Yankee Stadium Monument Park

[cjclong]

Are the Yankees adding too many players to Monument Park? In the past the players there were basically Hall Of Fame Players. (I know, Maris isn't in the Hall Of Fame but he held the single season home run record). Tino Martinez and Paul O'Neal were very good players on excellent teams, but that's what they were, very good players. Those teams in the late 90's were great but the players being added aren't HOF caliber in my opinion. There are excellent players from the 1927 Yankees and those from the 1930's, 40's and 50's who certainly rank with Martinez and O'Neal that aren't in Monument Park. I enjoyed watching Martinez and O'Neal play, but in my opinion adding good but not great players devalues the Park. In a way they are really honoring the teams from the late 90's, but they did that with Rivera now and with Jeter in the future.

[Roady]

They should not have that terrorist Mandela there that is for sure.

[gingi79]

I think time and WS titles helps add to the mystique. The Yanks pride themselves on 26 titles and adding the key cogs to the most recent Titles adds to the lore.

No Yankee, for example, will ever wear a single digit jersey number ever again. Literally every number is or will be retired. #42 is retired throughout all of baseball for one, incredible man who stands alone in his contribution to making Baseball what it is today. Except in NY....where it will also be retired for the greatest closer in MLB history. Imagine if some other hockey player had #99 retired? You can't even argue another number in the other two sports as #23 in Basketball is worn by nearly every team and no number in the NFL is sanctified.

Reggie got his share of boos when #44 was added to Monument Park, now even A's fans don't begrudge it. I'm guessing 15 years from now fans see Tino and Paul like Roger and Martin

[Skizzick]

They should not have that terrorist Mandela there that is for sure.

I'm too scared to ask if that is sarcasm.

[Roady]

I'm too scared to ask if that is sarcasm.

No sarcasm and don't be scared. He was a terrorist which is why he was jailed to begin with.

[DJaeger22]

For me as a Yankee fan, I was born in 91 and grew up with those guys being mainstays in the lineup. They each played a big role on every succesful Yankee team.

Plus it's not like they're adding guys like Shane Spencer or the journeyman pitcher. I like adding guys to monument park as long as they don't retire the number, which is a way bigger honor.

[sox83cubs84]

No sarcasm and don't be scared. He was a terrorist which is why he was jailed to begin with.

+1

Dave Miedema

[cjclong]

The post about Mandela is pretty far removed from the subject of players in Monument Park. Of course the British would have considered George Washington a terrorist and he likely would have been hanged if the British had won. Guess its all your point of view.
I still think they are adding too many players. I loved the 61 Yankees with Kubek and Richardson and Skowron and John Blanchard and Louis Arroyo. That was arguably a better team than any of the 90's but I don't need those guys in monument park to remember the team. Do you add Bernie Williams and Andy Pettite. Where does it stop.