Uniform number (Major League Baseball)
Encyclopedia
As in many sports, a baseball
player's (or coach's) uniform number has the purpose of identifying the player. However, it has come over time to have a much more significant meaning to the player and fans. A number can be symbolic of a player's legacy, and has resulted in all kinds of superstition. Uniform numbers are placed on the back of baseball uniform
s and sometimes also on the front or sleeve.
. In the photograph, Mendez is seen in his Cuban Stars uniform with a number "12" on his left sleeve.
Inspired by hockey's and football's use of uniform numbers, the Cleveland Indians
became the first big league club to experiment with numbered uniforms when they took the field at League Park in Cleveland, on June 26, 1916, donning large numerals on their left sleeves. The experiment lasted just a few weeks that season and, after a brief trial the following year, was abandoned altogether.
The first MLB game to feature both teams wearing numbers on their jerseys was the game between the Indians and the New York Yankees
on May 13, 1929.
), that they will try to acquire it as they join a new club.
In some cases, the number is available on a player's new club. Other times, the number will already be in use by another member of that team (or sometimes retired). When this occurs, the player will occasionally ask the other player to change numbers, in order to surrender that number to the newcomer. Some players holding a number in such a case will voluntarily make such a change, while others may need to be "bribed" in order to do so. For example, when Rickey Henderson
was traded to the Blue Jays in 1993, he paid new teammate Turner Ward
$25,000 for the #24 that Henderson had worn throughout much of his career, and that Ward had been wearing at the time. In contrast, when Mitch Williams joined the Phillies in 1991, he acquired his old #28 from John Kruk
in exchange for $10 and two cases of beer.
Some players, who are unable to get the number they had on their previous team, will obtain a number close in succession. For example, Roger Clemens
wore #21 during the first 15 years of his career with the Red Sox and Blue Jays, and during his college days at Texas. When he joined the Yankees and Astros, he switched to #22. Upon Clemens' arrival in New York, he reportedly asked long-time Yankee outfielder Paul O'Neill to surrender his #21, but O'Neill refused. Though he would eventually opt for #22, Clemens initially reversed his beloved #21, and wore #12. Clemens continued to wear #22 upon signing with his hometown Houston Astros
in 2004 and, upon resigning with the Yankees, Robinson Canó
, owner of #22 at the beginning of the 2007 season, moved to #24 in anticipation of the Yankees possibly re-signing Clemens, leaving #22 available for Clemens.
Omar Olivares
requested the number #00 to represent his initials (O. O.) while pitching for the St. Louis Cardinals
. Another recognizable name is Jeffrey Leonard
, who also wore #00 on his uniform. Former outfielder
Brandon Watson
also wore #00 during his brief career with the Washington Nationals
and Cincinnati Reds
. To this day, they remain among the few select few Major League players to wear that number.
Carlos May
wore #17 when he was with the Chicago White Sox
. That number, when paired with his last name on the back of his jersey, reflected his birthday--May 17.
Junior Ortiz
wore #0 as a member of the Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians, a reference to his last name beginning with "O". Al Oliver
also wore #0. In fact, when Oliver was with the Toronto Blue Jays
in 1985, Cliff Johnson wore #00, making it possibly the only time in pro sports history that a team had a '0' and a '00' at the same time. Oddibe McDowell
(first name beginning with O) wore #0 when he played for the Texas Rangers
from 1985 through 1988.
Dave Winfield
, who wore #31 for the first 18 years of his Major League career with the Padres and Yankees, wore #32 with 3 different teams between 1990 and 1994. He once again wore #31 in 1995, the final year of his career, when he played for the Indians.
In their first career games, Cincinnati Reds outfielder Eric Davis and White Sox pitcher Joe Horlen
did not have jersey numbers.
Detroit Tigers center fielder Gabe Kapler
also played a game with a blank jersey, though in that case the Tigers were playing the final game at Tiger Stadium and the players were honoring the famous Tigers in each position. In Kapler's case he was honoring Ty Cobb
, whose career pre-dated uniform numbers.
