It’s getting crowded in Monument Park
Posted: June 18, 2014 Filed under: Baseball, MLB | Tags: Bernie Williams, Catfish Hunter, Goose Gossage, Hall of Fame, Joe Torre, Monument Park, Paul O'Neill, Tino Martinez, Tony Lazerri, Waite Hoyt, Yankee plaques, Yankees 6 Comments
This weekend, the Yankees will honor Tino Martinez by dedicating a plaque in his honor in Yankee Stadium’s Monument Park. Later this summer, Paul O’Neill will get his plaque.
No disrespect to Constantino, shown at right, and the Warrior, who were key components of the Yankee teams that won four World Series in five years between 1996 and 2000. But there are plenty of other Yankees who are long overdue this honor.
What about Yankee Hall of Famers? Goose Gossage will be getting a plaque this weekend as well. But the Yankees have never recognized old timers like Jack Chesbro and Wee Willie Keeler, pitchers Waite Hoyt, Herb Pennock and Catfish Hunter, and hitters like Tony Lazzeri, Earl Coombs, Johnny Mize and Dave Winfield, to name a few. All are enshrined in Cooperstown, yet none have made the Yankees Monument Park Hall of Fame.
Tommy Henrich and Charlie Keller are certainly worthy of consideration. Each man was on more World Series winners than Martinez or O’Neill. So were Joe Collins, Charlie Silvera, Hank Bauer, Gene Woodling, Gil McDougald, Vic Raschi, Eddie Lopat and Frank Crosetti. Yet you won’t find any of them on the hallowed walls of Monument Park.
More recent Yankees like Bobby Murcer, Willie Randolph and Graig Nettles never made the big wall in the Bronx. Nor did four-time champions Bernie Williams and David Cone.
MVP Joe Gordon (1942) and Cy Young Award winners Bob Turley (1958) and Sparky Lyle (1977) have never had plaques bestowed upon them either. (As for Roger Clemens and Alez Rodriguez, let’s not go there.)
The Yankees will retire Joe Torre’s #6 on August 23, with Derek Jeter’s #2 to follow inevitably, meaning no Yankee will ever wear a single digit number again.
Martinez and O’Neill were great Yankees who wore the pinstripes with pride and produced champions. But they’re two guys on a long, crowded list of great Yankees.
SportsLifer's Weblog 
If everyone deserves a plaque, then no one deserves a plaque.
Exactly Joe, to my point about being overcrowded.
When will Derek Jeters number be retired and be inducted into monument park?
Johnny, that’s a great question. That day is coming for sure. I think they wanted to do Mariano Rivera first, since he retired before Jeter. It will be a banner day Yankee fans.
Let’s start with Earle combs played his whole career with the Yankees. A hall of famer.played on the great bomber teams of the 1920s with Ruth and gehrig. Tony lazzeri played 12 years in the Bronx. A hall of fame second baseman with some great yank teams of the 20s and 30s. Frank crosetti 37 years in the Bronx as a player and coach. Won 17 world series rings
Thanks Ken.