The Chicago White Sox retired Luis Aparicio’s number 11 in 1984, but they are unretiring it this season with the 75-year-old Venezuelan Hall Of Famer’s blessing and giving it their new 43-year-old utility man, future Venezuelan Hall Of Famer Omar Vizquel.

Mainly because 46-year-old Venezuelan White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen wouldn’t give up his own number 13, which Vizquel had worn throughout his first 21 Major League seasons.

Vizquel took his sweet time ingratiating himself to Venezuela’s first and so far only Hall Of Famer before asking for the number.  Scott Merkin of mlb.com explains how Vizquel set the mood:

Vizquel attended the recent opening of a Little League field featuring Aparicio’s name in Venezuela and then attended a function honoring Aparicio in his hometown of Maracaibo on Nov. 11, 2009. ….
“I was sitting around with some of his friends, and I was talking about how I wanted to honor Luis in some way,” Vizquel said. “I wondered if No. 11 would be available.

“We thought about it. On one of those days hanging out, I had the courage to ask him to let me wear the number.”

Aparicio thought about it for a while, and with a little smile, said Vizquel’s idea was a great one.

If Aparicio was a little sharper maybe he’d ask why it took Vizquel 21 years to want to honor him.  Guillen wore 13 in his playing days to honor a different Venezuelan shortstop: Davey Concepcion.  And Vizquel wore 13 all these years to honor Concepcion and Guillen.  So it’s a little hard to see how being chosen as sloppy seconds by a 43-year-old utility player, even one with Hall of Fame potential, is such a big honor.

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Speaking of elderly White Sox, the only other time the franchise unretired a retired number was to twice give back Harold Baines’ retired number to Harold Baines.  Harold Baines was born in Maryland and turns 51 in March.