Many players have reversed their numbers when they joined new teams, as in the cases of Carlton Fisk
, Greg Gagne, and (briefly) Roger Clemens
. Derek Lowe
of the Los Angeles Dodgers
wore #32 during his time with the Red Sox, but then switched the digits around to #23 when he signed with the Dodgers after the 2004 season because #32 was retired in 1972 in honor of pitcher Sandy Koufax
's induction into the Hall of Fame
. Another notable example was Randy Johnson
when he played for the Yankees. He wore #51 as a member of the Seattle Mariners
and Arizona Diamondbacks
, but when he joined the Yankees, that number was already taken by popular veteran outfielder Bernie Williams
, and he could not reverse the digits to #15 because it was retired for catcher Thurman Munson
, so therefore he chose #41 because he was 41 years old at that time. Johnson then returned to wearing #51 when he re-joined the Diamondbacks.
From his debut until June 20, 2008, Blue Jays reliever Jesse Carlson
wore #43. On that particular day, he had to switch his number because Cito Gaston
, who came back to manage the team, wore #43 as a player and manager during his last managing stint, and he wanted it back. Carlson now wears #39.
For some players, the uniform number plays an extension beyond the game. For example, according to the 1987 Topps
card for Joaquín Andújar
, he has decorated his home with his uniform #47.
The first Major League Baseball player to have his uniform number retired was Lou Gehrig
, whose #4 was retired by the New York Yankees
in 1940. #4 and #5 have each been retired by eight teams, more than any other number. The Yankees have retired a total of sixteen numbers, more than any other team. The highest player uniform number to be retired was Carlton Fisk
's #72 by the Chicago White Sox
, but the Cardinals retired #85 in honor of their one-time owner August Busch, Jr.. Though he never wore a uniform, that is how old he was at the time of the honor. The Cleveland Indians
retired the #455 in 2001 in honor of "the fans", to commemorate what was at the time the longest home sellout streak in baseball history (although MLB does not allow any team to issue three-digit uniform numbers).
Eight players and two managers, Casey Stengel
and Sparky Anderson
, have had their numbers retired with more than one team. Nolan Ryan
had two different numbers (#30 and #34) retired between three different teams. Fisk's #27 from the Red Sox and #72 from the White Sox are both retired, as are Reggie Jackson
's #9 and #44, respectively by the A's
and Yankees, and Anderson's #10 from the Cincinnati Reds
and #11 from the Detroit Tigers
.
In 1997, Major League Baseball, for the first time ever, declared a Major League-wide retirement of a number, when, by order of Commissioner of Baseball
Bud Selig
, #42 could no longer be issued to any new players, having been retired in honor of Jackie Robinson
. All players, however, who currently wore the number upon the mass retirement of #42, such as Mo Vaughn
and Butch Huskey
of the Red Sox and Mets, were allowed to keep it under a grandfather clause
if they were wearing the number in honor of Jackie Robinson. The only player who still wears #42 is Mariano Rivera
of the New York Yankees
. The Los Angeles Dodgers
, for whom Robinson played (as a Brooklyn Dodger), had already retired the number in 1972.
However, the #42 would be worn by a number of players other than Rivera in 2007
, which marked the 60th anniversary of Robinson's first appearance in Major League Baseball (the event that broke the sport's 20th-century color line
). Before the season, then-Cincinnati Reds
outfielder Ken Griffey, Jr.
asked Robinson's widow, Rachel Robinson
, and MLB Commissioner Bud Selig
for permission to wear #42 on April 15, the anniversary date of Robinson's historic game. Both gave their approval, and Selig later ruled that any player who wished to wear #42 on that date could do so. Three teams and several individual players on other teams wore #42 on that date; three other teams whose plans to wear #42 collectively were postponed due to rain on that date did so later in the month. MLB's current policy regarding the number is to allow all uniformed personnel to wear the number on April 15, which is marked by memorials to Robinson throughout the league.
Many fans, sportswriters and broadcast commentators strongly believe that Roberto Clemente
deserves a similar honor, and that his #21 should likewise be retired by all Major League Baseball teams. While Robinson was the first African American to play in the Major Leagues, Hispanic
s had been playing in the Major Leagues long before Clemente's arrival in 1955. Nevertheless, Clemente's exploits as a player and his philanthropic endeavors have made him a hero to millions of Hispanics; especially his heroic effort (which led to his untimely death in an airplane crash) to deliver provisions to the people of Nicaragua
after a massive earthquake
devastated that country in December, 1972. #21 is currently retired by Clemente's team, the Pittsburgh Pirates
. Many Hispanic players, most notably Sammy Sosa
, have since worn #21 as a tribute to Clemente.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player's (or coach's) uniform number has the purpose of identifying the player. However, it has come over time to have a much more significant meaning to the player and fans. A number can be symbolic of a player's legacy, and has resulted in all kinds of superstition. Uniform numbers are placed on the back of baseball uniform
Baseball uniform
A baseball uniform is a type of uniform worn by baseball players. Most baseball uniforms have the names and uniform numbers of players who wear them, usually on the backs of the uniforms to distinguish players from one other. Baseball shirts , pants, shoes, socks, caps, and glove are parts of...
s and sometimes also on the front or sleeve.
