So today's the day we'll retire C.C. Sabathia's number 52, in a hastily rearranged, weekday ceremony at the Stadium. (You stay classy, Yankees.)
Hey, I love me some CC. He made our last World Series win—let's face it, the last Yankees World Series win in our lifetimes—possible, and had some great years and some very big games for us.
But retire his number? The ultimate tribute?
This has creeping Metsism all over it—the need to search high and low for new people and accomplishments to celebrate, in lieu of actual rings. It reeks of that organization in Queens so desperate that it just retired the number of a player most famous for getting caught looking in a heartbreaking loss—a player so enmeshed in a cheating scandal that they could not hire him to be their manager.
It smacks of how so many of YES' "Yankees Classics" are now Mets-level, too. Once, we got to see Mickey Mantle winning the 1952 World Series in Ebbets Field. Now, we get the likes of George Lombard, Jr.'s first game.
Meh.
CC won 134 games for us in 11 seasons, which is not nothing. He won 21 games once, in 2010, after giving us 19 wins in 2009. But he never won a Cy Young for us, never led the league in strikeouts or ERA for anybody, never won a single World Series game. Hey, that last one was on Joba. But still.
I'm very glad that CC overcame his addiction problems, even though they left him unable to be on the roster for the 2015 season—and even though he turned in four straight, abominable years for us. Hey, life happens.
But retire his number?
All right, sure. The game has changed, and so have the numbers. He gave us his all, and he was a blithe spirit, when he wasn't suffering, and I'll always give him credit for his gutsy effort in Game Four of the 2009 World Series, and shutting down Baltimore to win the 2012 ALDS.
But if CC's number is going to be retired, a lot of other pitchers' should be, too.
"What, you're ALSO named Jack Chesbro? I'm afraid you'll have to change that moniker before you pitch for the New York Yankees, son."
But still. There are also, oh, Waite Hoyt, Herb Pennock, Red Ruffing, Lefty Gomez, Allie Reynolds, Eddie Lopat, Vic Raschi, and Mel Stottlemyre—all of whom actually won World Series games...
We can talk about Sparky Lyle, Goose Gossage, and Dave Righetti later.
Congratulations, Mr. Sabathia.
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14 comments:
Nothing against Sabathia, but let’s be honest and admit there are are too many retired numbers, and it is being done to sell mythology to the fans in lieu of winning championships.
And, to top it off, today's rescheduled game is...where, exactly? Peacock? Streaming only? Again: you stay classy, Yankees.
Yeah, a move dressed up as high class, but really just done to sell tickets & merchandise. It's just more commercial bull shit, selling out. Now we can feel what The Who, The Sex Pistols, the punk rockers were feeling. DISSSSSS-TROYYYYYY!!!!!!!!
C.C. was good, but I wouldn't say he was a great Yankee. Or, if you say he was great, I don't think he was great enough to get his number retired. Bottom line, only one Championship.
Now, the lack of a Championship wouldn't automatically disqualify a player from getting his number retired, in my book. But it was just that C.C. only had a year or two where he was really good. (I'm not even looking at numbers. I'm just going on feel.) Maybe he was the "ace" for a couple of years with the Yankees. Three years, maybe? Should that be enough to get his number retired as a Yankee?
Somebody unique from 09 should be so honored. It's far enough away from the golden era that despite the core 4's presence that championship team had its own identity. The ace will do. Congrats, CC
As to Sparky Lyle, Goose Gossage, & Dave Righetti, I'd actually like it if they retired their numbers. For different reasons.
Sparky Lyle was before my time, but I checked wiki, it says he won two World Series with the Yanks in '77 & '78. And even got the MVP in '77!
Goose Gossage only won one chamipionship in '78 with the Yanks, but he was kind of the epitome of the fire-ballin' closer. Or reliever, as I think Gossage prefers. Back then, there was no real "closer". The starter pitched most or all of the game. And then the best reliever came in, if they needed to win. Plus, Goose called King George Steinbrenner "the fat man upstairs". That alone makes this guy a great Yankee. Which is why the Yankees will never retire his number.
Dave Righetti made it to one World Series, the ill fated 1981 series. The one I think the Yankees should've won, but lost due to various debacles. And to the fucking Dodgers, no less. But Righetti hurled a no hitter against the Red Sox on July 4, right? He was a starter who was eventually turned into a closer. I remember him as a very good closer for the Yankees. And he had some epic meltdowns as well. Must have had a pretty nasty temper too, because he once threw the ball over the center field fence after giving up a home run. It's a personal opinion, but I really liked this guy. (Righetti Spaghetti. Hey, I like that!") He should've been a Yankee for life.
Yes, we all love CC - even though he did have to bail on the eve of some major shit to deal with his substance abuse issues. I get it, though. I get it. Anyway, we all love him, but really? It cheapens all the other retired numbers.
Thanks for engaging with this, guys. Yeah, it's an amorphous thing, deciding who should get their number retired. Partly it's great accomplishments, partly its fan love.
For the Yankees, it started out as only the very highest honor, originally for Lou Gehrig, but then expanded. Generally, I like the idea of retiring a lot of numbers, and I think that all of the Yankees' retirees are pretty deserving.
(Save for Billy Martin. I pretend that that No. 1 out there is for Earle Combs and Bobby Murcer.)...
For the record, CC had a superb, first four years with the Yanks: 59-29, ERA 3.00 to 3.38, 7-2 in the playoffs.
Then came the plague years, four seasons in which he went 32-39, ERA of 3.91 to 5.28. Then, when he seemed to get it together again, two years of 23-12, 3.67 ERA; 1-2 in the postseason. Then, 5-8, 4.95, and out.
So...4 outstanding seasons, 2 good ones, 5 that were useless and marred by substance abuse.
Not really a legend, and as Hammer notes, it smacks of commercialism. But hey, all right. Just don't pretend that this substitutes for never winning another World Series.
I don't like CC. Fuck retiring his number. It's total bullshit. The old Yankees, from Lou G to Mickey, must be rolling in their graves. And throwing up.
This is such a shitty marketing move. He doesn't deserve it in any way, shape or form.
Where the hell is the game thread?
(oh wait - I haven't posted one yet but I swill)
Exactly. I kind of liked the guy, but not enough to retire his number. The stuff I didn't like was that he was a big as a fucking whale. Or at least a grizzly. You know what we used to call him at my house? The Dumb Bear. Yeah, that was his nickname! Because he sometimes pitched like an idiot. And he couldn't field his position to save his hide. Because he was so fat. The thing I remember most about him, unfortunately, is that teams like Tampa or Houston would hit little rollers down the third base line. And those would be AUTOMATIC base hits. Because The Dumb Bear could never get to them in time.
Plus, in the 2009 World Series, if I recall correctly, the Yankees lost C.C.'s first start, did they not? He pitched well, but not well enough to win the game. I don't even remember his second start in the series. I think he pitched well overall in that World Series, but he didn't dominate. Maybe if he had dominated, I'd feel differently about retiring his number.
That 2009 World Series (and that entire postseason) was the one where the Yankees finally turned into the Bronx Bombers and just crushed all of their competition. In the World Series, Hideki Matsui won the MVP, even though he didn't even play in all the games. Matsui hit a bunch of homers. A-Rod was pretty incredible. I think I would have given the series MVP to A-Rod, but I don't begrudge Matsui taking home the hardware. Damon also played very well, with a huge uncontested stolen base at a pivotal moment due to the stupid defensive shifting by the Phillies.
Gladiator Master: Conan, what is best in life?
Conan: Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentation of their women.
All: YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT!
Zero effort in today’s game.
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