Favorite uniform number retirements

[SabresRule]

In sports,

it is such a heartwarming moment to see a team's great player have his number and name permanently retired and etched in our minds.

We all have our favorite memories.

Sandra probably still tears up when she remembers the epic grandeur of Mark Messier Night at MSG.

Bill still remembers of the night Larry Bird's #33 raised to the rafters (that was its own event; there was no game to follow).

What are your favorite memories of a player's number being retired?

It can be any sport, player, or number.

My favorites were when, in the magical 2005-06, my Sabres retired the numbers of Pat LaFontaine and Danny Gare.

 

[Ramy]

You can't be serious??? Sometimes I think you make stuff up just so you can post.

With that said, Tony Perez's #24. I was at the game and they did a great job of paying tribute.

I also went to Johnny Bench's, Joe Morgan's and would have been at Dave Concepcion's but they changed the date about a month before the game and I already had the tickets.

 

[HD MM]

In the world of free agency, players don't stay (especially in small/mid-markets) their entire career with one team anymore. With that said, I have seen many great players come up through our teams, only to be traded during the primes of their career. This muddies up the subject of which city their retired jersey number will be associated with or which cap they wear when inducted to the hall of fame.

The last number to be retired for each of my teams were:

Bob Lemon (Indians)- too young to see him play.
Brad Daugherty (Cavs)- no emotional connection with him.
Lou Groza (Browns)- too young to see him play.

 

[AntAltMike]

Loscy. No Boston Celtic will ever again be allowed to bear the name of Loscutoff.

I'd like to go to the game when the Red Sox retire Tim Wakefield's number. For those who are unaware of this, he keeps cruising past the likes of Roger Clemens, Cy Young, Joe Wood, Pedro Martinez Mel Parnell, Luis Tiant, Jim Lonborg, Dick Radatz and Bruce Hurst and others in every meaningful statistical catagory.

 

[BillD1984]

The Red Sox retiring 89 year old Johnny Pesky's #6 , this past Sunday was very emotional.

The Sox made an exception to their "must be a hall-of-famer AND play 10 years in a Red Sox uniform" rule. "Mr. Red Sox" was well-deserving of this honor, he was a very good (not great) player who led the AL in hits three years in a row. But more importantly, Johnny has spent almost 60 years in a Red Sox uniform in some capacity, cultivating strong bonds with players along the way. He is one of the most beloved figures in Red Sox history.

 

[mccoyrj]

In the world of free agency, players don't stay (especially in small/mid-markets) their entire career with one team anymore. With that said, I have seen many great players come up through our teams, only to be traded during the primes of their career. This muddies up the subject of which city their retired jersey number will be associated with or which cap they wear when inducted to the hall of fame. ...

How about when the team relocates? Pete Maravich's number 7 was retired in New Orleans, and Salt Lake as well.

 

[Jimbo]

# 19, the Captain, Steve Yzerman

I still remember Bud Lynch whenever he announced Steve on the public address ....

Steve's retirement ceremony was awesome.

Thanks for all the memories Steve :up

Another very Classy guy !

Jimbo

 

[AntAltMike]

The Red Sox retiring 89 year old Johnny Pesky's #6 , this past Sunday was very emotional.

The Sox made an exception to their "must be a hall-of-famer AND play 10 years in a Red Sox uniform" rule.

...which they made up to replace their "must be a hall-of-famer and play his entire career in a Red Sox uniform" rule, just for Carlton Fisk, shortly after the Celtics changed their "must end his career with the Celtics" rule for Jo-Jo White, which had previously been changed from their, "must play his entire career with the Celtics" rule that was modified to accommodate Don Nelson.

 

[jcrandall]

I have to agree with Jimbo, #19 Yzerman was my favorite.

I have to say, the Brett Hull ceremony in St Louis was pretty special too (they did it when the wings were in town, since he spent a few years there successfully).

 

[Jimbo]

I have to agree with Jimbo, #19 Yzerman was my favorite.

I have to say, the Brett Hull ceremony in St Louis was pretty special too (they did it when the wings were in town, since he spent a few years there successfully).

I remember the Brett Hull ceremony as well and they did a very nice job t\with that one too.

I think I'm one of the few that liked Brett ... and don't mind him speaking his mind.

Jimbo

 

[cybok0]

#66 Mario Lemieux
#8 Willie Stargell
#9 Bill Mazeroski
#21 Roberto Clemente
#33 Honus Wagner

 

[hockeynut5150]

I'd like to go to the game when the Red Sox retire Tim Wakefield's number. For those who are unaware of this, he keeps cruising past the likes of Roger Clemens, Cy Young, Joe Wood, Pedro Martinez Mel Parnell, Luis Tiant, Jim Lonborg, Dick Radatz and Bruce Hurst and others in every meaningful statistical catagory.

and a hell of a team guy, closer, starter, setup, mop up, you name it, he's done it.