History
The earliest photographic evidence of the use of uniform numbers comes from a 1909 Chicago Daily News picture of pitching great José MendezJosé Méndez
José de la Caridad Méndez was a Cuban right-handed pitcher and manager in baseball's Negro Leagues. Born in Cárdenas, Matanzas, he died at age 41 in Havana. Known in Cuba as El Diamante Negro , he became a legend in his homeland. He was one of the first group of players elected to the Cuban...
. In the photograph, Mendez is seen in his Cuban Stars uniform with a number "12" on his left sleeve.
Inspired by hockey's and football's use of uniform numbers, the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
became the first big league club to experiment with numbered uniforms when they took the field at League Park in Cleveland, on June 26, 1916, donning large numerals on their left sleeves. The experiment lasted just a few weeks that season and, after a brief trial the following year, was abandoned altogether.
The first MLB game to feature both teams wearing numbers on their jerseys was the game between the Indians and the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
on May 13, 1929.
Attachments
While some players will wear several numbers throughout their careers as they move from team to team, others have become so attached to a specific number for some reason (including superstitionSuperstition
Superstition is a belief in supernatural causality: that one event leads to the cause of another without any process in the physical world linking the two events....
), that they will try to acquire it as they join a new club.
In some cases, the number is available on a player's new club. Other times, the number will already be in use by another member of that team (or sometimes retired). When this occurs, the player will occasionally ask the other player to change numbers, in order to surrender that number to the newcomer. Some players holding a number in such a case will voluntarily make such a change, while others may need to be "bribed" in order to do so. For example, when Rickey Henderson
Rickey Henderson
Rickey Henley Henderson is a former Major League Baseball left fielder who played for nine teams from 1979 to 2003, including four stints with his original team, the Oakland Athletics. Nicknamed The Man of Steal, he is widely regarded as the sport's greatest leadoff hitter and baserunner...
was traded to the Blue Jays in 1993, he paid new teammate Turner Ward
Turner Ward
Turner Max Ward , is a former professional baseball player who played outfielder in the Major Leagues from 1990-2001.-Career:...
$25,000 for the #24 that Henderson had worn throughout much of his career, and that Ward had been wearing at the time. In contrast, when Mitch Williams joined the Phillies in 1991, he acquired his old #28 from John Kruk
John Kruk
John Martin Kruk is a former Major League Baseball player and current baseball analyst for ESPN.-Early life and career:...
in exchange for $10 and two cases of beer.
Some players, who are unable to get the number they had on their previous team, will obtain a number close in succession. For example, Roger Clemens
Roger Clemens
William Roger Clemens , nicknamed "Rocket", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who broke into the league with the Boston Red Sox, whose pitching staff he would help anchor for 12 years. Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards, more than any other pitcher. He played for four different teams over...
wore #21 during the first 15 years of his career with the Red Sox and Blue Jays, and during his college days at Texas. When he joined the Yankees and Astros, he switched to #22. Upon Clemens' arrival in New York, he reportedly asked long-time Yankee outfielder Paul O'Neill to surrender his #21, but O'Neill refused. Though he would eventually opt for #22, Clemens initially reversed his beloved #21, and wore #12. Clemens continued to wear #22 upon signing with his hometown Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
in 2004 and, upon resigning with the Yankees, Robinson Canó
Robinson Canó
Robinson José Canó Mercedes is a Dominican baseball player who currently plays as a second baseman for the New York Yankees.-Family and early life:...
, owner of #22 at the beginning of the 2007 season, moved to #24 in anticipation of the Yankees possibly re-signing Clemens, leaving #22 available for Clemens.
Omar Olivares
Omar Olivares
Omar Olivares Palqu is a former right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Cardinals , Colorado Rockies , Philadelphia Phillies , Detroit Tigers , Seattle Mariners , Anaheim Angels , Oakland Athletics and Pittsburgh Pirates...
requested the number #00 to represent his initials (O. O.) while pitching for the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
. Another recognizable name is Jeffrey Leonard
Jeffrey Leonard
Jeffrey N. Leonard is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball with a 14-year career from to...
