The news of the Yankees retiring Paul O’Neill’s No. 21 was met with either praise from those who loved watching The Warrior’s unrelenting hustle and entertaining tantrums during his Yankee tenure, or eye rolling from those who think the act of retiring a number has become watered down by a franchise that will soon have retired 23 of them.
O’Neill’s case for having his number retired has been widely debated, especially while his No. 21 has sat in Yankees purgatory for two decades. LaTroy Hawkins was booed for wearing the number shortly after O’Neill retired, and it was kept on the shelf until Tuesday’s announcement that it will never be worn again. As the criteria for number retirements doesn’t seem to be limited to the generational stars like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, other Yankee fan-favorites have been brought up in conversation as others who should have their number in Monument Park.
So, how does O’Neill compare to other borderline position player candidates who have not seen their numbers retired? Here are a few:
Tony Lazzeri
One of the greatest second baseman in franchise history, Lazzeri was elected to the Hall of Fame via the Veteran’s Committee back in 1991. He donned No. 6 (now retired in honor of Joe Torre) when the Yankees first began using numbers in 1929, after he had already helped New York win two World Series. He finished top 10 in the MVP race three times as a Yankee and won five titles, one more than O’Neill. His numbers were right on par with O’Neill’s when comparing their pinstriped tenures, with Lazzeri finishing with an .847 OPS and a .296 batting average compared to O’Neill’s marks of .869 and .303.
Tino Martinez
Robinson Cano and Gary Sanchez are notable Yankees to already wear Martinez’s No. 24, so it’s safe to say this will never be retired. But Martinez was right there with O’Neill during New York’s late 1990s dynasty, and was a hitting machine in 1997, when he smacked 44 home runs and drove in 141. His .276/.347/.484 slash line as a Yankee is a bit below O’Neill’s (.303/.377/.492), but he also was a spectacular defensive first baseman and owns two of the most memorable World Series home runs during that dynasty with his grand slam in the 1998 World Series and his game-tying blast in the ninth inning of game four of the 2001 World Series.
Willie Randolph
One of O’Neill’s coaches during his time in the Bronx, Randolph also put together an impressive Yankee resume as a player, earning five All-Star selections in his 13 seasons as a Yankee, while helping the Bombers reach four World Series and win two of them. His .275/.374/.357 slash line doesn’t jump off the page, and his 105 OPS+ as a Yankee is barely above league average, but he did enjoy a run where he stole 30 or more bases in four of five years, and won more rings as a third base coach years after he retired. But his No. 30 has already been worn by many Yankees since.
Graig Nettles
Nettles’ slash line of .253/.329/.433 in 11 years as a Yankee leaves something to be desired, but his glove at the hot corner was his identity. He also was a force at the plate during the Yankees’ run in the late 1970s, leading the league with 32 home runs in 1976 before hitting 37 the following season. He made five All-Star teams, including four in consecutive seasons, during his time in New York, and was the ALCS MVP in 1981. He also had a case for the award in 1978, slugging .667 in 15 plate appearances during that series victory. His No. 9 is in Monument Park, but for Roger Maris.
Alex Rodriguez is of course a name to consider in terms of his otherworldy stats, and his heroics in the 2009 postseason, but his trouble with performance enhancing drugs likely takes him out of the running, as his number is already back into circulation, being used by Joey Gallo.
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