Athletics retiring Dave Stewart's jersey Sept. 11

The Oakland Athletics have finally scheduled Dave Stewart's long-awaited jersey retirement, planning to hold the ceremony on Sept. 11, the team announced, according to Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle.

The A's initially informed Stewart in August 2019 that the club planned to retire his No. 34. However, the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and 2021 campaign - with limited attendance - went by without a ceremony.

Once the 2022 season began without any news of Stewart's honor, the former World Series MVP said he might not even attend the event due to the delays and lack of communication.

"I have no idea what the A's are doing. At this point, they can just retire the number with no celebration as far as I'm concerned. Come to the park, and it will be on display with the other retired numbers," Stewart said last week, according to the Associated Press. "If you find out something before I do, please let me know."

It's unclear whether Stewart will walk those statements back and attend the event.

Stewart, an Oakland native, spent eight seasons of his 16-year career with the Athletics. He finished top four in Cy Young voting in four straight seasons, starting with his first full campaign with the A's in 1987. Though he never won the award, Stewart finished runner-up and earned an All-Star selection in 1989 while leading the club to a World Series championship.

He authored a 3.73 ERA over 257 games, including 245 starts, while posting a 119-78 record during his time in Oakland.

The Athletics host the Chicago White Sox on Sunday, Sept. 11.