Who should get their number retired and by which team(s)?

[epper]

The Blue Jays officially retired their first number last year, #12 for Roberto Alomar, which was awesome to see. The only other number that I think is worthy is #29 for Joe Carter. Halladay is probably the best pitcher in team history and won a Cy Young, but the lack of outstanding moments or postseason appearances knocks him back a bit.

[floydnimrod]

Barry Larkin. Should already be retired.

[Arts11]

The Blue Jays officially retired their first number last year, #12 for Roberto Alomar, which was awesome to see. The only other number that I think is worthy is #29 for Joe Carter. Halladay is probably the best pitcher in team history and won a Cy Young, but the lack of outstanding moments or postseason appearances knocks him back a bit.

I don't fault the Jays for retiring Alomar's number, but wow, I just saw that he only played for them for 5 seasons. Strangely, I associate him more with the Orioles than any other team (and he's been on a bunch of them, which I find sorta weird for a Hall of Famer).

[raysfan24]

Barry Larkin. Should already be retired.

I agree with you there. I think next year will be the year they do that.

[njmeadowlanders]

Mets #8 Gary Carter, #16 Dwight Gooden, # 17 Keith Hernandez, #18 Darryl Strawberry, #31 Mike Piazza, #36 Jerry Koosman

FYP

[Camden Crazy]

Kyle Singler's #12 needs to be retired by Duke. Needs to. I know he didn't win any national POY awards, but hell, look at everything else:

ACC Rookie of the Year

All-ACC First Team (2 times)

All-ACC Second Team (1 time)

All-ACC Third Team (1 time)

National Champion

Final Four MOP

2,392 points (4th all time in Duke history behind Redick, Dawkins, Laettner)

1,015 rebounds (6th all time in Duke history behind Shelden Williams, Gminski, Randy Denton, Mike Lewis)

If Shelden Williams has his number in the Cameron rafters, Singler's has to be also, and I was a huge fan of The Landlord.

[infrared41]

Speaking of teams with putrid histories, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have one and only one officially retired number: that of the original Buccaneer, Lee Roy Selmon. I say that because Mike Alstott got his jersey retired when he went into the Ring of Honor...just not his number 40. (Yet.)

Anyway, I'll come back to that...

The second of those belonged to the single steadiest lineman the Bucs ever had, Paul Gruber. But, since linemen hardly ever get any respect or recognition, and since no one outside of Tampa or Wisconsin (or what existed of Buc Nation pre-pewter pants) knows who the hell he was, that'd probably be a hard sell.

Not so fast my friend. If you go back and look, you'll see some guy named infrared41 pimping for Paul Gruber to be inducted into the HOF.

[Lights Out]

The Clippers should retire number 19 now and numbers 3 and 32 when the time's right.

[ninersdd]

This is an obvious one, but Barry Bonds #25 should get retired by the Giants.

[RyanMcD29]

With the Mets' retired number policy all I can think of is Mike Piazza for now.

Syracuse basketball doesn't retire numbers but rather honors them. Eventually they gotta hang up a jersey in the rafters for Gerry McNamara. Oh, and football needs to unretire 44.

[illwauk]

I always thought the Packers should retire LeRoy Butler's #36 and assumed it was due to the Packers' unofficial policy of only retiring two numbers for any given coach (two guys who played for Lambeau have their numbers retired, two guys for Lombardi, etc.) and those spots being reserved for Reggie White and Brett Favre. But I think it's a shame that people forget what a weapon Butler was on defense, very similar to Charles Woodson today... who might find himself out in the cold since I don't see how the Packers wouldn't retire Aaron Rodgers' #12 for obvious reasons, and Donald Driver's #80 due to all the Packers records he holds and being insanely popular with the fans.

[Waffles]

I'm not normally a proponent of cross-sport number retirement, but I'd like to see the Brooklyn Nets retire #42 for Jackie Robinson.

His legacy is somewhat orphaned here with the franchise he represented thousands of miles away and their stadium long gone, and there's only a few tangible monuments to him scattered across Brooklyn (a parkway and elementary school named for him, a plaque where he signed his first contract, and a statue of him and Pee-Wee Reece at the Cyclones' stadium are all that come to mind). The return of professional sports to the borough seems like a good opportunity to recognize him locally, and for the Nets to tap into the sports history of their new home.

