Post by TheShadow on Jul 10, 2009 9:18:21 GMT -5
www.mercurynews.com/
By Gary Peterson
Staff columnist
THE ATHLETICS HAVE announced they are retiring Rickey Henderson's number. It couldn't have been an easy decision.
Not the part where they honor Rickey. That's a no-brainer. Hometown hero, all-time great — if you're into the retiring numbers thing, he's precisely the kind of guy you're looking for.
The question is, which number? Rickey wore three with the A's: No. 35 during his first six big league seasons, No. 22 in his first couple games after returning to Oakland in 1989 and No. 24 thereafter.
Come Aug. 1, the A's will retire No. 24. Even though Rickey wore 35 when he stole a record 130 bases in 1982. And even though we're pretty sure Jack Hannahan would donate 22 to the cause if informed of its esoteric significance.
The A's have been down this road before. In 2004 they retired the first number Reggie Jackson wore for the team (9) instead of the last (44). Now they're reversing field. When it comes to the retiring numbers thing, there are no rules. That's part of its basic charm. And its biggest flaw.
The tradition began when the Yankees retired No. 4 in honor of a dying Lou Gehrig in 1939. If our flashcard math is correct, Rickey's will be the 179th number retired in major league baseball. Include the NFL (122), NBA (156) and NHL (132), and his will be the 589th number retired by the four major team sports in North America.
That creates a supply-and-demand issue, because there are only so many integers between 00 and 100. This may not be a problem for the Ottawa Senators (two retired numbers, including Wayne Gretzky's 99 as per the NHL's leaguewide mandate).
But the Boston Celtics have retired 21 numbers. Baseball's Yankees, with a roster twice the size of an NBA team's, have retired 16 numbers, including Jackie Robinson's. Assuming Derek Jeter's No. 2 and Joe Torre's No. 6 are destined for mothballs, the Yanks are out of single-digit numbers — unless they can talk some broad-backed phenom into Pi.
The problem becomes more acute in the NFL, which limits the range of numbers available to players based on their position (i.e.: quarterbacks 1-19; centers 50-59; left-footed kickers named Garo any prime number lower than 10).
Think of the fun this must cause in Chicago, where the Bears have retired 13 numbers. Or in New York, where the Giants have retired 11. How soon until some team is forced to field a team without offensive tackles?
Beyond the unyielding math is the sometimes dubious logic. The intention is always good — generate some feel-good by honoring a fan favorite. Thing is, honorees aren't always fan favorites. The Seattle Seahawks retired No. 12 in honor of the fans themselves (the 12th man, get it?). The Orlando Magic retired No. 6 for the same reason.
The Miami Heat, which does not count Michael Jordan among its alumni, retired his No. 23 anyway, for "his greatness and for all he's done for the game of basketball."
If being a surpassingly worthy opponent is the criteria, the Sharks should build a statue for Theo Fleury.
The Portland Trail Blazers retired the numbers of seven of the 13 players who suited up for their 1976-77 NBA champions. (What, no love for Corky Calhoun?) The Knicks retired No. 613 in honor of the number of games Red Holtzman won while coaching the team.
Do retired numbers have an expiration date? Barry Bonds wanted to wear Willie Mays' 24 for the Giants, but the fans would have none of it. Yet the Phoenix Suns exhumed Alvan Adams' No. 33 for Grant Hill. It's all so confusing.
Maybe less is more when it comes to the retiring numbers thing. The Dallas Cowboys and Oakland Raiders both have colorful, rich traditions. Neither has ever retired a number.
Anyway, congratulations Rickey. We think.
By Gary Peterson
Staff columnist
THE ATHLETICS HAVE announced they are retiring Rickey Henderson's number. It couldn't have been an easy decision.
Not the part where they honor Rickey. That's a no-brainer. Hometown hero, all-time great — if you're into the retiring numbers thing, he's precisely the kind of guy you're looking for.
The question is, which number? Rickey wore three with the A's: No. 35 during his first six big league seasons, No. 22 in his first couple games after returning to Oakland in 1989 and No. 24 thereafter.
Come Aug. 1, the A's will retire No. 24. Even though Rickey wore 35 when he stole a record 130 bases in 1982. And even though we're pretty sure Jack Hannahan would donate 22 to the cause if informed of its esoteric significance.
The A's have been down this road before. In 2004 they retired the first number Reggie Jackson wore for the team (9) instead of the last (44). Now they're reversing field. When it comes to the retiring numbers thing, there are no rules. That's part of its basic charm. And its biggest flaw.
The tradition began when the Yankees retired No. 4 in honor of a dying Lou Gehrig in 1939. If our flashcard math is correct, Rickey's will be the 179th number retired in major league baseball. Include the NFL (122), NBA (156) and NHL (132), and his will be the 589th number retired by the four major team sports in North America.
That creates a supply-and-demand issue, because there are only so many integers between 00 and 100. This may not be a problem for the Ottawa Senators (two retired numbers, including Wayne Gretzky's 99 as per the NHL's leaguewide mandate).
But the Boston Celtics have retired 21 numbers. Baseball's Yankees, with a roster twice the size of an NBA team's, have retired 16 numbers, including Jackie Robinson's. Assuming Derek Jeter's No. 2 and Joe Torre's No. 6 are destined for mothballs, the Yanks are out of single-digit numbers — unless they can talk some broad-backed phenom into Pi.
The problem becomes more acute in the NFL, which limits the range of numbers available to players based on their position (i.e.: quarterbacks 1-19; centers 50-59; left-footed kickers named Garo any prime number lower than 10).
Think of the fun this must cause in Chicago, where the Bears have retired 13 numbers. Or in New York, where the Giants have retired 11. How soon until some team is forced to field a team without offensive tackles?
Beyond the unyielding math is the sometimes dubious logic. The intention is always good — generate some feel-good by honoring a fan favorite. Thing is, honorees aren't always fan favorites. The Seattle Seahawks retired No. 12 in honor of the fans themselves (the 12th man, get it?). The Orlando Magic retired No. 6 for the same reason.
The Miami Heat, which does not count Michael Jordan among its alumni, retired his No. 23 anyway, for "his greatness and for all he's done for the game of basketball."
If being a surpassingly worthy opponent is the criteria, the Sharks should build a statue for Theo Fleury.
The Portland Trail Blazers retired the numbers of seven of the 13 players who suited up for their 1976-77 NBA champions. (What, no love for Corky Calhoun?) The Knicks retired No. 613 in honor of the number of games Red Holtzman won while coaching the team.
Do retired numbers have an expiration date? Barry Bonds wanted to wear Willie Mays' 24 for the Giants, but the fans would have none of it. Yet the Phoenix Suns exhumed Alvan Adams' No. 33 for Grant Hill. It's all so confusing.
Maybe less is more when it comes to the retiring numbers thing. The Dallas Cowboys and Oakland Raiders both have colorful, rich traditions. Neither has ever retired a number.
Anyway, congratulations Rickey. We think.