Major League Baseball (MLB) and its participating clubs have retired various uniform numbers over the course of time, ensuring that those numbers are never worn again and thus will always be associated with particular players or managers of note. The use of numbers on uniforms to better identify one player from another, and hence to boost sales of scorecards, was tried briefly by the Cleveland Indians of 1916, but this failed. The first team to permanently adopt the practice was the New York Yankees of 1929. By 1932, all 16 major league clubs were issuing numbers, and by 1937, the leagues passed rules requiring it.
The Yankees' original approach was to simply assign the numbers 1 through 8 to the regular starting lineup in their normal batting order. Hence, Babe Ruth wore number 3 and Lou Gehrig number 4. The first major leaguer whose number was retired was Gehrig, in July 1939, following his retirement due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which became popularly known in the United States as Lou Gehrig's Disease.
Since then, over 150 other people have had their numbers retired, some with more than one team. This includes managers and coaches, as MLB is the only one of the major North American professional leagues in which the coaching staff wear the same uniforms as players. Three numbers have been retired in honor of people not directly involved on the playing field – all three for team executives. Some of the game's early stars, such as Ty Cobb and Christy Mathewson, retired before numbers came into usage. Teams often celebrate their retired numbers and other honored people by hanging banners with the numbers and names. Early stars, as well as honored non-players, will often have numberless banners hanging along with the retired numbers. Because fewer and fewer players stay with one team long enough to warrant their number being retired, some players believe that getting their number retired is a greater honor than going into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Ron Santo, upon his number 10 being retired by the Chicago Cubs on the last day of the 2003 regular season, enthusiastically told the Wrigley Field crowd as his #10 flag was hoisted, "This is my Hall of Fame!" [1] However, Santo would be inducted into the Hall of Fame in July 2012, nearly two years after his death, after being voted in by the Veterans Committee.
† | Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame |
‡ | Ford C. Frick Award winner |
No. | Player or other figure | Team | Date |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Billy Meyer | Pirates | 1954 |
1 | Bud Selig † [Notes 1] | Brewers | April 6, 2015 |
1 | Pee Wee Reese † | Dodgers | July 1, 1984 |
1 | Bobby Doerr † | Red Sox | May 21, 1988 |
1 | Fred Hutchinson | Reds | October 19, 1964 |
1 | Ozzie Smith † | Cardinals | September 26, 1996 |
1 | Richie Ashburn † | Phillies | August 24, 1979 |
1 | Billy Martin | Yankees | August 10, 1986 |
1 | Lou Whitaker | Tigers | August 6, 2022 |
2 | Red Schoendienst † | Cardinals | May 11, 1996 |
2 | Nellie Fox † | White Sox | May 1, 1976 |
2 | Tommy Lasorda † | Dodgers | August 15, 1997 |
2 | Charlie Gehringer † | Tigers | June 12, 1983 |
2 | Derek Jeter † | Yankees | May 14, 2017 |
3 | Babe Ruth † | Yankees | June 13, 1948 |
3 | Earl Averill † | Guardians | June 8, 1975 |
3 | Bill Terry † | Giants | April 5, 1983 |
3 | Harmon Killebrew † | Twins | May 4, 1975 |
3 | Dale Murphy | Braves | June 13, 1994 |
3 | Harold Baines † | White Sox | August 20, 1989 |
3 | Alan Trammell † | Tigers | August 26, 2018 |