, who also wore #00 on his uniform. Former outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
Brandon Watson
Brandon Watson
Brandon Eric Watson is an American outfielder who is a free agent. Although he bats left-handed, Watson throws right-handed.Watson spent a portion of the and the with the Washington Nationals...
also wore #00 during his brief career with the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
and Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
. To this day, they remain among the few select few Major League players to wear that number.
Carlos May
Carlos May
Carlos May is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Chicago White Sox through most of his career, and also the New York Yankees and California Angels. He also played four seasons in Japan, from until , for the Nankai Hawks. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed...
wore #17 when he was with the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
. That number, when paired with his last name on the back of his jersey, reflected his birthday--May 17.
Junior Ortiz
Junior Ortiz
Adalberto "Junior" Ortiz Colón , is a former Major League Baseball catcher. He played all or part of thirteen seasons in the majors from 1982-94. He was a member of the 1991 World Champion Minnesota Twins....
wore #0 as a member of the Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians, a reference to his last name beginning with "O". Al Oliver
Al Oliver
Albert Oliver, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball player. Over the course of his 18-year career, he played for the Pittsburgh Pirates , Texas Rangers , Montreal Expos , San Francisco Giants , Philadelphia Phillies , Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays...
also wore #0. In fact, when Oliver was with the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
in 1985, Cliff Johnson wore #00, making it possibly the only time in pro sports history that a team had a '0' and a '00' at the same time. Oddibe McDowell
Oddibe McDowell
Oddibe McDowell is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played from to for the Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians and Atlanta Braves. McDowell was the first player to hit for the cycle for the Rangers when he accomplished that feat on July 23, 1985...
(first name beginning with O) wore #0 when he played for the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
from 1985 through 1988.
Dave Winfield
Dave Winfield
David Mark Winfield is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. He is currently Executive Vice President/Senior Advisor of the San Diego Padres and an analyst for the ESPN program Baseball Tonight...
, who wore #31 for the first 18 years of his Major League career with the Padres and Yankees, wore #32 with 3 different teams between 1990 and 1994. He once again wore #31 in 1995, the final year of his career, when he played for the Indians.
In their first career games, Cincinnati Reds outfielder Eric Davis and White Sox pitcher Joe Horlen
Joe Horlen
Joel Edward Horlen is a right-handed former Major League Baseball pitcher. Horlen pitched for the Chicago White Sox from to , and the Oakland Athletics in ....
did not have jersey numbers.
Detroit Tigers center fielder Gabe Kapler
Gabe Kapler
Gabriel "Gabe" Stefan Kapler is an American Major League Baseball outfielder.He has played portions of 13 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers, Colorado Rockies, Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, and the Tampa Bay Rays...
also played a game with a blank jersey, though in that case the Tigers were playing the final game at Tiger Stadium and the players were honoring the famous Tigers in each position. In Kapler's case he was honoring Ty Cobb
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia...
, whose career pre-dated uniform numbers.
Many players have reversed their numbers when they joined new teams, as in the cases of Carlton Fisk
Carlton Fisk
Carlton Ernest Fisk , nicknamed "Pudge" or "The Commander", is a former Major League Baseball catcher. During a 24-year baseball career, he played for both the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox .Fisk was known by the nickname "Pudge" due to his 6'2", 220 lb frame...
, Greg Gagne, and (briefly) Roger Clemens
Roger Clemens
William Roger Clemens , nicknamed "Rocket", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who broke into the league with the Boston Red Sox, whose pitching staff he would help anchor for 12 years. Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards, more than any other pitcher. He played for four different teams over...
. Derek Lowe
Derek Lowe
Derek Christopher Lowe is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Cleveland Indians. He throws and bats right-handed. He is 6'6" and 230 pounds.-Early years:...
of the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
wore #32 during his time with the Red Sox, but then switched the digits around to #23 when he signed with the Dodgers after the 2004 season because #32 was retired in 1972 in honor of pitcher Sandy Koufax
Sandy Koufax
Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers...
's induction into the Hall of Fame
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
. Another notable example was Randy Johnson
Randy Johnson
Randall David Johnson , nicknamed "The Big Unit", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 22-year career, he pitched for six different teams....
when he played for the Yankees. He wore #51 as a member of the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
and Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
, but when he joined the Yankees, that number was already taken by popular veteran outfielder Bernie Williams
Bernie Williams
Bernabé Williams Figueroa Jr. is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and Puerto Rican musician.-Early life:...
