Thank you, Paul: Yankees to retire Paul O'Neill's number
Photo credit: MLB.com The Yankees announced on February 22nd that they will be retiring No. 21 to honor the career of the great Paul O'Neill. O’Neill (who gave me my first-ever introduction to the Who’s ‘Baba O’Reilly’ as a kid as I’d watch him walk into the batter’s box) was a fan favorite especially for those of us who became Yankees fans thanks to the 1996-2001 group. His continued commitment to the Yankees as a YES Network announcer (along with David Cone) is a reminder of a different time. Per Yankees beat writer Bryan Hoch , “Paul O’Neill Day” will be celebrated at Yankee Stadium, featuring a number retirement ceremony, on August 21, 2022 prior to the start of the Yankees/Blue Jays game schedule to take place (barring any delays related to the CBA negotiations). O’Neill will go down as the 23rd Yankee to have his number retired, and all guests in attendance on August 21 will receive a commemorative ticket. Over his nine seasons as a Yankee, O’Neill hit .303 with 158 home