Clint Frazier allegedly thought the Yankees might let him wear Mickey Mantle’s number
Yankee fans are thrilled about Clint Frazier but they aren’t that thrilled.
Frazier is the No. 2 prospect in the Yanks’ system by MLB.com’s rankings and the closest to the majors. He’s a really big deal. He’s not, however, a big enough deal that he’d be allowed to wear a Hall of Famer’s number.
Yankees color commentator Suzyn Waldman was on WFAN Wednesday with Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts and revealed that Frazier had the stones to ask if the team would ever consider letting him wear a retired number. (Deadspin has the audio; a transcript follows below.)
• Yankees' follicle fiasco with Clint Frazier latest sign they just don't get it
“Did you hear the Clint story? Clint Frazier actually asked the Yankees if they ever unretire numbers,” Waldman said. “He wanted No. 7.”
“Are you kidding me?” Benigno interjected. “Did he even know who Mickey Mantle was?”
“I didn’t ask him,” Waldman replied. “Somebody told me that and I went, ‘Oh really?”
This was obviously before the Yankees made Frazier cut his hair because it was a “distraction.” That gives you a pretty good idea how they feel about bucking tradition.
UPDATE: GM Brian Cashman tells ESPN.com’s Andrew Marchand that the story is “totally untrue.” On the other hand, Waldman has been covering the Yankees for decades. Judge for yourself who you believe.
