Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Hernandez's # - To Retire, or Not to Retire?

It seems like every month there is a debate about whether or not the Mets should retire Keith Hernandez's number. Turn on Francessa on a slow sports day, and you might hear a heated discussion about Mex's merits. Check out Metsblog, and you'll find some very opinionated fans who according to the poll, overwhelmingly believe (84%) that #17 should hang on the outfield wall at Citi Field.

Below you will find some of the more colorful comments in response to Cerrone's post

FROM SheaHeyKid24:
Look, Keith was a very good player and influential leader, but I think those voting “yes” are in the “lets retire more numbers cuz our wall is empty” corner.

Surely, Mets fans are smarter than this, no SheaHey?

FROM 1-18-31-7:
...Retiring #17 over all of the other players from that 86 team would be a complete joke.

Really? All of the other players like Rafael Santanna? Come on dude, you're killing me with that one.

FROM kjclinks:
If Ozzie Smith is in soley for his defense (and no one questions him at all); then Keith should be considered for a little bit of everything.

This is a great point and probably one of the best arguments for Keith getting into the HoF. Nice job kjclinks.

FROM mets9268:
Keith was a game changer.

I like that one. Game changer. No question Keith was a game changer for the Mets. Just think about what that team was like before he arrived. They had nothing going on and were an embarrasment. In fact, Hernandez himself said he did not want to go to New York because they were plain awful. Yet, his presence in the clubhouse not too mention his tenacity helped give the Mets a new identity. And let's not forget that he was arguably the best clutch hitter this team has ever had. I say you have to retire his number. He was an awesome player and I wish we had someone remotely resembling him on the current roster.

You can get Keith's retired numbered shirts here at www.theprintmen.com

For a great take on Hernandez and what he meant to the Blue and Orange, check out Ed Leyro's fantastic post on Mets Merized Online.

1 comment:

Ed Leyro (and Joey Beartran) said...

Thanks for the plug on my MMO post! It's amazing that the Mets have only retired the number of ONE player in their nearly half-century of existence. Keith was more important to the team than any statistic will show. There's a reason he wore the captain's "C". He was the heart and soul of the team's second championship and the Mets should honor him for his accomplishments and contributions to the franchise.