Who Gets No. 51?

wordygurdy · **Posted:** Wed Jan 05, 2005 2:41 pm

Non-Yankee fans won't give a rip about this issue, but pinstriped partisans wonder: Will Randy Johnson give up No. 51 when he joins the Yanks, given that longtime fixture and fan favorite Bernie Williams has worn that number with great distinction since coming up in 1991?

I know Johnson is a Hall of Famer and Bernie's not, but if Johnson has any class, he will immediately don a new uniform number at his press conference and make a point of noting how much Bernie has contributed to the franchise. Especially given that Johnson did all he could to engineer the trade.

It wouldn't surprise me at all, however, knowing how classy Bernie is, if he offers to give up the number to Johnson. Johnson should decline and praise Bernie publicly.

Something like this is a silly, superficial consideration, but a gesture like that from Johnson could go a long way toward smoothing his acceptance by his new teammates (not that he's ever cared about that acceptance in the past).

ndugan1 · **Posted:** Wed Jan 05, 2005 2:47 pm

This same problem came up with Eli Manning. In an act akin to digging his own grave, after shunning the Chargers in the draft and jumping ship to the Giants, he found out the punter already wore the number 10 jersey. He offered to pay for the punter and his family's entire weeklong vacation in the Bahamas if he would give up ol' No. 10. What a crybaby.

Matthew Grieco · **Posted:** Wed Jan 05, 2005 2:53 pm

If the Giants had won as many games as the number on his back, Manning might have even deserved it.

As for Randy, I agree with wordygurdy. I like to see the Yankees win, but I personally hate it when they acquire someone who recently bested the Yankees in the postseason. He ought to defer to Bernie.

At least it's Randy they got and not Pedro. I simply could not have gone to Yankee Stadium and rooted for him. The Unit I can warm to.

Wayne Countryman · **Posted:** Wed Jan 05, 2005 3:29 pm

OK, we know baseball players are among the most superstitious creatures on Earth, yet extremely logical and focused when it comes to marketing and self-promotion.

Yes, it would be lovely if Johnson's welcoming party was all hugs-and-kisses-and-pinstripe-pride. Williams could strum a love ballad and then a rallying cry, and Johnson could plug his CD. Steinbrenner could hire Billy Martin as bench coach. Bud Selig could slither onto the stage and give both players No. 51.

But Randy and Bernie need each other. They're past their primes on a team with too many other players past their primes or hung up on how great they are. Should they give even a half-thought to the number?

I grew up a Red Sox fan raised to hate the Yankees, so last fall's playoffs were a dream come true. But as a fan of the sport, it was painful to see the Yankees self-destruct in such a pathetic manner.

The Yankees play in a tough town. Team loyalty was never their strength. Their decades of greatness have been based on resentment of calculating owners and pride in themselves. But today's Yankees are filthy rich--a condition that inhibits passion to excel [Jeter being an exception].

Johnson and Williams should get into a wrestling match over the uniform, throw their backs out and miss half of spring training. Just be total jerks. Piss off everyone. Create factions. Light up the talk-show phones. Distract from last fall's collapse. That could inspire the team to reclaim its glory.

ADKbrown · **Posted:** Wed Jan 05, 2005 3:55 pm

Wayne Countryman wrote:

OK, we know baseball players are among the most superstitious creatures on Earth, yet extremely logical and focused when it comes to marketing and self-promotion.

We have heard about Wade Boggs eating chicken before games. I've read about other examples of baseball superstition, but they slip my mind. Anybody know of any?

Two just occurred to me: Pete Browning (the original Louisville Slugger) used to give his bats biblical names. And I seem to recalled reading that the pitcher Rube (Marquard?) in the teens or 20s used place toys on the sidelines. (I think he was a bit slow--in the head, not the arm.)

Wayne Countryman · **Posted:** Wed Jan 05, 2005 5:03 pm

A third-base coach (perhaps John McGraw) used to put toys along the box to distract Rube Waddell. One team promised him a puppy for the same reason. He was easily distracted. He supposedly ran off the mound one day to chase a fire truck.

