After yesterday’s unofficial announcement that the Yankees would retire former pitcher Andy Pettitte‘s number 46, the team issued a formal press release stating that they would indeed be retiring Pettitte’s number along with Bernie Williams‘ 51 and Jorge Posada‘s number 20. They will also honor former second baseman and coach Willie Randolph with a plaque prior to Old Timer’s Day. You can purchase tickets for these games starting Tuesday, February 24, at 10:00 a.m. at yankees.com
Here is the formal statement from the Yankees
The New York Yankees today announced that Bernie Williams (No. 51), Jorge Posada (No. 20) and Andy Pettitte (No. 46) will each have their uniform numbers retired and will be honored with plaques in Monument Park. Willie Randolph will be recognized with a Monument Park plaque. The ceremonies are part of a recognition series that saw the honoring of Joe Torre, Rich “Goose” Gossage, Tino Martinez and Paul O’Neill in 2014.
Williams will be celebrated on Sunday, May 24, before the Yankees’ 8:05 p.m. game vs. Texas. Randolph will be honored during Old-Timers’ Day festivities on Saturday, June 20 prior to the Yankees’ 7:15 p.m. game vs. Detroit. Posada will take his place in Monument Park on August 22, and Pettitte will be recognized on August 23.
Williams played his entire 16-year Major League career with the Yankees (1991-2006), batting .297 (2,336-for-7,869) in 2,076 games with the club. In franchise history, the former centerfielder ranks third in doubles (449), fifth in hits, sixth in games played and runs scored (1,366) and seventh in home runs (287) and RBI (1,257). The five-time American League All-Star (1997-2001), four-time Gold Glove winner (1997-2000) and Silver Slugger Award recipient (2002) won the American League batting title in 1998, leading the league with a .339 batting average.
A four-time World Series champion in pinstripes (1996, ’98, ’99, 2000), Williams is the Yankees’ all-time postseason leader in home runs (22) and RBI (80), ranks second in playoff runs scored (83), hits (128) and doubles (29) and is third in games played (121). He was named the 1996 ALCS MVP after batting .474 (9-for-19) with 6R, 2HR and 6RBI in the Yankees’ five-game series win vs. the Orioles. In Game 1 of the 1999 ALCS vs. Boston, he hit a 10th-inning, “walk-off” home run to win the game for the Yankees.
Posada spent each of his 17 Major League seasons with the Yankees from 1995-2011, hitting .273 (1,664-for-6,092) with 900R, 379 doubles, 275HR and 1,065RBI in 1,829 games. As a player on five World Series championship teams (1996, ’98, ’99, 2000, ’09), Posada finished his career among Baseball’s all-time postseason leaders in games played (second, 125), doubles (third, 23) and hits (fourth, 103), while his 119 postseason contests at catcher are the most all time. In 2011, the Puerto Rico native became the first Major Leaguer to catch at least one game with the same team in 17 straight seasons (1995-2011) since Cincinnati’s Johnny Bench did so in 17 consecutive seasons from 1967-83 (credit: Elias).
A five-time American League All-Star and Silver Slugger Award winner (each in 2000-03, ’07), Posada twice finished in the top 10 in American League Most Valuable Player balloting, ranking third in 2003 and sixth in 2007. He is one of just eight players to appear in at least one game with the Yankees in each of 17 different seasons, joining Derek Jeter (20), Mariano Rivera (19), Yogi Berra (18), Mickey Mantle (18), Frank Crosetti (17), Bill Dickey (17) and Lou Gehrig (17). Along with Jeter and Rivera, Posada is part of the first trio of teammates in MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL history to appear in a game together in each of 17 straight seasons, a feat they accomplished from 1995-2011 (credit: Elias).
Pettitte was selected by the Yankees in the 22nd round of the 1990 First-Year Player Draft and pitched in 15 seasons with the club (1995-2003, ’07-10 and ’12-13), going 219-127 with a 3.94 ERA (2,796.1IP, 1,223ER) and 2,020K in 447 games (438 starts). The left-hander is the franchise leader in strikeouts (2,020), is tied with Whitey Ford for most games started and trails only Ford (236 wins, 3,171.0IP) and Red Ruffing (231 wins, 3,168.0IP) in wins and innings pitched as a Yankee. He made at least one start in each of his 15 seasons with the Yankees, tying Ruffing for second-most all-time in franchise history behind Ford (16 seasons). The three-time American League All-Star (1996, 2001 and ’10) is the only pitcher drafted by the Yankees to win 200 games in the Majors and, according to Elias, his 14 seasons with at least 10 wins while with the Yankees are the most in franchise history.
As a Yankees pitcher, Pettitte went 18-10 with a 3.76 ERA (251.1IP, 105ER) in 40 career postseason starts and is the organization’s all-time playoff leader in wins, starts, innings pitched and strikeouts (167). He appeared in eight career World Series (seven with the Yankees and one with Houston), earning the Series-clinching victory in Game 4 at San Diego in 1998 and Game 6 vs. Philadelphia in 2009, while also winning championships with the Yankees in 1996, ’99 and 2000. In 2001, he was named ALCS MVP after going 2-0 with a 2.51 ERA (14.1IP, 4ER) in two starts vs. Seattle.
Randolph spent 13 seasons playing for the Yankees from 1976-88, batting .275 (1,731-for-6,303) with 1,027R, 259 doubles, 58 triples, 48HR, 549RBI and 251SB in 1,694 games. He appeared in 1,688 games at second base with the team, more than any other player at the position in Yankees history, and ranks third on the organization’s all-time list in stolen bases. The five-time American League All-Star (1976-77, ’80-81 and ’87) was also named a 1980 AL Silver Slugger in the award’s inaugural season. He played in 37 postseason games with the Yankees from 1977-81, hitting a game-tying home run in Game 1 of the 1977 World Series vs. the Dodgers. On March 4, 1986, he and Ron Guidry were named Yankees Co-Captains.
In addition to his 13 playing seasons with the Yankees, Randolph spent 11 seasons coaching for the organization, serving as the club’s third base coach from 1994-2003 and bench coach in 2004.