Wakefield is hands down my favorite Red Sox player ever

 

[Jimbo]

I'd like to go to the game when the Red Sox retire Tim Wakefield's number. For those who are unaware of this, he keeps cruising past the likes of Roger Clemens, Cy Young, Joe Wood, Pedro Martinez Mel Parnell, Luis Tiant, Jim Lonborg, Dick Radatz and Bruce Hurst and others in every meaningful statistical catagory.

?????????????

Tim Wakefield has more Wins , lower ERA, more K's than these guy's you mention ?
What numbers are he blowing past ?

Jimbo

 

[AntAltMike]

As a member of the Red Sox.

 

[Jimbo]

As a member of the Red Sox.

Really ??

That's hard to believe, but if it's true, it speaks of longevity

 

[AntAltMike]

Not to hijack the thread, but...

Wins 
Rank Player       W    IP 
1. Roger Clemens  192  2776.0 
   Cy Young       192  2728.3 
3. [b]Tim Wakefield  164  2581.7[/b] 
4. Mel Parnell    123  1752.7 
5. Luis Tiant     122  1774.7 
6. Pedro Martinez 117  1383.7 
   Joe Wood       117  1418.0 


Games 
Rank Player          G_p  IP 
1. Bob Stanley       637  1707.0 
2. [b]Tim Wakefield     504  2581.7[/b] 
3. Mike Timlin       394  409.0 
4. Derek Lowe        384  1037.0 
5. Roger Clemens     383  2776.0 
6. Ellis Kinder      365  1142.3 
7. Cy Young          327 

Innings 
Rank Player       IP      IP 
1. Roger Clemens  2776.0  2776.0 
2. Cy Young       2728.3  2728.3 
3. [b]Tim Wakefield  2581.7  2581.7[/b] 
4. Luis Tiant     1774.7  1774.7 
5. Mel Parnell    1752.7  1752.7 

Strikeouts 
Rank Player       SO_p  IP 
1. Roger Clemens  2590  2776.0 
2. [b]Tim Wakefield  1797  2581.7[/b] 
3. Pedro Martinez 1683  1383.7 
4. Cy Young       1341  2728.3 
5. Luis Tiant     1075  1774.7 
6. Bruce Hurst    1043  1459.0 
7. Joe Wood        986  1418.0 

Games Started 
Rank Player       GS   IP 
1. Roger Clemens  382  2776.0 
2. [b]Tim Wakefield  367  2581.7[/b] 
3. Cy Young       297  2728.3 
4. Luis Tiant     238  1774.7 
5. Mel Parnell    232  1752.7 
6. Bill Monbouquette  228  1622.0 
7. Tom Brewer     217  1509.3 
   Bruce Hurst    217  1459.0 
9. Joe Dobson     202  1544.0 
10. Pedro Martinez201  1383.7 
  Frank Sullivan  201  1505.3 

Batters Faced 
Rank Player       BFP    IP 
1. Roger Clemens  11384  2776.0 
2. [b]Tim Wakefield  11112  2581.7[/b] 
3. Cy Young       10662  2728.3 
4. Mel Parnell    7547   1752.7 
5. Luis Tiant     7289   1774.7 
6. Bob Stanley    7238   1707.0 
7. Bill Monbouquette  6810  1622.0 
8. Tom Brewer     6574   1509.3 
9. Lefty Grove    6573   1539.7 
10. Joe Dobson    6526   1544.0

 

[brainfry]

The stupidest uniform retirement was #12 by the Seattle Seahawks for the "12th Man" (fans), especially when you consider that shortly thereafter they had major trouble selling out their games and going to their dome was like a walk in the park for visiting teams.

 

[HD MM]

The stupidest uniform retirement was #12 by the Seattle Seahawks for the "12th Man" (fans), especially when you consider that shortly thereafter they had major trouble selling out their games and going to their dome was like a walk in the park for visiting teams.

The Indians did something similar as a tribute to the fans. In 2001, the Indians retired the number 455 to symbolize the number of consecutive sellouts between 1995-2001, which was an MLB record until the Red Sox recently broke it on September 8, 2008.

 

[AntAltMike]

The stupidest uniform, period, was when Elgin Baylor held up a draft-day jersey with a question mark on it instead of a name and number, prompting one scribe to write, "Who are they planning on drafting, the Riddler?"

 

[Mr Tony]

Brett Hull when University of MN Duluth retired his number
(I was there)