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Happy Birthday, Warrior!

With all position players reporting to Yankees camp today, there’s one more reason to celebrate another cold, February day.

Paul O’Neill‘s birthday! That’s right, the Warrior turns 52-years-young. It’s hard to believe he’s been out of the game for almost 14 full seasons now (he could’ve played another four years if he wanted to), but his impact on the game is still felt when he’s in the YES booth calling a game.

O’Neill was the true heart and soul of the 1990’s Yankees. He was there as the tide was turning in 1993, as the Yankees finally started to become competitive again. He helped lay the foundation for what those teams were about. Tough, gritty, hard-nosed, and hard-working.

O’Neill became a fan favorite because of those qualities, and also because of the fact he destroyed a water cooler or two every now and then. But it was also his clutch play and consistent season. O’Neill hit .303 over his nine years with the Yankees, smacking 185 homers and driving in 858 runs.

O’Neill was honored with a plaque last year in Monument Park. Since the Yankees are retiring every number under the sun, many feel like 21 should be hung up as well. The Yankees don’t willingly issue it, and past players who’ve actually requested to wear it have gotten booed by the Yankee Stadium faithful into changing into another number. But number retirement is an argument for another day.

So if you’re on twitter, make sure to wish Paul a happy birthday here!

And from all of us at Bronx Pinstripes: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WARRIOR!

Here’s a look back at some of the best moments from Paul’s career