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Re: Sad day for Reds Fans- Joe has Rounded 3rd and headed home!Joe passed away overni
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Originally Posted by MrCinatit
It is depressing how much we take someone for granted while they are living, and find out how much we appreciate and miss them when they are gone.
Joe is one of those guys. I never met him, but man what I would have given to spend a few minutes with the man talking about what he loved so much, and what was his life - baseball.
I feel foolish for asking this, but was his number always 39, and is it (and should it be) retired? The only listing I found for his number was a reference to the '66 season, which is where I got 39 from.
A lot of me would like to see them retire his number, as he meant so much to the ball club. But a lot of me asks why it was not done before, when he was still with us.
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I'm pretty sure that he wore #43 when he played as a 15-year-old in 1944 (hence the number on the statue in front of GABP), then he wore #39 with the Reds from 1952 to 1960. After he returned to the Reds in 1962, he wore #41. I think this is how is was, but I'm not 100% sure. Anyway, I have always been a strong proponent for retiring Joe's number. I only wish it had been done sooner.
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Americans love a winner. Americans will not tolerate a loser....Americans play to win all of the time. I wouldn't give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed...the very idea of losing is hateful to an American.
Gen. George S. Patton, Jr.
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