Posted on 02/07/2009 1:05:37 PM PST by andrew roman
Once upon a time, when radio was still paying my bills, I took the calculated risk of veering away from all of the easy Monica Lewinsky chatter and dedicated an hour of airtime to the idea of retiring the number "3" throughout Major League Baseball in honor of the game's most important - and arguably greatest - player of all, Babe Ruth. Jackie Robinson's "42" had recently been retired - something that seemed perfectly fine to me - but it occurred to me that if Robinson was being honored by such an unprecedented move, it made at least as much sense to retire the Babe's number the same way.
That was eleven years ago. I stand by it today.
(Excerpt) Read more at romanaround.net ...
As far as #42 goes, there is *still* one player in the majors who still wears that number --- the great Mariano Rivera --- of which team? The NY Yankees, of course :)
(OK ... flame away ... :) /laughs
...Dad was NYPD. He was on the job about a year when he was given the unenviable job of putting tickets on illegally parked cars in front of whatever hospital Babe was visiting for treatment. Dad told the Limo driver in front to ‘get it outta here’. Limo guy, told dad, ‘just waiting for “The Babe”’. Dads nod gave the limo dude an unequivocal permission to stay as long as he wanted.
Dad continued down the block writing summons to non-gods.
.....a horn honked and dad turned around...Babe waved a big thanks to the green young cop who let his limo stay there....
....I'm sorry, my eyes are all moist for some reason..
Dad passed away 2 years ago...
In fact, I don’t see why Jackie Robinson’s number was retired, just for being black. Affirmative action at its finest.
No thanks. Teams should honor their own athletes.
Yeah right, can't wait to see this out at the monuments...scum bags that they've become...
Must be a typo because it's .690
Most players would consider a .690 as a career season. To do it consistently throughout his career is unbelievable.
I plan on catching one game at Yankee Stadium II this spring... and a trek to Queens to see the Metros' new digs too.
My own fond memories of the Yankees and The Babe came a bit later, when somehow I secured a press pass to the World Series in 1996 ... here I was, a lifelong Yankee fan, walking thru the innards of Yankee Stadium, on the field, in the dugout, the same hallways that the Babe did his magic within, poking my head into the weight-room where Reggie was working out on a bicycle ... "Hi Reg" I waved, and Reggie waved back ... fond memories :)
..... lots of ghosts in the ol' Stadium ... Gehrig's is there too .....
Why not Larry Doby if Jackie Robinson? He played for the American League the same year that JR played for the Dodgers I believe.
Indeed, it was a typo.
.690 it should have been.
Thanks a million!
Doby debuted with the Indians on July 5, 1947. Robinson’s debut was eleven weeks earlier on April 15, 1947.
No words.
Wonderful anecdote.
hahahahaaa ... seemingly from your FR page, you are a diehard BoSox fan ... so guess its just right that you'd flame me on this, but what the hecky I invited a flame or two from my post:)
Cheers,
MM
A great article, with one glaring omission: Ruth was arguably the finest lefthanded pitcher of his time. Combine that with his amazing feats at the plate, and there is no question who is the greatest of all time.
Ironically, 3 represents the trinity, which really IS the answer to life, the universe and everything. (Hold on a second... there’s a mouse in my apartment... AAAAAARGH!!!
(And if you’re wondering why I would write ‘AAAAAAARGH,’ you’ve got the wrong show.)
LOL...but I have many Skank fan friends (and family members), so despite your lack of taste I’ll still consider you a FRiend! *wink*
Right; everything that Jackie Robinson went through in the Nat’l Larry did in the American. Each was alone, yet JR gets all the publicity.
OK ... fair enuff ... /chuckle ... now then, what is your take on the DiMaggio for Williams trade which almost happened?
My guess is that Joey-D would have knocked the damn Green Monster right into the Citgo sign at Fenway ... and that Teddy (frozen head) would have parked the ball way past "Ruth's Porch" in the Stadium ....
Too many people that hate the Yankees for this to ever happen.
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