Numbers Games

It Took Time for Uniform Numbers
 to Become Part of Baseball  

By DEAN LOLLIS

   Baseball is a world of numbers. However, numbers haven't always been a part of the players' uniforms. 

   On January 22, 1929, the New York Yankees became the first team to use numbers on uniforms. Their reasoning was that fans in the stands would have an easier time recognizing players on the field if they could use the numbers for reference. The first numbering system was simple. Players were assigned numbers based on where they batted in the lineup. For example, Babe Ruth batted third, so he wore No. 3. By the mid-1930s, numbers had caught on with all teams in baseball. 

   Here's the Yankees lineup from 1929: leadoff hitter Earle Combs wore #1, Mark Koenig #2, Babe Ruth #3, Lou Gehrig #4, Bob Meusel #5, Tony Lazzeri #6, Leo Durocher #7, Johnny Grabowski #8, Benny Bengough #9, Bill Dickey #10 (Grabowski, Bengough and Dickey shared the catching duties). 
 

*Dickey, Benbough and Grabowski shared the catching duties.

Here's a look at some of the retired numbers in baseball: 

• 1 - The number of numbers retired by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (12 - Wade Boggs), the Texas Rangers (34 - Nolan Ryan),  and the Florda Marlins (5 - Team president Carl Barger) 

• 2 - Players' numbers retired by the Chicago Cubs, one of the oldest teams in the league. The Cubs have retired the numbers of Ernie Banks (14) and Billy Williams (26). 

• 2 - Teams that have retired numbers for their owners. The Anaheim Angels retired 26 in honor of Gene Autry and the St. Louis Cardinals, 85, in honor of August Busch Jr. 

• 3 - One of the most retired numbers with baseball teams. The number has been retired by Atlanta (Dale Murphy), Chicago AL (Harold Baines), Cleveland (Earl Averill), Minnesota (Harmon Killebrew), New York AL (Babe Ruth) and San Francisco (Bill Terry). 

• 4 - The retired numbers of Earl Weaver (Baltimore), Joe Cronin (Boston), Luke Appling (Chicago AL), Duke Snider (Los Angeles), Paul Molitor (Milwaukee),  New York AL (Lou Gehrig), Ralph Kiner (Pittsburgh) and Mell Ott (San Francisco). 

• 4 - Teams that have retired no numbers - Arizona, Colorado, Seattle and Toronto. 

• 4 - The number of managers with retired numbers who did not play for the team that retired their number. 

• 9 - Numbers retired by the San Francisco Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals. 

• 10 - Numbers retired by the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

• 15 - Individuals honored by the New York Yankees with retired numbers -- the most for any team in baseball. 

• 18 - The number of managers who were players for the team that retired their number. 

• 24 - Total number of managers with numbers retired by Major League teams. 

• 37 - The number of manager Casey Stengel. The number was retired in 1970 by both the New York Yankees and the New York Mets. 

• 42 - The only number retired by Major League Baseball. The number was retired in 1997 to honor Jackie Robinson's breaking of the color barrier. 

Dean Lollis is webmaster for Historic Baseball.