Many superstitions are easily spotted on the field. Some players avoid stepping on lines. Others step on bases while going out on defense. Some might contend that ritual is not the same as superstition, and that it's a matter of "comfort" or "focus." Ever observe a fussy player who must step out of the box after each pitch to adjust his batting gloves, shoot his sleeves, tap the plate a certain number of times, take a certain number of breaths, etc.?

Superstitious players will wear the same ratty underwear or go to the same lousy diners if they think it'll keep a streak going. There are perhaps apochryphal tales of teams burning all of their bats in a ceremony to get out of a slump.

Players rubbing their bats with bones to harden them has become a common sight in dugouts. Unless I'm having a bad flashback, a player or two had done this in the 1980s in the spirit of voodoo.

wordygurdy · **Posted:** Wed Jan 05, 2005 5:27 pm

Wayne Countryman wrote:

OK, we know baseball players are among the most superstitious creatures on Earth, yet extremely logical and focused when it comes to marketing and self-promotion.

Yes, it would be lovely if Johnson's welcoming party was all hugs-and-kisses-and-pinstripe-pride. Williams could strum a love ballad and then a rallying cry, and Johnson could plug his CD. Steinbrenner could hire Billy Martin as bench coach. Bud Selig could slither onto the stage and give both players No. 51.

But Randy and Bernie need each other. They're past their primes on a team with too many other players past their primes or hung up on how great they are. Should they give even a half-thought to the number?

I grew up a Red Sox fan raised to hate the Yankees, so last fall's playoffs were a dream come true. But as a fan of the sport, it was painful to see the Yankees self-destruct in such a pathetic manner.

The Yankees play in a tough town. Team loyalty was never their strength. Their decades of greatness have been based on resentment of calculating owners and pride in themselves. But today's Yankees are filthy rich--a condition that inhibits passion to excel [Jeter being an exception].

Johnson and Williams should get into a wrestling match over the uniform, throw their backs out and miss half of spring training. Just be total jerks. Piss off everyone. Create factions. Light up the talk-show phones. Distract from last fall's collapse. That could inspire the team to reclaim its glory.

Good one, Wayne! But I have to note that the nonbandwagon Yankee fans know that Williams, Rivera, Jeter and Posada represent the so-called core of the championship run that began in '96 and ended in '00. All are homegrown, and all, in my opinion, have the passion to excel you mentioned without exhibiting ego.

Yes, Steinbrenner has been drifting back to his dangerous meddling ways and rebuilding the team into a collection of free agents without any thought to a coherent baseball vision. Yes, there are many mercenaries in pinstripes ("ring hos," as *Sports Illustrated*'s Steve Rushin called players in all sports who jump to winning teams for the chance at a championship).

But surely you as a Red Sox fan would want, say, Carlos Delgado (if he wore No. 32 and signed with the Sox) to defer to Jason Varitek, wouldn't you? (I don't know Delgado's uniform number, and the situation isn't quite analogous, but you get my drift.)

ADKbrown · **Posted:** Wed Jan 05, 2005 5:50 pm

Wayne Countryman wrote:

A third-base coach (perhaps John McGraw) used to put toys along the box to distract Rube Waddell. One team promised him a puppy for the same reason. He was easily distracted. He supposedly ran off the mound one day to chase a fire truck.

That's right, it was Rube Waddell. I mangled that anecdote.

Matthew Grieco · **Posted:** Wed Jan 05, 2005 5:56 pm

A couple years ago the Devil Rays started the longest losing streak in their sorry history in a game attended by Stephen King. After a while they started burning copies of "Misery" before games.

Bishopdic · **Joined:** Tue Dec 28, 2004 4:35 pm **Posts:** 44

The only one I can think of is Jeff Bagwell of the Astros refusing to wash his batting helmet all season.
Must be a real distraction to neatnik pitchers.

