We all knew when the Yankees decided last year, during Derek Jeter's Farewell Tour, that Monument Park wasn't full enough, that the three number retirement/plaque dedication ceremonies in 2014 were just the beginning. We already knew that the Bernie Williams number retirement was going to be this year. But the Yankees also announced today that Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada will be joining him on the wall, while Willie Randolph will be getting a plaque.
Some critics/Yankee haters might say this is overkill, but which of the four can you honestly say is undeserving? My only concern is how they're going to fit four more numbers on the wall, which got filled up with Joe Torre's No. 6 last year.
Willie Randolph's Monument Park plaque seems long overdue. He was a Yankee for 13 years and a team captain. He played more games at second base than anyone else in franchise history, won two World Series rings as a player, then four more as a coach. Willie's not at the same level as the players from the 90s dynasty, which is why he's not having his number retired, but he's definitely worthy of a plaque in Monument Park.
No one has worn No. 51 since Bernie's final game in pinstripes. We all knew it was going to be retired eventually. He was the heart and soul of the dynasty, playing center field, hitting in the middle of the lineup, always coming up with the clutch hit. Bernie Williams was the consummate Yankee. For 16 years. He's up there on every all-time list in the major hitting categories, and he has more postseason home runs (22) and RBIs (80) than anyone else in franchise history.
Andy Petttitte? Another no-brainer. This is the one that got the most reaction. Chuck Knoblauch, that Yankee legend himself, for one, thinks Pettitte's being named in the Mitchell Report should get him blackballed by all of baseball for all eternity. Never mind the fact that Pettitte immediately admitted what he did and why (to speed up recovery from an injury) and apologized for it, then went on with his career and was just as effective as before.
But those that don't have grudges against Andy Pettitte acknowledge that he holds a place among the greatest pitchers in franchise history. Five World Series rings, more postseason wins than anybody else, started and won the clincher in all three playoff series in 2009. He also started more games than any other Yankees pitcher, has the most strikeouts in franchise history, and 219 wins is third. Pettitte's going to get a lot of Hall of Fame support once he becomes eligible. Putting No. 46 on the wall was as inevitable as No. 51 going up. And just as appropriate.
Posada's probably the one that's going to give people the most trouble. Well, you know what, he might not be as deserving as some of the others, but I think most Yankee fans would agree that Posada deserves to have his number retired nonetheless. After all, he won five World Series rings in 17 seasons, and that longevity is one of the things about Posada that was the most appreciated. Besides, there's one overriding thing that made his number retirement seem likely. He's the fourth member of the Core Four. Derek and Mariano are first-ballot Hall of Famers, and Petttitte's number was definitely getting retired. Such a tradition-rich organization wasn't going to recognize three-quarters of this group without celebrating all four.
As soon as each of these three players retired, I knew it was only a matter of time before the Yankees retired Nos. 20, 46 and 51. There's a reason they haven't handed any of them out since Bernie, Jorge and Andy retired. Aside from the LaTroy Hawkins debacle, no Yankee has worn 21 in 15 years, either. I know he got a plaque last year (I made it a point to go to that game just so I could be at the ceremony), but Paul O'Neill deserves one more honor. He should be on the wall next to his four teammates.
Notice I said four teammates. The fourth is fairly obvious. Derek Jeter Day won't be this season, but I think that's on purpose. He's one of the most revered players in franchise history. He was the last Yankee ever to wear a single-digit number. But he was also the last guy from the dynasty to retire. And as such, they want to put No. 2 on the wall after the others. When Derek Jeter's number goes on the wall, it will truly close the book on the Yankees' dynasty of the 1990s. That book's not complete, however, without the chapters about Andy Pettitte, Bernie Williams, Jorge Posada, Paul O'Neill and Willie Randolph.
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