Red Sox Retired Numbers?

[Mike D.]

I think Clemens will end is career in a Boston uniform..in some way, shape or capacity. I just hope they have a little more integrity and can sign him to a 1 day contract or something, not create a phony job for him so he can retire like that. Go out in style, sign a 1 day contract before you hang 'em up. Do what Jerry Rice did..go sign back with the team that made you who you were and retire..it's the right thing to do and I hope Roger realizes that.

You don't see this in baseball much (or to my knowledge, ever). Not sure if it's against the rules, or if just nobody ever does it. Or, am I wrong, and it has been done? Anyone know?

[SoxSon]

You don't see this in baseball much (or to my knowledge, ever). Not sure if it's against the rules, or if just nobody ever does it. Or, am I wrong, and it has been done? Anyone know?

You might get a kick out of this, Mike:

http://sports.espn.go.com/minorlbb/n...ory?id=2523029

[JamesWest]

You don't see this in baseball much (or to my knowledge, ever). Not sure if it's against the rules, or if just nobody ever does it. Or, am I wrong, and it has been done? Anyone know?

This practice was fairly common back in the days when a player needed to have five seasons in to be eligible for a pension. Players who who were short would be signed as a coach and then activated to the roster to get the days they needed or they would be signed to a short term deal, get their time in and be released (or retire)..

[Johnny Evers]

I agree that #3 is very limiting...but then again, not many numbers should be retired. Retiring a player's number means that that guy was the Red Sox for a number of years. Personally, as fantastic a pitcher and as great a Boston icon as Clemens was for those years with the Sox, I don't feel that he's as elite a Red Sox hero as Williams, Yaz, Fisk, etc.

[EvanAparra]

What about Fisk, I thought he retired a White Sox?

I like that we dont just retire every Tom, Dick, and John that comes through here like our brothers in New York. They're going to flip their odometer soon.

[Mike D.]

You might get a kick out of this, Mike:

http://sports.espn.go.com/minorlbb/n...ory?id=2523029

Remember seeing that when it happened...good stuff. BTW, if anyone is ever in KC, hit the Negro League Museum...it's well worth it!

[Mike D.]

This practice was fairly common back in the days when a player needed to have five seasons in to be eligible for a pension. Players who who were short would be signed as a coach and then activated to the roster to get the days they needed or they would be signed to a short term deal, get their time in and be released (or retire)..

Interesting...I wasn't aware of that. Do you know of anyone off-hand who did it? I know there used to be a lot of "player/coach" types back in the old days.

[SoxSon]

What about Fisk, I thought he retired a White Sox?

Fisk was retired both by Boston and Chicago, with the numbers 27 and 72, respectively. Of course, he played longer in Chicago, and he was retired there first.

[JamesWest]

Interesting...I wasn't aware of that. Do you know of anyone off-hand who did it? I know there used to be a lot of "player/coach" types back in the old days.

Looking at the 1970 Sporting News guide, there are two players listed as having done this: Taylor Phillips and Ken MacKenzie. Neither was listed as a player-coach.

[ChrisLDuncan]

In defense of what my Yankees do, even though I do not think Mattingly nor Munson will make the hall their contributions to the team are significant, so their numbers deserve to be retired just like Jim Rice's and David Ortiz's when he retires (that's me saying I don't think Ortiz will make the hall (not that he doesn't desereve it)...too tough for a DH)

[CurseReversed04]

As much as i hate to admit it, I agree with you Chris.... I think team contribution should come into play.

[GotMelk?]

I think you have to go to the HOF with the teams Cap on to have their number retierd.

[Johnny Evers]

Chris makes a good point. I think this should come down to the question "was this guy a Red Sox hero?" Williams was, Yaz was, and Ortiz is right now.

[SoxSon]

Chris makes a good point. I think this should come down to the question "was this guy a Red Sox hero?" Williams was, Yaz was, and Ortiz is right now.

Gar! Why should a Yankee fan get credit for something I said back in post #3?! :grouchy

Just kidding. A player's contributions to a particular team should definitely be taken into consideration.

[Sankhara-dukkha]

The way I like to think about the retired numbers is to make it completely unnavailable to anyone and only when someone is so deserving that you can't ignore it do you consider the possibility of retiring it.

Roger Clemens' number will one day be retired in Fenway.

Rules or no rules, they'll find a way. Wether it means giving him a front office job or do what they did with Jeff Nelson with the yankees (a minor league contract so he could retire a yankee) or if they actually pull a miracle and sign him for this year. I don't think they need to change the rules to get him in.