How Not To Un-Retire A Number And Other MLBullets

They changed the city name. They moved 14 miles down I-95 in the same market.

The Nationals have retired numbers. They are all Expos retired numbers that the franchise continues to honor. That’s how it should be done.

One more reason that the Marlins are completely reprehensible.

…especially now that most knowledgeable fans understand there is a difference between first-ballot Hall of Fame members, eventual BBWAA enshrinees, and those elected by any of the Veterans Committees.

Now, some number retirements and statuary inevitably have become ways of circumventing BBWAA verdicts by either elevating the status of players who fell short of first-ballot election, or those who have been left out of the Hall altogether.

As is evident in the commotion over Marlins #5, these special awards also have been used to conflate the roles of baseball execs with men who actually played the game. For example, get a load of that Steinbrenner Memorial that towers over Ruth, Gehrig, et al, in Monument Park at the new Yankee Stadium. Perhaps a number also has been retired in George’s honor.

I realize the circumstances that surrounded the Barger number retirement were unique, in that the Marlins had not yet played a game before he died. Perhaps in the emotional wake of his passing, his family and associates didn’t really understand that number retirements should be reserved for field personnel who actually wore the number.

At least with the news stories surrounding the Carl Barger un-retirement, more fans now know who he was, that he admired Joe DiMaggio, that he once also owned the Pirates, and that he was a highly-successful attorney as well as a billiards prodigy who at the age of eight could whip Jim Tobin at 8-ball.

Also, it’s nice to know that portions of the Marlins spring training complex now bear Barger’s name, a far more visible honor than some obscure jersey retirement related to Joe D.

It’s the same thing Omar Vizquel did when he asked Luis Aparicio if he (Vizquel) could have Aparicio’s #11 with the White Sox.

What was Aparicio going to do, be rude and say no? Of course, he was gracious and said OK.

The point is, the question should never be asked. Retired numbers should stay retired. That’s kind of the point.

And don’t forget Hack Wilson on your old timer’s list. Only spent 6 years in Chicago, drank like a fish, but his first 5 years rank among the best hitting seasons in all of Cubs history. His worst OPS in those 5 years was .944.

The Giants have “retired” some jerseys of people from the pre-uniform-number era — Christy Mathewson, John McGraw.

The Cubs should do the same at least for Mordecai Brown and Frank Chance.

Of players from the era after uniform numbers, I would suggest:

1. for Gabby Hartnett, #4 for Billy Herman, #6 for Stan Hack and #44 for Phil Cavarretta. Let’s not go overboard. That’s two Hall of Famers, and two other longtime Cubs who played for several World Series teams and did get some Hall consideration.

Yes, they do have such a flag. That’s sufficient.

Giterdone, Jedstein!