[Audiodrama]

I think Edgar Martinez' #11 should be retired anyway...

I would agree with this. Martinez was an outstanding player and ambassador for the Mariners. Also, I'd (obviously) retire Griffey's #24. No one's brought more attention to that franchise than Junior.

#51 is a curious case. I didn't think Ichiro should have been awarded the number after Randy Johnson's success in Seattle anyway, but seeing as how Ichiro is a sure-fire Hall of Famer, it will likely be retired at some point in his honor.

[infrared41]

#51 is a curious case. I didn't think Ichiro should have been awarded the number after Randy Johnson's success in Seattle anyway, but seeing as how Ichiro is a sure-fire Hall of Famer, it will likely be retired at some point in his honor.

That's an easy fix. Retire it for both of them. Isn't one of the retired numbers with the Yankees a "double?" Without looking it up, I'm thinking maybe it's #8 for Yogi Berra and Bill Dickey?

[Breakwood]

#51 is a curious case. I didn't think Ichiro should have been awarded the number after Randy Johnson's success in Seattle anyway, but seeing as how Ichiro is a sure-fire Hall of Famer, it will likely be retired at some point in his honor.

That's an easy fix. Retire it for both of them. Isn't one of the retired numbers with the Yankees a "double?" Without looking it up, I'm thinking maybe it's #8 for Yogi Berra and Bill Dickey?

The Montreal Canadiens retired #12 for both Dickie Moore and Yvan Cournoyer and #16 for Elmer Lack and Henri Richard. So there is definetely precent. Im sure the Maple Leafs also have duplicate numbers retired.

[Funky Bunky]

#51 is a curious case. I didn't think Ichiro should have been awarded the number after Randy Johnson's success in Seattle anyway, but seeing as how Ichiro is a sure-fire Hall of Famer, it will likely be retired at some point in his honor.

That's an easy fix. Retire it for both of them. Isn't one of the retired numbers with the Yankees a "double?" Without looking it up, I'm thinking maybe it's #8 for Yogi Berra and Bill Dickey?

Correct. The Cubs do it too, for Jenkins and Maddux.

[whitedawg22]

This is not a popular opinion at all, but I would be fine if the Tigers retired #30 Magglio Ordonez. He was there when the Tigers turned around and he did send them to a World Series. This is highly unlikely, though.

A team that has been around for 116 years shouldn't retire the number of a player just for helping them reach a championship series.

[Billy B]

#51 is a curious case. I didn't think Ichiro should have been awarded the number after Randy Johnson's success in Seattle anyway, but seeing as how Ichiro is a sure-fire Hall of Famer, it will likely be retired at some point in his honor.

That's an easy fix. Retire it for both of them. Isn't one of the retired numbers with the Yankees a "double?" Without looking it up, I'm thinking maybe it's #8 for Yogi Berra and Bill Dickey?

Correct. The Cubs do it too, for Jenkins and Maddux.

Yeah this seems like a situation similar to the Cubs. They probably wouldn't have retired Maddux's number since he spent the best years of his career in Atlanta, but they added him into the ceremony and gave him a flag when they decided it was time to retire Fergie's.

[BigEd76]

Two for the Eagles: #12 for Randall Cunningham and #20 for Brian Dawkins ....and MAYBE a third with #5 for Donovan McNabb, not sure yet. Those numbers aren't retired, but they haven't been given to anyone else since those guys left.

[jigokusabre]

#51 is a curious case. I didn't think Ichiro should have been awarded the number after Randy Johnson's success in Seattle anyway, but seeing as how Ichiro is a sure-fire Hall of Famer, it will likely be retired at some point in his honor.

That's an easy fix. Retire it for both of them. Isn't one of the retired numbers with the Yankees a "double?" Without looking it up, I'm thinking maybe it's #8 for Yogi Berra and Bill Dickey?

No, I think they retire the number for Ichiro and tell Randy Johnson to eat a dick. Randy did not leave under the friendliest circumstances, as I recall.

Anyhow, I think that the Patriots should retire Tom Brady's #12 as soon as he retires.