59.21 Montreal Retires Aldo's #9 Jersey

[Bob Breum]

On the occasion of his 3000th career hit, Montreal announced today that they would retire the #9 jersey of Lineu Aldo, who played his entire career with the Blazers before being traded earlier this season.

“We dealt him to Vancouver in hopes that he could reach the 3000 milestone, as we could no longer give him the playing time that he needed. Eventually he ended up in San Fernando and got his 3000th hit. Believe me when I say that the entire Blazer family is thrilled for him. He was a hugely important and influential part of our club from the very beginning when he earned Rookie of the Year and was very nearly named league MVP.

“In our 65 years of existence, we have only retired eight other numbers. This is not a decision we take lightly. Lineu Aldo earned this. In his time with us, he hit .293 with 429 HR and 658 SB. He had thirteen 20/20 seasons and led the BBA in stolen bases twice. He was named Rookie of the Year in 2041. He won three Silver Slugger awards as a second baseman and three Gold Gloves as a first baseman. He was a 9-time All Star.”

[recte44]

Classy move!