Omar and Aparacio (sp?)

[FloydtheBarber]

It is a number. I don't care. And Luis is happy with it. So yeah...

[Jeffy25]

we have a perfectly even split right now

[200tang]

Well, Kenny said he voted before he read and would have changed his vote, so not quite

[BINGLEBOP]

I lean toward "yes". While I do think that a number should remain retired once a team retires it, since Aparicio supports it, Vizquel is a potential Hall of Famer, and they share a mutual respect for one another I'm fine with it. If it was some random rookie player who insisted on the number or something like that, I'd likely be against it, and I imagine Aparicio would be as well.

[dps]

Surprised this hasn't been brought up on here yet.


What do you guys think of it?

Is it appropriate? Should it be allowed?

Do you support it?

If by "should it be allowed?" you mean should MLB have a rule against "unretiring" a number, then I say there definately shouldn't be such a rule. Each team makes its own decision about what numbers to retire*; if they change their mind, it would normally be kind of tacky and disrespectful (though in a case like this, where Aparicio is cool with it, it's a little bit different), but there shouldn't be any rule against it.

*Except that there's one number that's retired thoughout major league baseball.

[Rexington]

When a number is retired, whose number is it? If it is the players (alive ones) number, then they should have a say. If it is the teams, then this is stupid on Chicago's part. Does this make sense to anybody else?

[haveacigar]

I find the fact that Aparicio signed off on it to be more or less irrelevant here.

I mean, it's nice that they asked him and he agreed. They'd be really douchey if they didn't ask Aparicio.

I just think that if you're going to unretire a number to accommodate a guy who is coming there at the very end of his career, after he had a hall of fame career elsewhere, it diminishes the idea of retiring numbers in general. If that's the way you want it to be, fine, don't retire the number, just honor it but still give it out.

[Rexington]

I find the fact that Aparicio signed off on it to be more or less irrelevant here.

I mean, it's nice that they asked him and he agreed. They'd be really douchey if they didn't ask Aparicio.

I just think that if you're going to unretire a number to accommodate a guy who is coming there at the very end of his career, after he had a hall of fame career elsewhere, it diminishes the idea of retiring numbers in general. If that's the way you want it to be, fine, don't retire the number, just honor it but still give it out.

Very well put. It isn't like Omar will go down as a White Sox great or anything.

[Jeffy25]

When I first saw this story break this afternoon, the only thing I could think was how did the conversation even come up? And how did management think this would blow over?

Generally, in management, you move forward on a decision when you are very confident in the ripple effect it will create. I don't believe that everyone in the front office was comfortable with this when it was decided upon. In my humble experience, you don't do it, regardless if Aparacio agrees, simply because you don't do something unless you are positive it is a good, sound choice.

In some aspects, it's the players number, and in some other aspects, it's the team. Either way, the team can do whatever they want, so long as they have the players consent. If Omar was actually Aparacio's blood son, then it would be pretty cool for example. But this sort of just seems 'cheap' to me. It is supposed to be worn in tribute all year long....but still.

[FloydtheBarber]

When I first saw this story break this afternoon, the only thing I could think was how did the conversation even come up? And how did management think this would blow over?

Generally, in management, you move forward on a decision when you are very confident in the ripple effect it will create. I don't believe that everyone in the front office was comfortable with this when it was decided upon. In my humble experience, you don't do it, regardless if Aparacio agrees, simply because you don't do something unless you are positive it is a good, sound choice.

In some aspects, it's the players number, and in some other aspects, it's the team. Either way, the team can do whatever they want, so long as they have the players consent. If Omar was actually Aparacio's blood son, then it would be pretty cool for example. But this sort of just seems 'cheap' to me. It is supposed to be worn in tribute all year long....but still.

Has anyone else considered that maybe it was Aparacio's idea? He could have been excited that Omar was coming, and told the White Sox he could use the number maybe? Just a thought

[Jeffy25]

Very possible.

[MichelleWie]

Reminds me when Bruce wanted too wear number #80 in SF. Rice said he was Ok with it, but SF still said no. That was the right move.A number is retired it shouldn't be worn.