4 | Luke Appling † | White Sox | June 7, 1975 |
4 | Earl Weaver † | Orioles | September 19, 1982 |
4 | Duke Snider † | Dodgers | July 6, 1980 |
4 | Ralph Kiner † | Pirates | September 19, 1987 |
4 | Lou Gehrig † | Yankees | July 4, 1939 |
4 | Paul Molitor † | Brewers | June 11, 1999 |
4 | Mel Ott † | Giants | July 17, 1948 |
4 | Joe Cronin † | Red Sox | 1984 |
5 | Brooks Robinson † | Orioles | April 14, 1978 |
5 | Lou Boudreau † | Guardians | July 9, 1970 |
5 | George Brett † | Royals | May 14, 1994 |
5 | Johnny Bench † | Reds | August 11, 1984 |
5 | Hank Greenberg † | Tigers | June 12, 1983 |
5 | Joe DiMaggio † | Yankees | April 18, 1952 |
5 | Jeff Bagwell † | Astros | August 26, 2007 |
6 | Johnny Pesky | Red Sox | September 28, 2008 |
6 | Steve Garvey | Padres | April 16, 1988 |
6 | Stan Musial † | Cardinals | September 29, 1963 |
6 | Al Kaline † | Tigers | August 17, 1980 |
6 | Tony Oliva † | Twins | July 14, 1991 |
6 | Bobby Cox † | Braves | August 12, 2011 |
6 | Joe Torre † | Yankees | August 23, 2014 |
7 | Mickey Mantle † | Yankees | June 8, 1969 |
7 | Craig Biggio † | Astros | August 17, 2008 |
7 | Iván Rodríguez † | Rangers | August 12, 2017 |
7 | Joe Mauer † | Twins | June 15, 2019 |
8 | Willie Stargell † | Pirates | September 6, 1982 |
8 | Joe Morgan † | Reds | June 6, 1998 |
8 | Yogi Berra † | Yankees | July 22, 1972 |
8 | Bill Dickey † | Yankees | July 22, 1972 |
8 | Cal Ripken Jr. † | Orioles | October 6, 2001 |
8 | Carl Yastrzemski † | Red Sox | August 6, 1989 |
9 | Ted Williams † | Red Sox | September 1960 |
9 | Reggie Jackson † | Athletics | May 22, 2004 |
9 | Minnie Miñoso † | White Sox | May 8, 1983 |
9 | Enos Slaughter † | Cardinals | September 6, 1996 |
9 | Bill Mazeroski † | Pirates | August 7, 1987 |
9 | Roger Maris | Yankees | July 21, 1984 |
10 | Sparky Anderson † | Reds | May 28, 2005 |
10 | Dick Howser | Royals | July 3, 1987 |
10 | Phil Rizzuto † | Yankees | August 4, 1985 |
10 | Ron Santo † | Cubs | September 28, 2003 |
10 | Tony La Russa † | Cardinals | May 11, 2012 |
10 | Tom Kelly | Twins | September 8, 2012 |
10 | Chipper Jones † | Braves | June 28, 2013 |
10 | Michael Young | Rangers | August 31, 2019 |
11 | Carl Hubbell † | Giants | 1944 |
11 | Jim Fregosi | Angels | August 1, 1998 |
11 | Luis Aparicio † [Notes 2] | White Sox | August 14, 1984 |
11 | Paul Waner † | Pirates | July 21, 2007 |
11 | Sparky Anderson † | Tigers | June 26, 2011 |
11 | Barry Larkin † | Reds | August 25, 2012 |
11 | Edgar Martínez † | Mariners | August 12, 2017 |
11 | Ryan Zimmerman | Nationals | June 18, 2022 |
12 | Wade Boggs † | Rays | April 7, 2000 |
13 | Dave Concepción | Reds | August 25, 2007 |
14 | Ernie Banks † | Cubs | August 22, 1982 |
14 | Kent Hrbek | Twins | August 13, 1995 |
14 | Larry Doby † | Guardians | July 3, 1994 |
14 | Ken Boyer | Cardinals | May 20, 1984 |
14 | Gil Hodges † | Mets | June 9, 1973 |
14 | Jim Bunning † | Phillies | April 16, 2001 |
14 | Jim Rice † | Red Sox | July 28, 2009 |
14 | Paul Konerko | White Sox | May 23, 2015 |
14 | Pete Rose | Reds | June 26, 2016 |
14 | Gil Hodges † | Dodgers | June 4, 2022 |
15 | Dick Allen | Phillies | September 3, 2020 |
15 | Thurman Munson | Yankees | August 3, 1979 |
16 | Ted Lyons † | White Sox | July 25, 1987 |
16 | Whitey Ford † | Yankees | August 3, 1974 |
16 | Hal Newhouser † | Tigers | July 27, 1997 |
16 | Dwight Gooden | Mets | April 14, 2024 |
17 | Dizzy Dean † | Cardinals | September 22, 1974 |
17 | Todd Helton † | Rockies | August 17, 2014 |
17 | Keith Hernandez | Mets | July 9, 2022 |
18 | Ted Kluszewski | Reds | July 18, 1998 |
