Post Jackie Robinson's 42 from Around the Majors

[Soma]

I've always been intruiged with how teams display retired numbers in different fashion. The league-wide retirement of #42 allows you to compare each teams' numbers fairly easily.

As a Mets fan, I hate the way they do it. But why does the number matter when they dedicated the entrance of the ballpark to a guy who didn't ever play for the team?

The Mets decision making process in regards to which numbers they choose to retire has always been a joke (no Piazza), so why would they do a good job with 42? Also they've put a new seating area in front of the numbers that totally obscure them. But I digress ...

Moving on, how does your team immortalize Jackie Robinson's 42. Post pictures of 42 so we can see them all in one post.

[Gothamite]

What's wrong with the way the Mets do it? If rather the number be presented in a Dodger style than the way the Brewers do, as though he played for Milwaukee sometime after 2000...

[cmm]

I like how the Mets do it. A kid going to his first game might ask his dad why #42 looks different and learn about Jackie Robinson. And since Jackie Robinson is an important part of American history and made his impact in a Major League ballpark in nearby Brooklyn, I have no problems with the Jackie Robinson Rotunda. The seating section in front of the retired numbers does look bad, though. They should find a new place for them.

[Atom]

Old Yankee Stadium Monument Park

New Yankee Stadium Monument Park

[Waleslax]

By winning:

[lancealot]

Sorry for my ignorance but who is Jackie Robinson and why is his number retired league wide?

[Gothamite]

He's the player who broke the color barrier in 1947.

And he's the player who broke the color barrier in 1947.

[Survival79]

Tampa Bay Rays

[phutmasterflex]

Sorry for my ignorance but who is Jackie Robinson and why is his number retired league wide?

Try Google or Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_Robinson

[Dnice]

At Turner Field.

[BigBubba]

Instead of retiring numbers*, the Blue Jays have a "Level of Excellence" to honour numbers:

The Level of Excellence spans from left field to right field. On the complete other side of the ballpark (behind home plate), they put Robinson's #42. In case you're wondering, the "B" was knocked off by a foul ball and replaced the next day (that's the best picture I could find).

*Not entirely true. They retired Alomar's number because he was the first to go into the HoF as a Blue Jay.

[burgundy]

Left center at Comerica Park:

and 42 in right center:

[jrodsep]

There's just something about Comerica that always bugs me. Can't put my finger on it but that park looks strange and barren for some odd reason. Jack Murphy Stadium is another stadium that gave me that impression.

Anyhow this is Fenway:

[jrodsep]

Marlins new park:

[jstraper]

Houston does it similar to Milwaukee:

One thing I never cared about Houston's honors is the faux banners, most prevalent with the division/wild card banners (which Milwaukee also does as well):

Then last year the Astros new ownership decided, for some reason, to obscure the downtown view of left field for more advertising space, which also blocked the division championship banners:

Will be interesting to see how/if that got fixed for 2013, but many Houston fans are very unhappy with the new ownership group (and the move to the AL of course).

[illwauk]

As a Mets fan, I hate the way they do it. But why does the number matter when they dedicated the entrance of the ballpark to a guy who didn't ever play for the team?

Since Jackie Robinson played in the borough next to Queens for a team the Mets were intended to be a replacement for, I think it's appropriate. The Brewers retired Hank Aaron's number and have a statue of him outside of Miller Park... they didn't do it because of the 26 HR's he hit in two years as a DH.

[The Mojo Maniac]

Safeco Field in Seattle: it's on the facade of the upper deck in left field:

[DC in Da House w/o a Doubt]

Nats Park's is pretty dull

[Gothamite]

One thing I never cared about Houston's honors is the faux banners, most prevalent with the division/wild card banners (which Milwaukee also does as well):

That's one of the things I actually like about Miller Park, especially since they use period-appropriate colors instead of pretending they've always looked like they do today.

I really hate having all the retired numbers in today's number style.

[jstraper]

I really hate having all the retired numbers in today's number style.

Definitely agree with you here. Still, I think if you're going to commemorate an accomplishment with a "banner" then do it with a real banner. If [lack of] wind is a factor (and that is a legitimate reason), then I'd personally rather see vertical hanging banners (which was actually the case in the Astrodome; interestingly enough, though, there was a constant "breeze" behind one of the banners (forget which one) due to the air conditioning system).