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Yankees retired numbers ahead of Paul O’Neill’s 2022 ceremony

NEW YORK - CIRCA 1996: Paul O'Neill #21 of the New York Yankees bats during an Major League Baseball game circa 1996 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. O'Neill played for the Yankees from 1993-2001. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
NEW YORK - CIRCA 1996: Paul O'Neill #21 of the New York Yankees bats during an Major League Baseball game circa 1996 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. O'Neill played for the Yankees from 1993-2001. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

The New York Yankees — and stop me if you’ve heard this one — have a great deal of history to their franchise, which any fan can read out in the center field encampment if they arrive at the stadium early enough.

And, on Aug. 21, 2022, right fielder Paul O’Neill will be enshrined among the franchise’s greats as the team retires his No. 21 in an on-field ceremony.

This is the second time this decade that O’Neill has earned a summer ceremony, first acquiring a Monument Park plaque in 2014, then getting upgraded to Full Retirement Status this summer.

Debate all you want about the Yankees devaluing the honor by hanging too many names up in the metaphorical rafters. That won’t change how beloved O’Neill is, as much for his fiery attitude as for his .359 average in 1994, four top-15 MVP finishes in pinstripes, and gritty walk off Armando Benitez that flipped the Subway Series.

Bottom line? The Yankees are running out of numbers to use (they’ve even retired two different numbers twice), but they wouldn’t have it any other way.

Complete list of Yankees retired numbers:

  • 1: Billy Martin
  • 2: Derek Jeter
  • 3: Babe Ruth
  • 4: Lou Gehrig
  • 5: Joe DiMaggio
  • 6: Joe Torre
  • 7: Mickey Mantle
  • 8: Yogi Berra, Bill Dickey
  • 9: Roger Maris
  • 10: Phil Rizzuto
  • 11: Brett Gardner (JK! But … maybe …)
  • 15: Thurman Munson
  • 16: Whitey Ford
  • 20: Jorge Posada
  • 21: Paul O’Neill, shortly!
  • 23: Don Mattingly
  • 32: Elston Howard
  • 37: Casey Stengel
  • 42: Mariano Rivera, Jackie Robinson
  • 44: Reggie Jackson
  • 46: Andy Pettitte
  • 49: Ron Guidry
  • 51: Bernie Williams

Any names stand out as premature to you? Reggie Jackson’s Yankees career lasted only five seasons, but he won two rings and was a five-time All-Star, cementing his status as an icon by single-handedly ending the 1977 World Series. Plus, not retiring the moody Jackson’s number would’ve lost him as a franchise partner forever … except he defected to the Astros front office anyway, so maybe that’s one we can lose.

Other than that? Whole lot of deserving history being honored here. Who knows? Perhaps some current Yankees will join them if the 2022 season and beyond continue along this path.

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