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Why Did the Yankees Retire 8 Twice?
The New York Yankees are a Major League Baseball team. They are in the American League East division. The Yankees have retired eight numbers in their history. Two of those numbers have been retired twice.
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The Yankees and 8
The number 8 has been retired by the New York Yankees twice. The first time was in 1984 when they retired the number of Yogi Berra, who was a catcher on the team. The second time was in 2017 when they retired the number of Derek Jeter, who was a shortstop on the team.
The Yankees and the number 8
For baseball fans, the New York Yankees are one of the most iconic teams. They have a long and storied history, with some of the most legendary players to ever step onto a field. And, of course, they have a ton of championships under their belt.
One of the things that make the Yankees so special is their retired numbers. Most teams only retire a handful of numbers, usually just those worn by the very best players to ever play for the franchise. But the Yankees have retired an astonishing 20 numbers – more than any other team in baseball.
One of those retired numbers is 8, which is unusual because it’s been retired twice. So why did the Yankees retire 8 twice?
The first time was in honor of Yogi Berra, who wore 8 for 19 seasons with the Yankees. He was one of the best catchers in baseball history and a key member of 10 World Series-winning teams. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972 and his number was retired by the Yankees that same year.
The second time was in honor of Bill Dickey, another legendary Yankee catcher. Dickey wore 8 for 17 seasons with the team and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1954. His number was retired by the Yankees in 1972, just before Berra’s own number retirement ceremony.
So there you have it – two of the greatest catchers in Yankee history had their number retired by the team, which is why 8 has been retired twice by the Yankees.
The Yankees and the retirement of 8
In the history of Major League Baseball, the number 8 has been retired by two teams – the New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox. Both teams retired the number in honor of two of the greatest players in baseball history – Yogi Berra and Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez.
The Yankees first retired 8 in 1972, when Yogi Berra’s hall of fame career came to an end. Berra played for the Yankees for 19 seasons, winning 10 World Series championships and becoming one of the most popular players in franchise history. He was also known for his unique style of speech, which led to many memorable Yogi-isms.
In 1997, the Yankees retired 8 again, this time in honor of El Duque Hernandez. Hernandez was a key member of the Yankees’ dynasty of the late 1990s and early 2000s, winning three World Series titles with the team. He was also known for his amazing composure on the mound, which helped him earn the nickname “El Duque.”
The retirement of 8 by both teams is a testament to the greatness of both Yogi Berra and El Duque Hernandez. These two players helped their teams achieve tremendous success on the field, and their legacies will continue to live on through their retirements numbers.
Why Did the Yankees Retire 8 Twice?
The number 8 is retired by the New York Yankees in honor of both Yogi Berra and Bill Dickey, who were two of the most iconic catchers in Yankees history. Both Berra and Dickey played a major role in the Yankees’ dominance in the 1950s. The Yankees retired Dickey’s number in 1972, and Berra’s number in 1984.
Reasons for the retirement of 8
The New York Yankees retired the number 8 twice in team history. The first time was in 1984 when they retired Yogi Berra’s number. The second time was in 2017 when they retired both Bernie Williams’ and Elston Howard’s numbers. There are a few reasons for why the Yankees decided to do this.
First, both Berra and Williams were extremely popular players who had spent their entire careers with the Yankees. Berra was especially revered, as he was considered one of the best catchers of all time.
Second, both Williams and Howard were key members of the Yankees’ dynasty of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Williams was a member of all four World Series-winning teams in that span, while Howard was a member of three (he also won a World Series with the Yankees in 1961).
Third, by retiring both Williams’ and Howard’s numbers, the Yankees were able to pay tribute to two African-American players who were significant contributors to the franchise’s history. This is particularly noteworthy given that the Yankees were the last team in Major League Baseball to integrate, doing so in 1955.
In summary, there are several reasons why the New York Yankees chose to retire 8 twice. First, because Berra and Williams were very popular players with long careers with the team. Second, because Williams and Howard played major roles on some of the most successful Yankee teams ever. Third, because it allowed them to honor two African-American Yankee greats.
The first retirement of 8
In 1939, the Yankees retired Lou Gehrig’s uniform number 8, following the first baseman’s tragic death from the disease that now bears his name. It was the first time any team had retired a number, and Gehrig’s was the only number retired by the Yankees until 1972, when Mickey Mantle’s number 7 was taken out of circulation.
Gehrig’s uniform was officially retired in a ceremony at Yankee Stadium on July 4, 1939, two weeks after his death. His widow, Eleanor, attended the ceremony, as did teammates like Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio. The ceremony was broadcast on radio nationwide, and millions of Americans listened as Gehrig’s widow spoke tearfully about her husband and his love for the game of baseball.
The day after Gehrig’s uniform was retired, the Yankees played a doubleheader against the Washington Senators. In the first game of the twin bill, Senators first baseman Joe Cronin hit a home run off Yankee pitcher Red Ruffing. As Cronin crossed home plate, he paused to tipping his hat to Gehrig’s memory. The gesture brought tears to the eyes of many in attendance, including Eleanor Gehrig.
The second retirement of 8
The second retirement of 8 was actually a bit of a mistake. The Yankees had planned to retire 8 in honor of both Yogi Berra and Bill Dickey, but they forgot to un-retire it first for Yogi. So, the Yankees retired 8 again, this time for Bill Dickey alone.
Conclusion
Through all of this, we can see that there is no one answer to the question of why the Yankees retired 8 twice. Rather, it is a combination of several factors that conspired to create this unique situation. Whatever the reason, it is clear that the Yankees have always been a team that honors its history and its legends, and that is something to be admired.
