Alex Rodriguez Mad Yankees Let Joey Gallo Wear No. 13, Makes His Case For Monument Park

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Alex Rodriguez wants his number retired at Yankee Stadium.

The former slugger wore No. 13 for the New York Yankees from 2004-2016. And no one wore it in the seasons following A-Rod's retirement. That is, until the Yanks acquired Joey Gallo in 2021.

"It did not make me happy," Rodriguez told Evan and Tiki on WFAN.

Gallo came to New York in a trade from the Texas Rangers, where he wore No. 13. But he turned out to be a huge bust. In 140 games with the Yankees, Gallo hit .159 with 194 strikeouts and only 25 home runs.

So to avoid another person soiling the No. 13, A-Rod hopes the Yankees will immortalize his jersey in Monument Park. And he said it irks him that they haven't already.

"Of course, it bothers me," Rodriguez said. "It's less about bother, but of course it would be nice to be recognized in one of the coolest places to be in Yankee history, but that's not my decision."

Alex Rodriguez Makes His Case For Monument Park

A-Rod is one of the most decorated players in MLB history. He's a 14-time All-Star with two Gold Gloves, 10 Silver Sluggers and four Hank Aaron Awards. He's also a three-time American League MVP, a five-time AL home run leader, the 1996 MLB batting champion and a World Series champ.

Alex Rodriguez Mad Yankees Let Joy Gallo Wear No. 13

(Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)

But the Yankees have not yet retired his number. Maybe that's because of the performance-enhancing drugs. Maybe it's because of his tumultuous relationship with former Yankees captain Derek Jeter. Or maybe it's because, as a TV analyst, A-Rod doesn't always have nice things to say about the franchise.

"I'm too critical to the Yankees, and that doesn't help my case," he said. "But I get paid to tell the truth... I want my number retired. If it's not retired, so be it."

The New York Yankees — the most storied franchise in baseball — currently have 21 numbers retired. That includes those of legendary figures like Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio and Yogi Berra.

That's a high bar. If I'm Alex Rodriguez, I'm not holding my breath.

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