, and he could not reverse the digits to #15 because it was retired for catcher Thurman Munson
Thurman Munson
Thurman Lee Munson was an American Major League Baseball catcher. He played his entire 11-year career for the New York Yankees...
, so therefore he chose #41 because he was 41 years old at that time. Johnson then returned to wearing #51 when he re-joined the Diamondbacks.
From his debut until June 20, 2008, Blue Jays reliever Jesse Carlson
Jesse Carlson
Jesse Craig Carlson is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays. Born in New Britain, Connecticut, Carlson graduated from Berlin High School, where he starred in basketball as well as baseball. Carlson was a member of the team that defeated Seymour Connecticut High School...
wore #43. On that particular day, he had to switch his number because Cito Gaston
Cito Gaston
Clarence Edwin "Cito" Gaston is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. His major league career as a player lasted from 1967–1978, most notably for the San Diego Padres and the Atlanta Braves...
, who came back to manage the team, wore #43 as a player and manager during his last managing stint, and he wanted it back. Carlson now wears #39.
For some players, the uniform number plays an extension beyond the game. For example, according to the 1987 Topps
1987 Topps
This a list with brief descriptions of Topps trading card products for 1987. All sets listed are standard size unless noted.-Base Set:The 1987 Topps set totals 792 cards and was issued in wax, rack, and jumbo packs or factory sets...
card for Joaquín Andújar
Joaquín Andújar
Joaquín Andújar is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher who became one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball while playing with the St. Louis Cardinals in the mid-80s.-Early years:...
, he has decorated his home with his uniform #47.
Retirement of numbers
A team will sometimes retire a uniform number so that future players and coaches cannot wear those numbers with that team. Only the player with the retired number can wear that number if he returns to that team as a player or coach.The first Major League Baseball player to have his uniform number retired was Lou Gehrig
Lou Gehrig
Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig , nicknamed "The Iron Horse" for his durability, was an American Major League Baseball first baseman. He played his entire 17-year baseball career for the New York Yankees . Gehrig set several major league records. He holds the record for most career grand slams...
, whose #4 was retired by the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
in 1940. #4 and #5 have each been retired by eight teams, more than any other number. The Yankees have retired a total of sixteen numbers, more than any other team. The highest player uniform number to be retired was Carlton Fisk
Carlton Fisk
Carlton Ernest Fisk , nicknamed "Pudge" or "The Commander", is a former Major League Baseball catcher. During a 24-year baseball career, he played for both the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox .Fisk was known by the nickname "Pudge" due to his 6'2", 220 lb frame...
's #72 by the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, but the Cardinals retired #85 in honor of their one-time owner August Busch, Jr.. Though he never wore a uniform, that is how old he was at the time of the honor. The Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
retired the #455 in 2001 in honor of "the fans", to commemorate what was at the time the longest home sellout streak in baseball history (although MLB does not allow any team to issue three-digit uniform numbers).
Eight players and two managers, Casey Stengel
Casey Stengel
Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel , nicknamed "The Old Perfessor", was an American Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in ....
and Sparky Anderson
Sparky Anderson
George Lee "Sparky" Anderson was an American Major League Baseball manager. He managed the National League's Cincinnati Reds to the 1975 and 1976 championships, then added a third title in 1984 with the Detroit Tigers of the American League. He was the first manager to win the World Series in both...
, have had their numbers retired with more than one team. Nolan Ryan
Nolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. , nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers....
had two different numbers (#30 and #34) retired between three different teams. Fisk's #27 from the Red Sox and #72 from the White Sox are both retired, as are Reggie Jackson
Reggie Jackson
Reginald Martinez "Reggie" Jackson , nicknamed "Mr. October" for his clutch hitting in the postseason with the New York Yankees, is a former American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 21-year baseball career, he played from 1967-1987 for four different teams. Jackson currently serves as...
's #9 and #44, respectively by the A's
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
and Yankees, and Anderson's #10 from the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
and #11 from the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
.
Commissioner of Baseball
The Commissioner of Baseball is the chief executive of Major League Baseball and its associated minor leagues. Under the direction of the Commissioner, the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball hires and maintains the sport's umpiring crews, and negotiates marketing, labor, and television contracts...
Bud Selig
Bud Selig
Allan Huber "Bud" Selig is the ninth and current Commissioner of Major League Baseball, having served in that capacity since 1992 as the acting commissioner, and as the official commissioner since 1998...
