Folks ranging from the Dodgers' beat reporters to anyone with a Twitter account were praising this "solution to the Fernando Valenzuela retired number problem". I'm calling this a complete crock and an empty way of avoiding the true recognition that Fernando deserves from the organization - the retiring of Number 34.
I'm a baseball card collectin', die hard Dodgers fan. All cards here are up for trade, and all baseball opinions are offered for free.
This does sound like only a partial solution. No player has worn #34 for the Dodgers since Fernando, right? Why won't they just retire it already?
ReplyDeleteFYI: Many wanted Fergie Jenkins Cubs' number retired. It didn't happen until much later down the road when it should have... after Greg Maddux entered the league, retired, and got into the HOF. #31 is now retired in honor of Fergie and Maddux.
Right, nobody's worn it since him. While the "Legends" idea is basically OK, it's a bunk way to deal with Fernando. Interesting story bout Fergie's number. I hope they don't make us wait until someone down the road someday wears 34 and makes it to the HOF.
Deletethis chaps my hide as well. the yankees did this a couple of years ago with willie randolph and paul o'neill and a couple of others - they got a plaque in monument park but their numbers are not retired, and it seems half-assed to me. granted, the yankees have a lot of retired numbers already, and the dodgers may have set the bar too high for number retirement, requiring hall of fame induction as a dodger (aside from jim gilliam). still, i don't think anyone would complain about adding newcombe, wills, garvey, fernando, and manny mota to the list. nor do i think their inclusion would cheapen the meaning of a retired number.
ReplyDeleteConsider these numbers...10 retired numbers. 2 are managers, 8 players. 5 are from the Brooklyn boys. That leaves only 3 LA Dodgers, Koufax, Drysdale, Sutton.
DeleteNobody retired in over a generation. It's time.
Newcombe, Garvey, and Valenzuela are PC guys of mine. They deserve what the Dodger fans want, or at least what I think the fans want.
ReplyDeleteHear, hear. Fans should matter, but they don't even broadcast games to half of LA, so there's that.
Delete