Bronx Bomber Ball

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...

This week five years ago, a Yankees legend made the decision to bid farewell to the game he loved after a remarkable career.  On January 24 th , 2012, longtime Yankees catcher Jorge Posada announced at a press conference that he had played his final game in pinstripes. Posada had given his heart and soul to the game, but the aging catcher simply had nothing left in the tank. For Yankees fans everywhere, this was a somber day.  Posada’s retirement effectively made Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera the last active members of the ‘Core Four’ that had brought five World Series championships to the Bronx. Photo Credit: Mike Stobe | Getty Images

The elite prospects are in place. The huge contracts of the old Yankees regimes will soon be gone, too. A bright future is imminent for the New York Yankees, that’s for sure. But, for now, we are here in the present. Yes, the Yankees have that unmistakable identity. It’s that sense of always contending, never being out of it. The reality is while the Yankees haven’t been totally out of it the past few seasons, they’ve been fringe contenders. The last time the Yankees were truly always a threat for the World Series every year was the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. AP Photo