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Dimwitted Columnist Endorses Horrible Idea

G-Fafif Jun 02 2008 12:26 AM

Mark Herrmann of Newsday tacitly endorses [url=http://www.newsday.com/sports/columnists/ny-spmark015710063jun01,0,3637961.column]the retirement of No. 3 throughout baseball[/url], and not for Carl Everett. Same columnist who last week did a Mets uniform numbers column without bothering to attribute his pretty bleeping obvious source material. Same columnist who insisted Mets fans watched Carlos Beltran come up in Game Seven and were thinking about Derek Jeter; same columnist who wrote some tripe last October about the Mets deserving bad things to happen because, among other things, Ramon Castro was allegedly rude in the clubhouse to some reporter friend of his. But never mind Mark Herrmann and his lame and dim output. Retire 3 for Babe Ruth? Now? Why on earth? Because nobody's ever heard of him? Because the MFYs don't get enough press? Because he blazed paths for a more open society? Ruth was a great player. And he was great for his industry. His legend is as secure as anyone's in the game, including Jackie Robinson's. Isn't that enough?

Willets Point Jun 02 2008 05:05 AM

You're just prejudice against overweight, Catholic, alcoholic orphans of German ancestry and what they've done for baseball. More reason for overweight, Catholic, alcoholic orphans of German ancestry to have their hero recognized.

Benjamin Grimm Jun 02 2008 05:09 AM

But he wasn't really an orphan! Just more Yankee propaganda!

Fman99 Jun 02 2008 05:14 AM

At the risk of sounding cliche I feel the need to say this. Mark Herrmann is a big dumb cunt. Retire #3, sure. But do it for Buddy Fucking Harrelson!

seawolf17 Jun 02 2008 07:45 AM

There's only one "3", baby.

holychicken Jun 02 2008 08:09 AM

Forget retiring number three for Santana, Harrelson or even Ruth. We should be retiring #3 for the great Dale Earnhardt becase . . . there'll never be another.

Benjamin Grimm Jun 02 2008 08:14 AM

Isn't there already another Dale Earnhardt? I'd retire 3 for Richie Hebner before I'd retire it for Dale Earnhardt.

G-Fafif Jun 02 2008 10:10 AM

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I'd retire 3 for Richie Hebner before I'd retire it for Dale Earnhardt. I assume the reason the Mets replaced all the seats and painted all the fences in 1980 was to remove as many traces that Richie Hebner Was Here in 1979.

Vic Sage Jun 02 2008 11:10 AM

Never was a player more appropriately prepared to, and ultimately successful at, digging his own grave in NY.

metsguyinmichigan Jun 02 2008 12:05 PM

="holychicken"]Forget retiring number three for Santana, Harrelson or even Ruth. We should be retiring #3 for the great Dale Earnhardt becase . . . there'll never be another. The Coke vending maching in the backshop here is a giant, life-sized photo of Dale Earnhardt, with the unfortunate positioning of having the Coke bottles dispensed from his crotch area. Nevertheless, when we're going to go grab a Coke, we say "I'd going to talk to Dale. Right back."

metirish Jun 02 2008 12:43 PM

In ten or fifteen years Hermann will write a column calling for #2 to be retired by MLB .

Benjamin Grimm Jun 02 2008 01:09 PM

For Lute Barnes?

Willets Point Jun 02 2008 01:11 PM

metirish wrote: In ten or fifteen years Hermann will write a column calling for #2 to be retired by MLB . You think he's going to wait that long?

Willets Point Jun 02 2008 01:13 PM

Benjamin Grimm wrote: But he wasn't really an orphan! Just more Yankee propaganda! Well, he lived in an orphanage. That may suck even more when your parents are still alive.

Nymr83 Jun 02 2008 04:21 PM

that guy is a big fucking hack. NO number should ever be retired again across baseball, hows that?

AG/DC Jun 02 2008 05:10 PM

Well, if a guy hits .400 and saves the earth from an extra-terrestrial attack, particularly in an act of self-sacrifice. I'd be all for that. In fact, I think the Jets should retire Flash Gordon's number.