18 | Mel Harder | Guardians | July 28, 1990 |
19 | Bob Feller † | Guardians | December 28, 1956 |
19 | Billy Pierce | White Sox | July 25, 1987 |
19 | Jim Gilliam | Dodgers | October 10, 1978 |
19 | Tony Gwynn † | Padres | September 4, 2004 |
19 | Robin Yount † | Brewers | May 29, 1994 |
20 | Luis Gonzalez | Diamondbacks | August 7, 2010 |
20 | Monte Irvin † | Giants | June 26, 2010 |
20 | Lou Brock † | Cardinals | September 9, 1979 |
20 | Jorge Posada | Yankees | August 22, 2015 |
20 | Frank Robinson † | Orioles | March 10, 1972 |
20 | Frank Robinson † | Reds | May 22, 1998 |
20 | Frank Robinson † | Guardians | May 27, 2017 |
20 | Pie Traynor † | Pirates | April 18, 1972 |
20 | Mike Schmidt † | Phillies | May 26, 1990 |
20 | Don Sutton † | Dodgers | August 14, 1998 |
20 | Frank White | Royals | May 2, 1995 |
21 | Bob Lemon † | Guardians | June 20, 1998 |
21 | Warren Spahn † | Braves | December 11, 1965 |
21 | Roberto Clemente † | Pirates | April 6, 1973 |
21 | Paul O'Neill | Yankees | August 21, 2022 |
22 | Jim Palmer † | Orioles | September 1, 1985 |
22 | Will Clark | Giants | July 30, 2022 |
23 | Ryne Sandberg † | Cubs | August 28, 2005 |
23 | Don Mattingly | Yankees | August 31, 1997 |
23 | Willie Horton | Tigers | July 15, 2000 |
23 | Ted Simmons † | Cardinals | July 31, 2021 |
24 | Whitey Herzog † | Cardinals | July 31, 2010 |
24 | Tony Pérez † | Reds | May 27, 2000 |
24 | Willie Mays † | Giants | May 12, 1972 |
24 | Walter Alston † | Dodgers | June 5, 1977 |
24 | Ken Griffey Jr. † | Mariners | August 6, 2016 [Notes 3] |
24 | Jimmy Wynn | Astros | June 25, 2005 |
24 | Rickey Henderson † | Athletics | August 1, 2009 |
24 | Willie Mays † | Mets | August 27, 2022 |
25 | José Cruz | Astros | October 3, 1992 |
25 | Barry Bonds | Giants | August 11, 2018 |
25 | Jim Thome † | Guardians | August 18, 2018 |
25 | Andruw Jones | Braves | September 9, 2023 |
26 | Billy Williams † | Cubs | August 13, 1987 |
26 | Gene Autry [Notes 4] | Angels | August 3, 1982 |
26 | Johnny Oates | Rangers | August 5, 2005 |
26 | Wade Boggs † | Red Sox | May 26, 2016 |
27 | Carlton Fisk † | Red Sox | September 4, 2000 |
27 | Catfish Hunter † | Athletics | June 9, 1991 |
27 | Juan Marichal † | Giants | July 10, 1983 |
28 | Bert Blyleven † | Twins | July 16, 2011 |
29 | Rod Carew † | Angels | August 6, 1991 |
29 | Rod Carew † | Twins | July 19, 1987 |
29 | John Smoltz † | Braves | June 8, 2012 |
29 | Adrián Beltré † | Rangers | June 8, 2019 |
30 | Orlando Cepeda † | Giants | July 11, 1999 |
30 | Nolan Ryan † | Angels | June 16, 1992 |
31 | Dave Winfield † | Padres | April 14, 2001 |
31 | Greg Maddux † | Cubs | May 3, 2009 |
31 | Greg Maddux † | Braves | July 17, 2009 |
31 | Ferguson Jenkins † | Cubs | May 3, 2009 |
31 | Mike Piazza † | Mets | July 30, 2016 |
32 | Steve Carlton † | Phillies | July 29, 1989 |
32 | Sandy Koufax † | Dodgers | June 4, 1972 |
32 | Elston Howard | Yankees | July 21, 1984 |
32 | Jim Umbricht | Astros | April 12, 1965 |
32 | Roy Halladay † | Blue Jays | March 29, 2018 |
33 | Mike Scott | Astros | October 3, 1992 |
33 | Eddie Murray † | Orioles | June 7, 1998 |
33 | Honus Wagner † | Pirates | February 16, 1952 |
33 | Larry Walker † | Rockies | September 25, 2021 |
34 | Rollie Fingers † | Brewers | August 9, 1992 |
34 | Rollie Fingers † | Athletics | July 5, 1993 |
34 | Nolan Ryan † | Rangers | September 15, 1996 |
34 | Nolan Ryan † | Astros | September 29, 1996 |
34 | Kirby Puckett † | Twins | May 25, 1997 |
34 | David Ortiz † | Red Sox | June 23, 2017 |
34 | Roy Halladay † | Phillies | August 8, 2021 |
34 | Dave Stewart | Athletics | September 11, 2022 |
