The Tuesday Discussion: Missing from Old Timers' Day

August 27, 2024

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This week we asked our writers to respond to the following:

What players (no more than five) would you have liked to see that this year's Old Timer's Day who weren't there?  

Here are their responses:

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Mike Whiteman - Not counting Don Mattingly (now a Toronto coach), here are my five:

Graig Nettles

Ron Guidry

Dave Righetti

Bobby Richardson

Tony Kubek

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Ed Botti - Some of my favorites from years gone by, that would have been a sight for sore eyes.

Buck Showalter

Don Mattingly

Dave Winfield

Rickey Henderson

Mike Pagliarulo

Honorable Mentions

Dave Righetti

Jimmy Key

Randy Velarde

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Tim Kabel - I would have liked to see the following players at Old Timers’ Day:

Ron Guidry

Mickey Rivers

Mark Teixeira 

Brett Gardner

John Sterling***

I know he wasn’t a player, but he has been part of the ceremony forever. He came back for the bobblehead day last week and he is talking about calling some playoff games. He could have been there.

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Paul Semendinger - I have a longer article about this coming in the days or weeks ahead, but, in short, here are five (of the many) who should have been there:

Graig Nettles

Reggie Jackson

Bobby Richardson (or honored on the scoreboard)

Tony Kubek (or honored on the scoreboard)

Al Downing (or honored on the scoreboard)

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James Vlietstra - Ok so the goal is to get the list of players I would have liked to see at Old Timers Day, that weren’t there on Saturday down to five. Here are some candidates:

The Yankees have had 12 World Series MVPs winners in the past 70 years. Four were there, four have passed away in the past dozen years or so. The other four are Bobby Richardson, Reggie Jackson, John Wetteland, and Scott Brosius. 

The Yankees have 15 living Hall Of Famers with a connection to the team. Only three were there. The missing persons are Wade Boggs, Goose Gossage, Jim Kaat, Mike Mussina, Dave Winfield, Reggie Jackson, Rickey Henderson, Bobby Cox, Randy Johnson, Ivan Rodriguez, Lee Smith, and Tim Raines. 

There’s three living alumni with at least three World Series rings with the Yankees, prior to the 90s teams. Art Schallock, Tony Kubek, and Bobby Richardson. 

Here’s a few others with substantial credentials. Craig Nettles, Don Mattingly, Roger Clemens, David Wells, Ron Guidry, Brett Gardner, Robinson Cano, and John Sterling. 

Some of the mentioned players are employed by other teams, like Jackson and Mattingly. 

Some have connections to the 2009 celebrated team like Gardner and Cano. 

Some guys have been mainstays over the years like Guidry and Wells. 

Some of the HOFers like Winfield, Henderson and Boggs would be great. 

But this exercise is meant to be challenging. So here are the five players I would have loved to have been involved and honored at the Old Timers Day ceremony:

I definitely want the three guys from the 50s and 60s there, Schallock, Kubek and Richardson. That only leaves me with two. 

Even though neither are HOF inductees, I believe Nettles is worthy of it and would represent the 70s team well.  Clemens is an absolute living legend, larger than life personality and should be celebrated as often as possible. 

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