Disclaimer: I love baseball. I love history. I love baseball history. I’m a Mets fan who does not dislike the Yankees (settle down Benigno).
That being said ... it might be time to put this Old Timer’s Day thing on the shelf for a couple years until guys like Jeter and Mariano and O’Neill are old and gray and haven’t been heard from in 10 years. Then you celebrate them and everyone’s happy and it’s a great time for all. Or do it every 5 years.
But do the Yanks really need to do this every year? If you continue to have these ceremonies where the greats (and some non-greats) all trot out, the oversaturation factor kicks in. Within the last 12 months, the Yanks have now had four similar celebrations - All-Star Game, final game at Old Yankee Stadium, opening of New Yankee Stadium, Old Timer’s Day - where the team honors its past. Seriously, we get it. The Yankees are the greatest franchise ever. You had us at the 183rd time you told us.
Most of the legends have passed on (Mickey, Joe D). Now, Yogi and Whitey are surrounded by the likes of Dave Eiland, Homer Bush, and Aaron Small. To put things in perspective, imagine the Mets celebrating Old Timer’s Day with Tom Seaver, a couple other dudes from ’69, but also Rico Brogna, Bill Pulsipher, and Keith Miller. Everyone would make fun of it, right? Not to equate Mets history with Yankees history, but hopefully you get the point.
If the Yanks were inviting these guys because they’re truly acknowledging that the lean years are just as important as the championship years, then that’s one thing. I applaud that. But me thinks that some of this crew is just roster filler. Guys like John Sterling, Michael Kay, and the YES propaganda crew rarely reminisce about Mike Easler or Pat Kelly.
And let’s not even get started about the politics with some of these choices. If you think that Joe Torre ever gets invited back with the current regime in place, you’re crazy.
Again, honoring your past is fantastic and the idea of an Old Timer’s Day is wonderful. But when it gets watered down and played out, it’s time to re-evaluate things. Let it breathe. Let Old Timer’s Day take a nap for a couple years. It’s return will feel special again.