34 | Fernando Valenzuela | Dodgers | August 11, 2023 |
35 | Randy Jones | Padres | May 9, 1997 |
35 | Phil Niekro † | Braves | August 6, 1984 |
35 | Frank Thomas † | White Sox | August 29, 2010 |
36 | Gaylord Perry † | Giants | July 23, 2005 |
36 | Robin Roberts † | Phillies | March 21, 1962 |
36 | Jerry Koosman | Mets | August 28, 2021 |
36 | Jim Kaat † | Twins | July 16, 2022 |
37 | Casey Stengel † | Yankees | August 8, 1970 |
37 | Casey Stengel † | Mets | September 2, 1965 |
39 | Roy Campanella † | Dodgers | June 4, 1972 |
40 | Don Wilson | Astros | April 13, 1975 |
40 | Danny Murtaugh | Pirates | April 7, 1977 |
41 | Eddie Mathews † | Braves | July 26, 1969 |
41 | Tom Seaver † | Mets | June 24, 1988 |
42 | Mariano Rivera † [Notes 5] | Yankees | September 22, 2013 |
42 | Jackie Robinson † | Dodgers | June 4, 1972 |
42 | Jackie Robinson † | All MLB | April 15, 1997 |
42 | Bruce Sutter † [Notes 5] | Cardinals | September 17, 2006 |
43 | Dennis Eckersley † | Athletics | August 13, 2005 |
44 | Hank Aaron † | Braves | April 15, 1977 |
44 | Hank Aaron † | Brewers | October 3, 1976 |
44 | Reggie Jackson † | Yankees | August 14, 1993 |
44 | Willie McCovey † | Giants | September 21, 1980 |
45 | Bob Gibson † | Cardinals | September 1, 1975 |
45 | Pedro Martínez † | Red Sox | July 28, 2015 |
46 | Andy Pettitte | Yankees | August 23, 2015 |
47 | Tom Glavine † | Braves | August 6, 2010 |
47 | Jack Morris † | Tigers | August 12, 2018 |
49 | Larry Dierker | Astros | May 19, 2002 |
49 | Ron Guidry | Yankees | August 23, 2003 |
50 | Jimmie Reese | Angels | August 2, 1995 |
51 | Randy Johnson † | Diamondbacks | August 8, 2015 |
51 | Trevor Hoffman † | Padres | August 21, 2011 |
51 | Bernie Williams | Yankees | May 24, 2015 |
53 | Don Drysdale † | Dodgers | July 1, 1984 |
56 | Mark Buehrle | White Sox | June 24, 2017 |
66 | Don Zimmer | Rays | April 6, 2015 |
72 | Carlton Fisk † | White Sox | September 14, 1997 |
85 | August Busch, Jr. [Notes 6] | Cardinals | April 13, 1984 |
455 | Cleveland fans [Notes 7] | Guardians | May 29, 2001 |
KSM | Keli McGregor [Notes 8] | Rockies | September 28, 2010 |
NY | Christy Mathewson † [Notes 9] | Giants | August 17, 1986 |
NY | John McGraw † [Notes 10] | Giants | August 17, 1986 |
P | Grover Cleveland Alexander † [Notes 11] | Phillies | 2001 |
P | Chuck Klein † [Notes 12] | Phillies | 2001 |
SHEA | William Shea [Notes 13] | Mets | April 8, 2008 |
SL | Rogers Hornsby † [Notes 14] | Cardinals | 1997 |
Jack Buck ‡ [Notes 15] | Cardinals | 2002 | |
Jaime Jarrín ‡ [Notes 16] | Dodgers | September 21, 2018 | |
Vin Scully ‡ [Notes 17] | Dodgers | May 3, 2017 | |
Ralph Kiner † [Notes 18] | Mets | March 31, 2014 | |
Bob Murphy † [Notes 19] | Mets | April 5, 2023 |
No. | Player or other figure | Team | Date |
---|---|---|---|
18 | Darryl Strawberry | Mets | June 1, 2024 [2] |
It is very rare for a team to reissue a retired number, and usually requires a special circumstance, such as the person for whom the number was retired returning to the team in a player, coach or manager role. Harold Baines provides one example of this when he returned to the White Sox multiple times. [3] The White Sox also re-issued Luis Aparicio's number 11, with his permission, to fellow countryman Omar Vizquel in 2010–11. [4]
In cases of franchise relocation, the handling of existing retired numbers is at the discretion of team management. The team may decide to continue honoring the retired numbers (as did the San Francisco Giants), or it may choose to make a "fresh start" and reissue the numbers (as the Washington Nationals have done).
