five years in pinstripes, four World Series appearances, two WS championships, one Cy Young Award, two All-Star appearances, first pitcher in MLB history to start 20-1.

 

[LahoudOrBillyC]

The Yankees might have too many retired numbers (personal taste), but it is hard to imagine how you could not retire WIlliams, Posada and Pettitte.  The problem is all the guys Steinbrenner retired, like Martin, Jackson, Howard, Maris.  Reggie had 17 WAR with the Yankees.  He had a big World Series?  The Yankees have won 27 of them.
 
What about WIllie Randolph?  He outplayed Jackson during Reggie's entire career in NY, then played another eight years beyond that.
 
Retire #30.

 

[glennhoffmania]

When they retire Girardi's number will they just use the last one he wore?  Or will they retire every number he wore?

 

[HriniakPosterChild]

Just retire all the goddam integers and be done with it. Let every player take the field in an x.5 uniform.

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

Celtics are lucky you only have 15 men on the roster.  Yanks need 25 + coaches/manager plus room for September callups.  They really could be forced to use numbers in the 60s all season!
 
17 as of now, plus these 3 = 20, plus Jeter = 21

 

[Dan to Theo to Ben]

The Yankees might have too many retired numbers (personal taste), but it is hard to imagine how you could not retire WIlliams, Posada and Pettitte.  The problem is all the guys Steinbrenner retired, like Martin, Jackson, Howard, Maris.  Reggie had 17 WAR with the Yankees.  He had a big World Series?  The Yankees have won 27 of them.
 
What about WIllie Randolph?  He outplayed Jackson during Reggie's entire career in NY, then played another eight years beyond that.
 
Retire #30.

they should, even with a .650 playoff OPS; you're right. They're just going half a** with giving the MP plaque without retiring the number.  He's ahead of Kent, Cano, and 10 HOF 2B in JAWS

 

[worm0082]

The Yankees might have too many retired numbers (personal taste), but it is hard to imagine how you could not retire WIlliams, Posada and Pettitte.  The problem is all the guys Steinbrenner retired, like Martin, Jackson, Howard, Maris.  Reggie had 17 WAR with the Yankees.  He had a big World Series?  The Yankees have won 27 of them.
 
What about WIllie Randolph?  He outplayed Jackson during Reggie's entire career in NY, then played another eight years beyond that.
 
Retire #30.

 
I've never understood or had anyone explain to me why Frank Crosetti isn't honored in anyway out there in that Monument Park.  The guy won 17 rings with the team, was on 23 pennant winners.  Played 17 seasons with the team, coached for 22 more.  He wore the number 2 for 24 consecutive seasons and a Yankee uniform for 37 seasons straight.  2 should have been retired long before Jeter ever came along.   Or at least done something similar to Dickey/Berra and retired it for Crosetti but kept it active for Jeter then have two 2's out there.   No retired number, no plaque, not even a black armband when he died. Cory freaking Lidle got one. 
 
I don't get why it seems the Yankees just ignore such a huge part of their history yet give plaques to guys like Tino Martinez.

 

[jon abbey]

Crosetti only played 100 or more games 9 times, and had a career OPS+ of 83.