Wayne Countryman · **Posted:** Thu Jan 06, 2005 1:51 am

Quote:

Good one, Wayne! But I have to note that the nonbandwagon Yankee fans know that Williams, Rivera, Jeter and Posada represent the so-called core of the championship run that began in '96 and ended in '00. All are homegrown, and all, in my opinion, have the passion to excel you mentioned without exhibiting ego.

Yes, those four remain winners. Three appear past their prime, though -- one of them to a serious extent. Their passion didn't rub off on enough of their teammates last season.

Quote:

But surely you as a Red Sox fan would want, say, Carlos Delgado (if he wore No. 32 and signed with the Sox) to defer to Jason Varitek, wouldn't you? (I don't know Delgado's uniform number, and the situation isn't quite analogous, but you get my drift.)

I wouldn't worry about that. I think we know what happens to the highest-paid of free agents when they don't defer to Varitek.

wordygurdy · **Posted:** Fri Jan 07, 2005 3:03 pm

According to stories in today's *Daily News* and New York *Times,* the Yankees reportedly told Johnson they weren't going to ask Williams to give up No. 51, and he asked his agents to ask the Yankees which numbers were available before he decided upon a new one.

Wayne Countryman · **Posted:** Fri Jan 07, 2005 4:33 pm

wordygurdy wrote:

According to stories in today's *Daily News* and New York *Times,* the Yankees reportedly told Johnson they weren't going to ask Williams to give up No. 51, and he asked his agents to ask the Yankees which numbers were available before he decided upon a new one.

The Yankees have retired 16 numbers, so it does take planning.

Players unable to get their desired numbers sometimes will swap the order of the digits or perform math with them.

The Big Unit can't use his number reversed, because that's Thurman Munson's. If he adds 5+1 he gets Torre's number. If he subtracts, he gets Gehrig's 4. If he multiplies, he gets DiMaggio's 5.

Giambi wanted his number to be a tribute to his father, who was a big Mantle fan. 1+6= The Mick's 7, but 16 was Whitey Ford's number. Giambi settled for 25.

For a brief history of how the Yankees became the first team to assign permanent numbers, and to see which they've retired: http://www.yankeeslegend.com/retired.php

wordygurdy · **Posted:** Fri Jan 07, 2005 7:17 pm

Yeah, it is a long list, Wayne. Some broadcaster last summer joked that the Yankees will eventually wind up assigning three-digit numbers to players at the rate they are retiring numbers.

wordygurdy · **Posted:** Tue Jan 11, 2005 11:37 am

Hats off to the copy editor/designer of today's *Daily News* back cover. It's concise, it plays on a baseball boxscore while conveying what happened, and it makes the reader laugh (or at least it made this reader laugh). Not that the latter is necessary for headline writing, but it's a nice bonus.

Oeditpus Rex · **Posted:** Tue Jan 11, 2005 1:13 pm

NEW YORK (Jan. 10) - Randy Johnson got a little physical on the way to his New York Yankees physical.

Ignoring the horrid lede, I can't see a legitimate reason why this is news.

wordygurdy · **Posted:** Tue Jan 11, 2005 1:24 pm

Well, it took place in the biggest media market in the world. It involved one of the two best pitchers in baseball (Roger Clemens being the other), who is now pitching as the ace for the most succesful team in the biggest media market in the world. And it involved surly, childish behavior on the part of said co-best pitcher in baseball.

I was wondering before I saw the front page of today's *Times* whether it would be above the fold on the front page or below (it was neither). Now I'm wondering whether either of today's baseball press conferences, Beltran's with the Mets and Johnson's with the Yankees, will make it onto the *Times*'s front cover and where.

Oeditpus Rex · **Posted:** Tue Jan 11, 2005 2:03 pm

wordygurdy wrote:

Well, it took place in the biggest media market in the world. It involved one of the two best pitchers in baseball (Roger Clemens being the other), who is now pitching as the ace for the most succesful team in the biggest media market in the world. And it involved surly, childish behavior on the part of said co-best pitcher in baseball.

Like I said â€” I can't see a legitimate reason why this is news.

Phillip Blanchard · **Posted:** Tue Jan 11, 2005 2:06 pm

Johnson took No. 41, by the way.

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