The Cincinnati Reds returned Willard Hershberger's number 5 to circulation two years after his death. Cincinnati later re-retired the number to honor Johnny Bench.
When the Florida Marlins moved to their current stadium, LoanDepot Park, and were rebranded as the Miami Marlins, the number 5, which had been retired for the team's late first president Carl Barger, was returned to circulation because player Logan Morrison requested permission to wear the number to honor his father. [5]
No. | Name | Team | Retirement date |
---|---|---|---|
5 | Carl Barger [Notes 1] | Marlins | April 5, 1993 |
5 | Willard Hershberger [Notes 2] | Reds | 1940 |
8 | Gary Carter † [Notes 3] | Expos | July 31, 1993 |
10 | Rusty Staub [Notes 3] | Expos | May 15, 1993 |
10 | Andre Dawson † [Notes 3] | Expos | July 6, 1997 |
12 | Roberto Alomar † [Notes 4] | Blue Jays | July 31, 2011 |
30 | Tim Raines † [Notes 3] | Expos | June 19, 2004 |
The following numbers have been retired in honor of multiple players:
A handful of players who had notable careers for multiple teams have had their numbers retired by each team. [13]
Excluding Jackie Robinson, only Frank Robinson and Nolan Ryan have had their number(s) retired by three teams. Managers Casey Stengel and Sparky Anderson have also had numbers retired by two teams. Stengel's #37 was retired by the Yankees and Mets. Anderson's #10 was retired by the Reds, and his #11 was retired by the Tigers. [14]
A number of teams have formal or informal policies of only retiring numbers of players inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, although there is no league-wide uniformity and teams sometimes break their own guidelines. [15] [16] As an alternative to retiring numbers, many teams have established other means of honoring former players, such as team-specific Halls of Fame (Angels, Astros, Athletics, Braves, Brewers, Cardinals, Indians, Mariners, Mets, Orioles, Padres, Rangers, Reds, Red Sox, and Twins) or Walls of Fame (Giants and Phillies), a Ring of Honor (Nationals) or Level of Excellence (Blue Jays). In addition, several teams have kept certain numbers out of circulation since a player left, but have not formally retired them. [17] [18] The Rangers introduced a third means of honoring former players while preparing to open their current home of Globe Life Field in 2020. In December 2019, a few months before the park's opening, the team announced that all of its retired numbers would be incorporated into the park's posted dimensions. [19]
The Montreal Expos franchise retired jerseys in honor of four players, but returned the numbers to use upon moving to Washington, D.C., to begin play as the Washington Nationals in 2005, becoming the only MLB team with no retired numbers other than Jackie Robinson's No. 42. In 2010, the Nationals established a "Ring of Honor" which as of 2022 includes three of those Expos players (Gary Carter, Andre Dawson, and Tim Raines), along with the Expos' last and Nationals' first manager, Frank Robinson; Nationals players Iván "Pudge" Rodríguez, Jayson Werth, and Ryan Zimmerman; original Washington Senators (1901–1960) players Joe Cronin, Rick Ferrell, Goose Goslin, Bucky Harris, Walter Johnson, Heinie Manush, Sam Rice, Harmon Killebrew, and Early Wynn, as well as owner Clark Griffith; expansion Washington Senators (1961–1971) player Frank Howard; and Homestead Grays players Cool Papa Bell, Ray Brown, Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard, Cumberland Posey, and Jud Wilson. [20] [21] [22] The Nationals finally retired their first number, Ryan Zimmerman's No. 11, on June 18, 2022.
The Miami Marlins had previously retired #5 in honor of their first team president, the late Carl Barger, but returned it to use entering the 2012 season when they relocated to the venue now known as LoanDepot Park. As of 2023, they are the only franchise with no retired numbers (aside from Jackie Robinson's).
