It's getting crowded in the Yankees' outfield.
Not necessarily in the lineup, but literally beyond Yankee Stadium's outfield fences, in Monument Park -- where former All-Star slugger turned YES analyst Paul O'Neill's No. 21 will be retired in August.
Tuesday morning's announcement was met with joy in some corners of social media, and a slew of wisecracks in others.
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O'Neill was undoubtedly a critical and beloved member of the Yankees' four World Series titles during his eight-year tenure in New York around the turn of the century. In fact, the Yankees have already de facto retired O'Neill's number, removing it from circulation after it was last worn by LaTroy Hawkins in 2008.
But O'Neill's number officially being retired marks the 23rd time the Yankees have doled out that honor in their rich history, renewing the debate among fans about whether they've perhaps diminished the meaning of it.
Maybe this is one of the few downsides of the Yankees' relative domination of MLB, which is unparalleled in any of the four major North American sporting leagues.
Here's what journalists and fans were saying on Twitter in response to the news on Tuesday morning:
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