New York Yankees ceremony addiction is getting out of hand

Andy Pettitte, Bernie Williams and Jorge Posada are only furthering the ridiculous collection of New York Yankees retired numbers in Monument Park.

In the baseball world, the New York Yankees have watered down the glory of having your jersey number retired.

Recently the club announced that a new trio of numbers will join the already ridiculous list of retired jerseys in Yankee history: Bernie Williams’ No. 51, Andy Pettitte’s No. 46 and Jorge Posada’s No. 20.

Although George Steinbrenner wasn’t the guy who built those late 1990’s teams that are now trickling in the retired numbers, most Yankee fans remember The Boss fondly.

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In fact, it was the Howie Spira suspension which allowed Buck Showalter and Gene “Stick” Michael to get the ball rolling and build such a young and talented core such as Posada, Pettitte and Williams. And, of course, he flew off the handle a bit too much prior to his early 90’s exile, but we reveled in his madness nonetheless.

We also miss his unabashed state of the union addresses, or “George Missives” as some would call them.

When things were going either way right or so wrong, Steinbrenner would alert the presses the only way he knew how to: swift, tough and to the point without apology.

This is also the way he ran the business side of things.

Steinbrenner realized overpaying for a great product would net him results, and despite overpaying the wrong way in the lost Yankees decade of the 80’s, he refused to be left holding the bag.

Overpaying meant superstars, and superstars meant more names in Yankees history.

For all the good Steinbrenner has created in the Bronx, one of his missteps has been watering down the organization’s history.

Some of the uncalled for additions to Monument Park are atrocious.

Most think the driving force behind the reason to create so many “special days” at The Stadium and retire so many numbers was to capitalize on the financial aspects.

It wasn’t.

Steinbrenner truly adored having those days and adding to the Yankee legacy. What he didn’t take into consideration is that he was taking away from the legacy.

Fans who grew up watching the great Mickey Mantle remember exactly who the immortals were. The numbers sat in monument park with pride: No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5. Only Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Joe Dimaggio graced the wall beyond center field at Yankee Stadium and it represented something overly special.

Those were the guys who couldn’t be touched — the greats, the legends.

Now though, the Yankees are simply addicted to creating and hosting these ceremonies as they extend Steinbrenner’s shortsided ideas.

With Pettitte, Williams and Posada having their number retired this summer, and the fact that Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera will soon join the fray, the list in New York Yankees history will be as follows:

"#1 Billy Martin#2 Derek Jeter#3 Babe Ruth#4 Lou Gehrig#5 Joe DiMaggio#6 Joe Torre#7 Mickey Mantle#8 Yogi Berra#9 Roger Maris#10 Phil Rizzuto#15 Thurman Munson#16 Whitey Ford#20 Jorge Posada#23 Don Mattingly#32 Elston Howard#37 Casey Stengel#42 Mariano Rivera#42 Jackie Robinson (MLB)#44 Reggie Jackson#46 Andy Pettitte#49 Ron Guidry#51 Bernie Williams"

Are you kidding me?

First off, the fact that the “Core Four” phrase actually stuck when referring to Jeter, Posada, Pettitte and Rivera is just plain wrong. Williams was just as important, even more so than both Posada and Pettitte. He was the one link remaining from the disappointing early 90’s teams who lasted to partake in the dynasty.

Despite how revered Williams is by fans, there is no chance in the world he should have his number retired. In fact, there are 11 people up there who shouldn’t be on that list.

Martin, Maris, Rizzuto, Munson, Posada, Mattingly, Howard, Jackson, Guidry and the previously mentioned Williams have all joined (or will join) Monument Park with their numbers retired in an uncalled for fashion.

It has watered-down a rich history and made a mockery of the entire situation.

It’s only natural that the suits in the front office want to stretch out the 90’s nostalgia. Those were great teams and the kids who grew up watching are now young adults remembering the better days.

Why though must their numbers be retired? Why can’t we enjoy an event without taking it to this limit?

Eventually, the 2025 leadoff hitter of the team will wear No. 98. It’s insanity.

Mr. October, or Reggie Jackson as his friends knew him, hit three epic homeruns in the 1977 World Series while helping the Yanks to the championship.

The man played only five seasons for New York.

How could anybody view the Yankee retired numbers list seriously when a guy who only played five seasons for the club is retired?

Roger Maris raced against Mantle during the 1961 season en route to the single-season home run record. However, Maris only played seven seasons in the Bronx.

Reggie Jackson played only five seasons in the Bronx.

Billy Martin was a lifelong Yankee. He won a championship as the Yanks manager and played for some of the best teams in the organization’s history. He’s a lifetime .267 hitter with 64 career homeruns.

The trickier ones include Don Mattingly and Thurman Munson.

Munson’s tragic death led to the retirement of his number and it’s very hard to argue. Mattingly, despite him not enjoying the longevity a Baseball Hall of Famer needs, was one of the more popular Yankees of all-time.

Perhaps the loudest Yankee Stadium has ever gotten was when Mattingly hit his only playoff homerun during the 1995 ALDS against the Seattle Mariners. Not retiring his number doesn’t take away the memory, it just means he’s not in the class of guys like Ruth, Mantle and DiMaggio.

What Steinbrenner created as he took office upstairs at The Stadium, the current execs have continued. Not only are they retiring numbers that have no business receiving that special honor, but they seemingly have a “Monument Park Plaque” ceremony once a week.

Last year saw the likes of Goose Gossage and Tino Martinez receive these plaques. In 2015 former second-baseman Willie Randolph will receive one.

It’s amazing. They’ve now found a way around the “too many retired numbers” argument.

Deciding to put on a show of unnecessary ceremonies, with each one watering down the next, will come to haunt them in the long-run.

For some, hearing that certain guys like Mattingly, Munson and Williams shouldn’t have their number retired might seem like a slight. I assure you though, there’s nothing personal about missing the cut as it relates to Yankee greatness.

"Here’s what the New York Yankees retired number list should look like:#2 Derek Jeter#3 Babe Ruth#4 Lou Gehrig#5 Joe DiMaggio#6 Joe Torre#7 Mickey Mantle#8 Yogi Berra#16 Whitey Ford#42 Mariano Rivera#42 Jackie Robinson (MLB)"

Some teams have the requirement that the player needs to be a Hall of Famer prior to having the number retired. For those teams the honor actually still means something.

For example, the history rich Boston Red Sox, a team who has been around even longer than the Yankees have, only have eight number retired (one including Jackie Robinson’s No. 42). The next Red Sox player to receive that honor will truly receive a real honor being placed with the likes of Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski.

Andy Pettitte was one of the greats in Yankee history. His bulldog attitude during the most critical of moments exemplified what those dynasty teams were all about.

Great man, great player. Not a legend.

What makes him a legend, his 3.85 earned run average for his career?

It’s a sad day when the qualifications become this easy to have your number retired for the greatest organization in sports history.

So as the numbers of 20, 46 and 51 get sent off to famed Monument Park this summer, the packed house in The Stadium will surely have that nostalgic feeling flowing through their bodies.

What they won’t think about though is how much each addition is hurting the entire collection.

You no longer have to be an immortal to become a Yankee legend, and that will be an enormous problem moving forward.

Andy Pettitte, Bernie Williams and Jorge Posada are only furthering the ridiculous collection of New York Yankees retired numbers in Monument Park.

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