So the Clemente's want daddys # retired throughout baseball a la jack Robinson's #42. Jackies widow is saying no, that it would take away from what the value of the retirement, but she understands how important Clemente was.

Now I wasnt for making EVERY team in baseball retire 42, although I understand and respect the reason it is. But Jack Robinson was a DODGER, the dodgers should be the only ones. Just dodger favoritism here.


but I dont think baseball should or will retire anyone elses # like this. Hell, if they keep it up the Yankees will be wearing triple digits soon.

Roberto was one of my baseball heroes growing up..that being said, anyone should be able to wear #21

what's next...retiring Hideo Homo's number because he was the first Asian guy (not eve sure if that's true)?

before you make such a bold statement, you should look up your facts first

tornado!!!

Thats the point, next it will be retiring Hank Greenbergs # in honor of jewish ballplayers (but we all know it should be Sandy's 32!!)

I think it was stupid to retire 42 for the league, let alone clemente.

I do too, but I get why they did it.

what they should do is make #42 mandatory for one player per team, and designate it as some type of team honor, the player who most exemplifies the values of Jack Robinson each year. I think that would be really cool, considering how many players wore the # anyway as a tribute.

Did you notice how I qualified my comment because I wasn't sure? You should try it instead of making stupid statements all day.

it might have been a little over the top...but I don't have a problem with it. Maybe 50 years from now, it will help people remember Robinson's impact.

I think Branch Rickey had more of the impact than Robinson. Don't get me wrong, Robinson was a great player, but he did what any player would do.....he got a chance to play and he went and did his best. I do see the need to honor him as the first of many, but Rickey opened the door for him and those after, Robinson didn't. He is honored plenty in the Hall of Fame and by the Dodgers, it was a PR move retiring his number throughout the league. An unnecessary, empty gesture in my opinion.

I don't think a league retiring a number is a good idea... I can understand a single team doing it... but how many kids do you think grew up idolizing Jackie Robinson, whether they grew up in his era or not, and want to wear his number?

I see it like this: If I was a very important player in the league, I would rather see a 19 year old kid come up and wear my number because it means something to him than to never let anyone else wear it again.

Rickey's impact should not be overlooked, but what Robinson endured after he started playing is part of what makes his career so special.

just 42

That's just all kinds of silly, dude.

thanks for that fantastic addition to the thread.

So, should we retire the number for every guy who died and was a humanitarian? That's all I have to say about this.

I agree.

i thought that retiring 42 was a fairly good idea, never saw any harm in it. And it isnt that popular of a number.
That being said, i dont thinl they should even think about retiring #21, for alot of the reason already being mentioned, and its really pointless.

First of all, Jackie Robinson's story is heavily chronicled and the points that can be made against your post are well-worn to say the least. Search the Baseball Fever archives if you doubt that.

Secondly, I doubt you'd like the commentary I would offer regarding some of your posts I've seen as they might include accusations that are particularly messy.

Lastly, I'm already on record as thinking you're an idiot. Do you want (or need) expanded commentary? You don't seem to have any grasp of the maginitude of Robinson's achievment. To be fair, many of the posts in this thread have been fairly ridiculous. The "what's next" posts are plainly stupid. You managed to exceed their stupidity. Congratulations.

what the hell is this?

and by the way, the "whats next" posts your so offended by are all done half heartedly, but they all support the truth: theres no reason to retire Clemente's number thruopught baseball.