Paul O'Neill Day
So today the New York Yankees retired the number 21 for Paul O'Neill. O'Neill was the right fielder for the legendary Yankees dynasty of the 1990's. He didn't have the loudest voice on the team, or the most runs, home runs or stolen bases, but he did everything with the consistency that you demand of the 3 hole hitter of 4 world championship teams. He hit over .300 every season, regularly drive in over 100 runs, hit doubles with the league leaders and played amazing defense that would save not only world series wins but perfect games as well.
Water coolers were never safe from his intense temper, but neither were opposing pitchers. The man usually played hurt and never gave in or wanted to sit out a game. The Warrior was the heart and soul of the Yankees during their dynasty run, eliciting chants of his names from the Yankees faithful during his final home game in 2001 (the World Series at that).
O'Neill came to New York in a trade from Cincinnati for Roberto Kelly. Kelly was the Yankees lone All Star during some really futile losing seasons. O'Neill's arrival among others sparked a winning streak in which since 1993 the Yankees have always put forth winning seasons that usually led to playoff appearances, a streak that continues through 2022. After Don Mattingly retired in 1995, the Yankees had no recognized team captain until 2003 when Jeter was granted the title, but in the intervening years, O'Neill was looked to as the unofficial leader. It wasn't something he demanded, but the win-at-all-cost way he played the game helped inspire those around him.
It took about 20 years for the Yankees to finally retire his number, but it's not like the organization had a choice. Yankees fans refused to allow any other player to represent the team in that number. And now it's official, 21 will forever be immortalized in the Yankee organization as Paul O'Neill's.
I give you arguably O'Neill's best season, a year in which he led the league with a .359 average, made the All Star team and finished 5th in MVP voting. That On-base is insane and the chart is solid. This is a must have on any roster. If you want more power in the corner outfield or don't love his 600+pt cost, then he's a no brainer on the bench for a clutch late inning situation.
