Yankees retire Paul O’Neill’s No. 21, rejoice with users of 90s dynasty

For a little though on Sunday, Yankee Stadium echoed with the seems and reminiscences of champions. The ballpark was entire and loud as the Bombers honored Earth Sequence champion Paul O’Neill in a ceremony to retire his selection. Fans roared as the Yankees from the 1990s dynasty teams have been announced and chanted O’Neill’s identify.

“There’s so quite a few goals in lifestyle that really do not normally come true. That’s why I’m definitely celebrating this working day. Simply because this is the greatest desire that I’ve at any time had in my daily life,” O’Neill stated. “And I appreciate every little thing.”

O’Neill and his spouse and children unwrapped a plaque in Monument Park and watched as his quantity, 21, was extra to the wall about the remaining field bleachers alongside with the greats like Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle and Mariano Rivera.

O’Neil, nicknamed The Warrior for his psychological perform, gained 4 Planet Collection titles with the Yankees and appeared in 5. He received the 1994 batting title and was a 4-time All-Star with the Yankees, who obtained him from the Reds in 1993.

“You Yankees supporters, you make it so significantly exciting to earn listed here in New York,” O’Neill said. “Back to the outdated stadium, some of the greatest groups that ever played the recreation. I’ll by no means fail to remember how significantly it intended for you men cheering. Folks didn’t want to come here and play mainly because they have been afraid of you. There’s no much better fans in the planet than at Yankee Stadium.”

The Yankees introduced O’Neill with a personalized h2o dispenser with a bat lodged in it to commemorate his a lot of frustrated beating he took out on the dugout equipment around the yrs.

O’Neill’s teammates Jorge Posada, Tino Martinez, Bernie Williams, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera received roars from the crowd, as did movie messages from his former supervisor Joe Torre and teammates Derek Jeter, Don Mattingly and Derek Jeter.

Handling partner Hal Steinbrenner was booed loudly as he was declared and basic supervisor Brian Cashman’s mention in O’Neill’s speech was also booed. The fans’ aggravation with the existing 2022 Yankees’ next-50 % slide was still on the fans’ minds inspite of the celebration.

The present-day Yankees stood in the dugout and viewed the ceremony. O’Neill, a color analyst for the Sure Network, has not been at the stadium considering that 2019 mainly because of his vaccination standing.

“Awesome. I mean definitely Paul is a central figure in  one particular of the many good situations in Yankee baseball and dynasties,” Yankees supervisor Aaron Boone mentioned.  “We get to listen to that tune, I like to hear ‘The Warrior,’ and it is fitting about the sort of competitor he was, the way he performed and now naturally even now has an crucial role in just this corporation with the Certainly community. It’s enjoyable to l to know Paul and in a way of just helpful, even silly dude and often that is in distinction with who he was among those strains. So an fascinating day in this corporation and naturally a fantastic day for Paul and well deserved.”

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