For a short time on Sunday, Yankee Stadium echoed with the sounds and recollections of champions. The ballpark was full and loud because the Bombers honored World Series champion Paul O’Neill in a ceremony to retire his quantity. Fans roared because the Yankees from the Nineteen Nineties dynasty groups had been introduced and chanted O’Neill’s identify.
“There’s so many dreams in life that don’t always come true. That’s why I’m really celebrating this day. Because this is the biggest dream that I’ve ever had in my life,” O’Neill stated. “And I appreciate everything.”
O’Neill and his household unwrapped a plaque in Monument Park and watched as his quantity, 21, was added to the wall over the left discipline bleachers together with the greats like Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle and Mariano Rivera.
O’Neil, nicknamed The Warrior for his emotional play, gained 4 World Series titles with the Yankees and appeared in 5. He gained the 1994 batting title and was a four-time All-Star with the Yankees, who acquired him from the Reds in 1993.
“You Yankees fans, you make it so much fun to win here in New York,” O’Neill stated. “Back to the old stadium, some of the best teams that ever played the game. I’ll never forget how much it meant for you guys cheering. People didn’t want to come here and play because they were scared of you. There’s no better fans in the world than at Yankee Stadium.”
The Yankees offered O’Neill with a custom-made water dispenser with a bat lodged in it to commemorate his many pissed off beating he took out on the dugout equipment over time.
O’Neill’s teammates Jorge Posada, Tino Martinez, Bernie Williams, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera obtained roars from the group, as did video messages from his former supervisor Joe Torre and teammates Derek Jeter, Don Mattingly and David Cone.
Managing companion Hal Steinbrenner was booed loudly as he was introduced and normal supervisor Brian Cashman’s point out in O’Neill’s speech was additionally booed. The followers’ frustration with the present 2022 Yankees’ second-half slide was nonetheless on the followers’ minds regardless of the celebration.
The present Yankees stood within the dugout and watched the ceremony. O’Neill, a shade analyst for the YES Network, has not been on the stadium since 2019 due to his vaccination standing.
“Awesome. I mean obviously Paul is a central figure in one of the many great times in Yankee baseball and dynasties,” Yankees supervisor Aaron Boone stated. “We get to hear that song, I love to hear ‘The Warrior,’ and it’s fitting about the kind of competitor he was, the way he played and now obviously still has an important role within this organization with the YES network. It’s fun to l to know Paul and in a way of just friendly, even silly guy and sometimes that is in contrast with who he was between those lines. So an exciting day in this organization and obviously a great day for Paul and well deserved.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com