New York Yankees

Yankees top prospect denies rumor he asked to un-retire Mickey Mantle’s number

Published Apr. 5, 2017 7:39 p.m. ET

Pete Blackburn

Clint Frazier has made his fair share of headlines early this baseball season, though probably not the reasons he would have hoped.

The Yankees top outfield prospect was forced to cut his hair earlier this spring after the team called it a "distraction," and there were various rumblings of the 22-year-old's immaturity plaguing his promising potential.

Yankees radio broadcaster Suzyn Waldman purportedly shed some light on some of that immaturity during a radio appearance on WFAN on Wednesday when she claimed Frazier had asked the team “if they ever un-retire numbers." According to Waldman, Frazier was hoping to secure the No. 7 that once belonged to the great Mickey Mantle.

Later on Wednesday, Frazier tweeted that the rumor wasn't true.

https://twitter.com/clintfrazier/status/849745226394632193

https://twitter.com/clintfrazier/status/849745336411279361

New York Post Yankees beat writer George A. King III appeared to confirm Frazier's account:

https://twitter.com/GeorgeAKingIII/status/849740656868241417

https://twitter.com/GeorgeAKingIII/status/849741100453703681

https://twitter.com/GeorgeAKingIII/status/849741488082890755

Of course, a request like that, whether or not it happened, not only can be perceived as a sign of disrespect towards a legend, but it's also an incredible amount of unnecessary pressure for a young player to put on himself. You're basically ensuring that'll your career will be incessantly compared to one of the greatest players to ever play the game. Ultimately not ideal all around.