LaTroy Hawkins just came into the game for the Yankees to try to hold off what feels like an impending Red Sox rally. LaTroy is wearing #22 tonight after beginning the season as #21. He came to the Yankees this past offseason. LaTroy is by all accounts one of the nicest guys in baseball. He’s a veteran who immediately stepped up and became a leader in a clubhouse chock full of young pitchers. He’s not a stellar player, but he’s a good guy. He was forced to switch to #22 after Yankees fans insisted on booing him every time he came out because Paul O’Neill had worn #21 when he was with the Yankees, and the fans took offense to LaTroy daring to wear “Paul’s number”.
Paul O’Neill was a good Yankee. We all liked him. But booing a guy like LaTroy for wearing #21, which he chose to honor Roberto Clemente, by the way, just soils the whole thing. It’s disgusting.
Joe Morgan went on to mention that Yankee fans were also upset because Clemens also wore #21. That isn’t true. Clemens wore #12 at first precisely because O’Neill had #21. Clemens then changed to #22 midseason. Good job Joe.
Joe and Dave O’Brien (Jon Miller must be off forgetting things somewhere…actually, O’Brien just explained that it’s because Rick Sutcliffe has cancer. As Arkansas Megan just pointed out, “Why do they need to talk about someone with cancer, during baseball?” Excellent point.) were talking about Monument Park at Yankee Stadium. Joe was fawning over it, as usual, talking about how special and inspiring it is. He mentioned how his first time playing at Yankee Stadium he went out there before the game and as a result was so touched, he was inspired to play well that night. Well, Joe, I checked, and you were 1 for 4 with a strikeout. Oh and you had an error too. And it was in the World Series. Nice.
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