Commentary : Retiring This Number Gets a Zero Reaction

Excuse the emotion of the moment. Sportswriters should never get this way. It’s difficult to check the tears, which means you may have a damp newspaper in your hands.

The idea of retiring Eddie Murray’s uniform number is enough to make any grown man cry. Ah, the beauty of it all. It’s suddenly so sweet, it’s sickening.

What this all demonstrates, unless Eddie rejects the plan, is a classic case of hypocrisy. It’s a sham and an insult to players, past and present, who hold a deep affection for the city where they made their salaries and baseball reputations.

Murray made it plain to all what he thought of the Baltimore Orioles, the club that gave him an opportunity and paid him in excess of $2 million a year. He loved the treatment Baltimore and the Orioles afforded him to such a profound extent that he wanted to get out. The sooner the better.

So the Orioles, placed in an almost untenable position, made a ridiculous trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers to accommodate Murray and also to divest themselves of the $2 million-plus contract they had with him. That was strictly a business transaction.

But now the Orioles come along and decide to retire the number Murray wore on his back during the time he was held hostage in Baltimore. Put there in a trophy case along with the numbers of Frank Robinson, No. 20; Jim Palmer, No. 22; Brooks Robinson, No. 5, and Earl Weaver, No. 4.

Their individual popularity and contributions far exceeded those of Murray. The astonishing thing is how the Orioles could arrive at such a judgment; they must be trying to cover themselves in the event he goes to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Certainly, it’s not a public relations move. How could it be; Murray let Baltimore know how he felt about it.

What about some Orioles of the past who gave much more to the city. How about Willie Miranda, the shortstop who drew crowds just to see him field and adopted Baltimore when he had to flee the emergence of the Fidel Castro regime in Cuba? He later ran into a blazing building in Baltimore and saved a man from being burned to death, receiving the highest citation the city awards a civilian for heroism.

And from the 35-year history of the modern Orioles are such highly productive players as Jim Gentile, who holds the team runs-batted-in record for a season. And why not Dave McNally, or John “Boog” Powell, or Mike Cuellar, or Mark Belanger, or Rick Dempsey, or Gus Triandos, or Al Bumbry, or Paul Blair, or Lee May?

This reporter, the record shows, was one of Murray’s most consistent boosters for what he could do with a bat from either side of the plate. Anyone criticizing his ability to hit a baseball wouldn’t know Flea Clifton from Babe Ruth. But, considering his disdain for the Orioles and the way he forced their hand in leaving, it hardly seems appropriate to retire his jersey.

If the Orioles truly felt so enamored with Murray, then why didn’t they keep him? But they submit to his trade demands and, after he’s gone, want to retire his number.

Maybe, if the Orioles get lucky, Murray will be consistent and say, “No thanks” to the offer. Only a week ago, the man the Orioles sent to the Dodgers became mute when a sportswriter of another newspaper in Baltimore paid him a rich compliment by visiting him in training camp for an interview. As long as the reporter remained in earshot of the wisdom Eddie was imparting, Murray remained mute.

The next thing that, by all means, needs to be promoted is an Eddie Murray Day in Baltimore. Hold a parade, give him the keys to the city and let him make one of those patented tear-jerking farewell speeches at home plate. Won’t that be good theater?

Retiring those mundane numbers athletes wear on their shirts has become so commonplace it carries little or no meaning, except to the equipment manager who has to assign them. Now the Orioles are trying to court favor with a player who couldn’t wait to get the Baltimore uniform off his back.

But the thought is so beautiful it tugs at the heart-strings and occasions tears of joy. The sentiment is overwhelming; it’s almost unbearable. It is hoped Eddie Murray will tell the Orioles to stop bothering him.