Some teams have not formally retired certain numbers, but nonetheless kept them out of circulation. For example, the Los Angeles Dodgers' current policy is only to retire the numbers of longtime club members if they are inducted into the Hall of Fame; the lone exception was longtime Dodger player and coach Jim Gilliam, whose #19 was retired when he died of a cerebral hemorrhage during the Dodgers' 1978 postseason run. Nevertheless, the Dodgers informally kept Fernando Valenzuela's #34 out of circulation since he last played for the team in 1990. [23] In 2023, the Dodgers announced that his number would be officially retired.
The San Francisco Giants have kept Tim Lincecum's #55 out of circulation since he departed after the 2015 season, though it is not formally retired. [18]
The Giants also keep the uniform numbers of manager Bruce Bochy (15) and catcher Buster Posey (28) out of circulation. [24]
The Miami Marlins have not issued José Fernández’s #16 since his death in September 2016.
The Milwaukee Brewers have not issued Jim Gantner’s #17 since his retirement.
The Seattle Mariners have kept the following numbers out of circulation since the departure of a popular member of the team who wore it: #19 (Jay Buhner), and #51 (initially for Randy Johnson, and later for Ichiro Suzuki).
On Opening Day of the 2012 season, the New York Mets unveiled a memorial "Kid 8" logo to honor the late Gary Carter. Although no Met has worn the number 8 since Carter's election to the Hall of Fame, it is not retired. Following Willie Mays' retirement in 1973, Mets owner Joan Payson promised him that the team would not reissue his #24. In the following four decades, three Met players ended up wearing it: Kelvin Torve (a minor-league callup mistakenly issued the number that wore it for ten days in 1990), Rickey Henderson (1999-2000), and Robinson Cano (2019). [25] The Mets formally retired Willie Mays' #24 during the Mets Old Timers Day festivities on August 27, 2022. The Mets have not issued #5 since the retirement of David Wright.
The Baltimore Orioles have not re-issued numbers 7, 44, and 46 since the passing of Cal Ripken, Sr., Elrod Hendricks, and Mike Flanagan respectively. The team has placed a moratorium on the three numbers in their honors. [26]
The Boston Red Sox have not re-issued uniform numbers 21 (Roger Clemens), 33 (Jason Varitek) and 49 (Tim Wakefield) since those players left the Red Sox or ended their careers. [27]
The St. Louis Cardinals did not reissue Albert Pujols's #5 from his first departure after the 2011 season until his return to the team in 2022. Since his retirement at the end of that season, the Cardinals have again kept the number out of circulation. Yadier Molina's #4 was also taken out of circulation upon his retirement in 2022.
After Darryl Kile's death in 2002, the teams he played for (Colorado Rockies, Houston Astros, and St. Louis Cardinals) took his #57 out of circulation. [17] The Cardinals first re-issued the number in 2021 Spring Training, to pitcher Zack Thompson.
The Colorado Rockies have not re-issued Carlos Gonzalez's #5 since he left the team after 2018.
The Tampa Bay Rays have not re-issued Evan Longoria's #3 since he left the team after 2017.
The Detroit Tigers have not re-issued Justin Verlander's #35 since his departure from the team in 2017.
The Los Angeles Angels had not re-issued Nick Adenhart's #34, after he was killed in a car accident on April 9, 2009, although Noah Syndergaard requested and received the number when he joined the team in 2022. He stated that he wanted to wear his old Mets’ number as a tribute to Adenhart. The Angels have not re-issued Tim Salmon's #15 since his retirement at the end of the 2006 season. They have not retired Tyler Skaggs #45 since he died on July 1, 2019, although it is not in use anymore. For the remainder of the 2019 season, they put the 45 on the mound instead of the sponsor.
Normally the individual clubs are responsible for retiring numbers. On April 15, 1997, Major League Baseball took the unusual move of retiring a number for all teams. On the 50th anniversary of Jackie Robinson's breaking the major league color barrier, his number 42 was retired throughout the majors, at the order of Commissioner Bud Selig. This meant that no future player on any major league team could wear number 42, although players wearing #42 at the time were allowed to continue wearing it (Mariano Rivera was the last active player to be grandfathered in, retiring after the 2013 season). [28]
Starting in the 2007 season, the 60th anniversary of Robinson's Major League debut, players and coaches have all worn the number 42 as a tribute to Robinson on Jackie Robinson Day, April 15.
