Hawkins To Change Uniform #

Well I hope you so-called fans are proud. LaTroy Hawkins is giving up wearing the #21. There was a huge uproar from Yankees "fans" over Hawkins' choice to wear 21. A lot of "fans" felt that the number belonged to Paul O'Neill and that no future Yankee should ever don the number. Get real guys. It's a number. Get over it.

And in my opinion, O'Neill was a good ball-player, but not one worthy of having his number retired. It would be crazy to put O'Neill in the same breath as Yankee legends like Billy Martin, Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Bill Dickey, Roger Maris, Phil Rizzuto, Thurman Munson, Reggie Jackson, Ron Guidry, Elston Howard, Whitey Ford, Casey Stengel and Don Mattingly. O'Neill was good but is nowhere near deserving having his number retired. Which is the only way to prevent this from happening again. Sorry, but it's not going to happen.

The article states that Hawkins decision to change the # was made after talking to Derek Jeter, Marinao Rivera, and other Yankees veterans. The consensus opinion was that it wasn't worth all the trouble. Props to Hawkins for taking the high road. It's a classy move, and one that he never should have had to make. Am I alone here in thinking this?

Pete Abraham perfectly sums it up on his blog: "Nice legacy for No. 21 now. It’s not retired but it can’t be used because some fans are jerks. If it does get retired now, it won’t be for the right reasons."

Stay classy Yankees "fans."

J-Boogie