Here’s another one of those articles about which Mets numbers to retire.
I think it’s easy to go off the deep end on these. Sure I can argue 31 or 17. I can even argue 16 or 18. When we get to Hojo and John Franco I think we’re getting a little silly. Willie Mays even sillier.
These players can still be remembered and honored, but I don’t think the world ends if someone comes out of the bullpen wearing a #45.
You can make a case for all of them – some better than others. (Admittedly, the best I can do for Willie Mays is to say that the Mets have unofficially retired his number for years.)
Unless there are special circumstances (as in the case of Casey Stengel’s broken hip forcing him from the dugout or Gil Hodges’ death), I favor limiting retired numbers to players that are going into the baseball Hall of Fame as Mets.
The Mets Hall of Fame is a good way to recognize the others.
#24 was reissued to Rickey Henderson, so it wasn’t just Willie.
My view, and I’m probably in a minority, is that numbers should be retired for those who enter the Hall of Fame as a Met. If a number is so retired, then I would also retire other notable players who wore that number.
I also believe that numbers worn by notable players should not be reissued to just any player. Fernando Tatís should not have been issued #17. Ike Davis, on the other hand, would have been an appropriate recipient of #17.
There is no doubt that 31 & 17 need to be retired. As much as we love the thought of Darryl & Doc as Mets from 83-88, they did not play long enough to warrant numbers being retired. Of the two, maybe Darryl, but they also did not end their careers (as Mets) well enough to warrant it.
I think the opposite between Doc and Darryl. Gooden was a ROY, a Cy Young winner, and had a triple crown season that is quite possibly the best year any pitcher ever had. Strawberry was a force, once had an MVP-worthy season, and was more my personal favorite, but his place in history when all was said and done pales to Gooden’s.
In all honesty, I think that Mookie Wilson & Jerry Koosman, should have their numbers retired before Darryl & Doc.
The only number on that list that should be officially retired is Piazza’s #31. I was and still am a huge Hernandez fan, but once you start retiring numbers for the nearly-all-time greats, or the all-time-beloved guys, it tarnishes the aura of the retired number.
Actually, this is one area where the Mets stand head and shoulders above the Yankees – I truly appreciate that my team has reserved that honor for only the most important men in the franchise’s history. Reggie Jackson (several big years and one huge WS game), Dave Winfield, Ron Guidry, Billy Martin… all were important, none were at the level of Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle and DiMaggio as Yankees. Their owners/management has cheapened the honor.
There should be an ‘unofficial’ retiring, like they do now with #24: Keep numbers like that (and 17, 36, 45 and a few others) reserved and only issue if an established star comes to the team or if there is a true, can’t miss rookie. Save the official retirings for the all-time greats.