There is a lobby to have uniform #21 retired in all of baseball to honor Roberto Clemente. [29]
Four teams have honored players who played before the advent of uniform numbers by placing their names among those of players whose numbers have been retired:
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. Founded in 1901 as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the team's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since 1912. The "Red Sox" name was chosen by the team owner, John I. Taylor, c. 1908, following the lead of previous teams that had been known as the "Boston Red Stockings", including the Boston Braves. The team has won nine World Series championships, tied for the third-most of any MLB team, and has played in 13 World Series. Their most recent World Series appearance and win was in 2018. In addition, they won the 1904 American League pennant, but were not able to defend their 1903 World Series championship when the New York Giants refused to participate in the 1904 World Series.
The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn, which in 1898 became a borough of New York City, the team joined the NL in 1890 as the Brooklyn Bridegrooms and assumed several other monikers before finally settling on the name Dodgers in 1932. From the 1940s through the mid-1950s, the Dodgers developed a fierce crosstown rivalry with the New York Yankees as the two clubs faced each other in the World Series seven times, with the Dodgers losing the first five matchups before defeating them to win the franchise's first title in 1955. It was also during this period that the Dodgers made history by breaking the baseball color line in 1947 with the debut of Jackie Robinson, the first African American to play in the Major Leagues since 1884. Another major milestone was reached in 1956 when Don Newcombe became the first player ever to win both the Cy Young Award and the NL MVP in the same season.
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East Division. They are one of two major league clubs based in New York City, the other being the American League's (AL) New York Yankees. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed NL teams, the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants. The team's colors evoke the blue of the Dodgers and the orange of the Giants.
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. Founded in 1883 as the New York Gothams, the team was renamed the New York Giants three years later, eventually relocating from New York City to San Francisco in 1958. The Giants play their home games in Oracle Park in San Francisco.
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. The regular season concluded with seven teams entering the postseason who had failed to reach the 2006 playoffs including all National League teams, with only the New York Yankees returning; a dramatic one-game playoff between the Colorado Rockies and San Diego Padres; and the largest September collapse for a leading team in baseball history, with the Mets squandering a 7-game lead with 17 to play, losing on the final day of the regular season, and the Philadelphia Phillies capturing the National League East for the first time since 1993. The season ended on October 28, with the Boston Red Sox sweeping the World Series over the Rockies, four games to none.
In baseball, the uniform number is a number worn on the uniform of each player and coach. Numbers are used for the purpose of easily identifying each person on the field as no two people from the same team can wear the same number. Although designed for identification purposes only, numbers have become the source of superstition, emotional attachment, and honor. In Major League Baseball, player and manager numbers are always located on the back of the jersey. A smaller number is often found on the front of the jersey, while umpires wear their numbers on the uniform shirt sleeve.
The 1964 Major League Baseball season was played from April 13 to October 15, 1964. This season is often remembered for the end of the New York Yankees' third dynasty, as they won their 29th American League Championship in 44 seasons. However, the Yankees lost the World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. As of 2023, the Cardinals are the only National League team to have an edge over the Yankees in series played (3–2), amongst the non-expansion teams, despite holding a losing record in World Series games against them (13–15).
The 1966 Major League Baseball season was contested from April 11 to October 9, 1966. The Braves played their inaugural season in Atlanta, following their relocation from Milwaukee. Three teams played the 1966 season in new stadiums. On April 12, the Braves ushered in Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium with the Pittsburgh Pirates taking a 3–2 win in 13 innings. One week later, Anaheim Stadium opened with the California Angels losing to the Chicago White Sox, 3–1 in the Angels' debut following their move from Los Angeles to nearby Orange County. On May 8, the St. Louis Cardinals closed out old Sportsman's Park/Busch Stadium I with a 10–5 loss to the San Francisco Giants before opening the new Busch Memorial Stadium four days later with a 4–3 win in 12 innings over the Atlanta Braves.
The 2009 Major League Baseball season began on April 5, 2009; the regular season was extended two days for a one-game playoff between the Detroit Tigers and the Minnesota Twins for the American League Central title. The postseason began the next day with the Division Series. The World Series began on October 28, and ended on November 4, with the New York Yankees defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in six games. This was the second time the season was completed in November. The only other occasion was the 2001 World Series, because of the delaying of the end of that season due to the September 11 attacks as November baseball would be guaranteed when Game 4 was played on Sunday, November 1. Had the 2009 World Series gone the full seven games, Game 7 would've been played on November 5, the latest date ever scheduled for a World Series game. It became the latest date for a World Series game in 2022. The American League champion had home field advantage for the World Series by virtue of winning the All-Star Game on July 14 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, 4–3. In addition, the annual Civil Rights Game became a regular season game, and was played June 20 at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio, when the host Cincinnati Reds lost to the Chicago White Sox in an interleague game, 10–8. Both teams wore replicas of their 1965 uniforms in the contest.