SteveJRogers Jun 02 2008 05:46 PM

To be fair this has been a bone of contention since #42 was put away in perpetuity. And certainly since #99 was retired by the NHL in perpetuity for Wayne Gretzky. I haven't read the piece so I don't know the context, probably it was some pre-done article before the game started and the website needed content, but there is a very strong case, taking aside who Ruth played for from 1920-1934. It was his popularity that was a key component in the game coming back from the Black Sox scandal in 1920, the game did need a galvanizing force, and Ruth filled the bill to a T. Plus he was very Carter/McGraw esque in making sure his image was all over America, though Christy Walsh helped several years into his New York years. No one before Ruth, or after was a greater ambassador for the game. He tirelessly, and often illegally thanks to Judge Landis' iron rule, promoted the game with his barnstorming tours, and even took part in early forms of globalization with tours of Japan. Kamikaze pilots weren't shouting "To hell with Babe Ruth" just because he was a very well known celeb, he helped bring baseball to the Far East in terms of being a face of the American style of baseball. Those two alone certainly are very valid arguments to put Ruth in the same category as Robinson in terms of cultural and historical impact on the game. To say nothing about Ruth's place among the all-time great all-time greats.

Nymr83 Jun 02 2008 05:49 PM

]Those two alone certainly are very valid arguments to put Ruth in the same category as Robinson in terms of cultural and historical impact on the game. not in my mind they're not. ] To say nothing about Ruth's place among the all-time great all-time greats. which imo is not a reason to even think about considering retiring his number for teams he didnt play for.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jun 02 2008 05:57 PM

Great thread title by the way.

AG/DC Jun 02 2008 06:09 PM

Let's not cite the NHL as a good precedent. Ever.

metirish Jun 02 2008 06:24 PM

Nymr83 wrote: that guy is a big fucking hack. NO number should ever be retired again across baseball, hows that? I'm down with that shit.

MFS62 Jun 02 2008 06:37 PM

AG/DC wrote: Well, if a guy hits .400 and saves the earth from an extra-terrestrial attack, particularly in an act of self-sacrifice. I'd be all for that. In fact, I think the Jets should retire Flash Gordon's number. Brilliant! Well, not really. But not too shabby, either. Well Played. Later

Frayed Knot Jun 02 2008 07:00 PM

]To be fair this has been a bone of contention since #42 was put away in perpetuity. And certainly since #99 was retired by the NHL in perpetuity for Wayne Gretzky Never heard it brought up. Not even once.

SteveJRogers Jun 02 2008 07:12 PM

So clearly; things brought up at 3:00AM on a Saturday night, a topic brought up by a host looking for some discussion on a slow news day on an evening talk show, branch discussions of a certain topic du jour (i.e. Robinson's anniversary, someone bringing up 21 being retired) on radio shows, column written on the occasion of said branch of topic du jour message room chatter doing essentially the same things, etc are not considered bringing the discussion up to debate? Just because this is the first time the subject has a face doesn't mean that it has never been out there on the airwaves, in print, or on the internet.

Mendoza Line Jun 02 2008 07:17 PM

If a guy hits .317 lifetime, has a legendary arm in right field, and gives his life trying to help earthquake victims, that might do the trick. I wouldn't be against retiring 21 across the major leagues. Hitting a lot of home runs and drinking a lot of beer? Nope, not good enough.

Frayed Knot Jun 02 2008 07:32 PM

]Just because this is the first time the subject has a face doesn't mean that it has never been out there on the airwaves, in print, or on the internet. Lots of things are "out there" but when a long time baseball fan has never heard it brought up even once in over a decade it's tough to call it a long time "bone of contention". I mean I'm sure there are Yanqui fans who think Mantle's #7 should be retired in perpetuity -- (although, at the moment, I'm thinking of retiring it for Joe Mauer seeing as how he just hit one into orbit off Pettitte but that's a seperate story) -- but that doesn't make it a worthwhile topic.

Nymr83 Jun 02 2008 07:42 PM

i like your new knot better.

Frayed Knot Jun 02 2008 08:05 PM

Nymr83 wrote: i like your new knot better. My old one disappeared so I had to go hunting for a new. I haven't been this upset since my little juggling man went AWOL from the internet about 4 years ago. It'll take some getting use to. This one has more knot but less fraying.