, #42 could no longer be issued to any new players, having been retired in honor of Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson
Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947...
. All players, however, who currently wore the number upon the mass retirement of #42, such as Mo Vaughn
Mo Vaughn
Maurice Samuel 'Mo' Vaughn , nicknamed "The Hit Dog", is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. He played from 1991 to 2003...
and Butch Huskey
Butch Huskey
Robert Leon "Butch" Huskey , is a former professional baseball player who played in the Major Leagues primarily as an outfielder from 1993 and 1995-2000....
of the Red Sox and Mets, were allowed to keep it under a grandfather clause
Grandfather clause
Grandfather clause is a legal term used to describe a situation in which an old rule continues to apply to some existing situations, while a new rule will apply to all future situations. It is often used as a verb: to grandfather means to grant such an exemption...
if they were wearing the number in honor of Jackie Robinson. The only player who still wears #42 is Mariano Rivera
Mariano Rivera
Mariano Rivera is a Panamanian right-handed baseball pitcher who has played 17 years in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. Nicknamed "Mo", Rivera has served as a relief pitcher for most of his career, and since 1997, he has been the Yankees' closer...
of the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. The Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, for whom Robinson played (as a Brooklyn Dodger), had already retired the number in 1972.
However, the #42 would be worn by a number of players other than Rivera in 2007
2007 Major League Baseball season
The 2007 Major League Baseball season, began on April 1 with a rematch of the 2006 National League Championship Series; the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets played the first game of the season at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, which was won by the Mets, 6–1...
, which marked the 60th anniversary of Robinson's first appearance in Major League Baseball (the event that broke the sport's 20th-century color line
Baseball color line
The color line in American baseball excluded players of black African descent from Organized Baseball, or the major leagues and affiliated minor leagues, until Jackie Robinson signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers organization for the 1946 season...
). Before the season, then-Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
outfielder Ken Griffey, Jr.
Ken Griffey, Jr.
George Kenneth "Ken" Griffey, Jr. , nicknamed "Junior" and "The Kid", is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and during his final years, designated hitter...
asked Robinson's widow, Rachel Robinson
Rachel Robinson
Rachel Robinson is a former nurse and the widow of baseball player Jackie Robinson. She was born in Los Angeles, and attended the University of California, Los Angeles. There, she met Jackie in 1941, and they married in 1946. A baby, Jackie Robinson, Jr., was born to her in November 1946...
, and MLB Commissioner Bud Selig
Bud Selig
Allan Huber "Bud" Selig is the ninth and current Commissioner of Major League Baseball, having served in that capacity since 1992 as the acting commissioner, and as the official commissioner since 1998...
for permission to wear #42 on April 15, the anniversary date of Robinson's historic game. Both gave their approval, and Selig later ruled that any player who wished to wear #42 on that date could do so. Three teams and several individual players on other teams wore #42 on that date; three other teams whose plans to wear #42 collectively were postponed due to rain on that date did so later in the month. MLB's current policy regarding the number is to allow all uniformed personnel to wear the number on April 15, which is marked by memorials to Robinson throughout the league.
Many fans, sportswriters and broadcast commentators strongly believe that Roberto Clemente
Roberto Clemente
Roberto Clemente Walker was a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball right fielder. He was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico, the youngest of seven children. Clemente played his entire 18-year baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates . He was awarded the National League's Most Valuable Player Award in...
deserves a similar honor, and that his #21 should likewise be retired by all Major League Baseball teams. While Robinson was the first African American to play in the Major Leagues, Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
s had been playing in the Major Leagues long before Clemente's arrival in 1955. Nevertheless, Clemente's exploits as a player and his philanthropic endeavors have made him a hero to millions of Hispanics; especially his heroic effort (which led to his untimely death in an airplane crash) to deliver provisions to the people of Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
after a massive earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
devastated that country in December, 1972. #21 is currently retired by Clemente's team, the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
. Many Hispanic players, most notably Sammy Sosa
Sammy Sosa
Samuel Peralta "Sammy" Sosa is a Dominican former professional baseball right fielder. Sosa played with four Major League Baseball teams over his career which spanned from 1989-2007....
, have since worn #21 as a tribute to Clemente.
External links
- Baseball Almanac – Lists all the uniform numbers of all players throughout Major League Baseball history. A source for much of the information contained in this article.
- Best Baseball Players by Number: 0-22
- Dressed to the Nines