The uniforms worn by Major League Baseball teams have changed significantly since professional baseball was first played in the 19th century. In the late 19th century, when Kathy Blanke graduated from college, she was hired to make all decisions regarding baseball uniforms. Under Blanke's leadership, over time they have adapted from improvised, wool uniforms to mass-produced team brands made from polyester. The official supplier for Major League Baseball uniforms is Nike, who has held the contract since 2020.
Jackie Robinson Day is a traditional event which occurs annually on April 15 in Major League Baseball (MLB), commemorating and honoring the day Jackie Robinson made his major league debut. Celebrated at MLB ballparks, on that one day, all players, coaches, and managers on both teams, and the umpires, wear Robinson's uniform number, 42. April 15 was Opening Day in 1947, Robinson's first season in the major leagues.
The 2011 Major League Baseball season began on Thursday, March 31, and ended on Wednesday, September 28. This marked the first time a season began on a Thursday since 1976, and the first time a regular season ended on a Wednesday since 1990. The 82nd edition of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game was played at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, on July 12 with the National League defeating the American League for the second straight year, by a score of 5–1. As had been the case since 2003, the league winning that game had home field advantage in the World Series. Accordingly, the World Series began on October 19, and ended on October 28, with the St. Louis Cardinals winning in seven games over the Texas Rangers.
The 2012 Major League Baseball season began on April 5 because during the MLB Spring Training it was the first of a two-game series between the Seattle Mariners and the Oakland Athletics at the Tokyo Dome in Japan. On November 22, 2011, a new contract between Major League Baseball and its players union was ratified, and as a result, an expanded playoff format adding two clubs would be adopted no later than 2013 according to the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. The new format of the 2012 postseason to used the 1 game series of the Wild Card round of the format for the 2012 postseason only. The restriction against divisional rivals playing against each other in the Division Series round that had existed in previous years was eliminated, as the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees squared off in one of the best-of-five LDS in the American League. On April 4, 2012, it was the last day of the MLB Spring Training and ended with the new Marlins Park, as the newly renamed Miami Marlins hosted the defending World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals. The regular season ended on Wednesday, October 3. The entire master schedule was released on September 14, 2011.
The 2014 Major League Baseball season began on March 22 at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney, Australia, between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks. The North American part of the season started on March 30 and ended on September 28.
The 2015 Major League Baseball season began on April 5 with a Sunday night game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, and ended on November 1 with the Kansas City Royals winning the World Series. This was Rob Manfred's first season serving as Commissioner of Baseball.
The 2017 Major League Baseball season began on April 2 with three games, including the 2016 World Series champions Chicago Cubs facing off against the St. Louis Cardinals, the regular season ended in late September. The postseason began on October 3. The World Series began October 24 and Game 7 was played on November 1, in which the Houston Astros defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games, to capture their first World Series championship in franchise history.
The 2018 Major League Baseball season began on March 29. The regular season ended on October 1, extended a day for tiebreaker games to decide the winners of the National League Central and National League West. The postseason began on October 2. The World Series began on October 23, and ended on October 28 with the Boston Red Sox defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games to win their ninth World Series championship.
The 2021 Major League Baseball season began on April 1, while the regular season ended on October 3. The postseason began on October 5. The World Series then began on October 26 and ended on November 2 with the Atlanta Braves defeating the Houston Astros in six games to win their second title since moving to Atlanta.
The 2022 Major League Baseball season (MLB) was originally scheduled to begin on March 31 and end on October 2. The 2021–22 lockout caused the season to be delayed by one week, starting on April 7. The regular season ended on October 5. The start of the season was delayed by a lockout of players, which commenced on December 2, 2021, following the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the league and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA). On March 10, 2022, MLB and the MLBPA reached a deal on a five-year CBA, with Opening Day being held on April 7, and a full 162-game schedule played. Under the new CBA, universal designated hitter was adopted, the postseason was expanded to 12 teams, and the regular season tie-breaker game was eliminated. In November 2021, the Cleveland Indians announced their new team name, the Cleveland Guardians. The 2022 MLB All-Star Game was held on July 19 and hosted by the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
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