# First pro player with an unusual number? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 30, 2005, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-pro-player-with-an-unusual-number/328549 "2005-10-30T03:24:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-pro-player-with-an-unusual-number/328549/1 "2005-10-30T03:24:55Z")
I remember when hockey players numbers were always below 36, and baseball players always seemed to be under 50, and basketball under 40. (I might be off a bit with my original numbering ranges.) Who was the first professional sports player to break the traditional jersey numbering system? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-pro-player-with-an-unusual-number/328549/2 "2005-10-30T03:47:43Z")
[Eddie Gaedel](http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/G/Gaedel_Eddie.stm) wore number 1/8 in 1951. ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-pro-player-with-an-unusual-number/328549/3 "2005-10-30T03:58:32Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > [Eddie Gaedel](http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/G/Gaedel_Eddie.stm) wore number 1/8 in 1951. LOL. Good one!!! OK, how about a player that was a regular on the roster? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-pro-player-with-an-unusual-number/328549/4 "2005-10-30T04:05:09Z")
> [@ccwaterback](#): > > LOL. Good one!!! OK, how about a player that was a regular on the roster? I wanna say Wayne Gretzky, who wore number 99 from the beginning of (at least) his career, but I’m probably wrong. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-pro-player-with-an-unusual-number/328549/5 "2005-10-30T04:32:00Z")
Al Oliver wore a zero. His career began in 1968, but I can’t be sure when he started wearing that number. Any takers on that bit of research? ---
**Author:** ![Loopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loopus/32/15343_2.png) [@Loopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopus)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-pro-player-with-an-unusual-number/328549/6 "2005-10-30T04:50:16Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > Al Oliver wore a zero. His career began in 1968, but I can’t be sure when he started wearing that number. Any takers on that bit of research? According to [Baseball Almanac](http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=oliveal01) (all the way at the bottom), he started wearing number 0 in 1978. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-pro-player-with-an-unusual-number/328549/7 "2005-10-30T05:55:46Z")
There was an old guy named Joe that wore 3.1416 some time back. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-pro-player-with-an-unusual-number/328549/8 "2005-10-30T05:55:49Z")
Jim Otto, center for the AFL Raiders, wore number 00 starting in 1961 or 1962. ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-pro-player-with-an-unusual-number/328549/9 "2005-10-30T06:45:53Z")
> [@This Year's Model](#): > > I wanna say Wayne Gretzky, who wore number 99 from the beginning of (at least) his career, but I’m probably wrong. I seem to remember hearing that Gretzky was wearing #14 when playing junior, but switched to #99 pretty soon. Also, I have seen goaltender [Martin Biron](http://www.nhl.com/players/8462047.html) wear #00; I think it was during his first season. He doesn’t wear this number anymore. I also remember reading that some 60s-70s hockey player has worn #111. I don’t know which player, but I think it was either in the minor leagues or in the World Hockey Association. Sorry I can’t be more of help; maybe someone will come with more information. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-pro-player-with-an-unusual-number/328549/10 "2005-10-30T06:46:14Z")
Bill Voiselle, a pitcher for the Giants, Braves, and Cubs from 1942-50, wore #96 in honor of his home town of Ninety-Six, SC. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-pro-player-with-an-unusual-number/328549/11 "2005-10-30T07:15:14Z")
> [@severus](#): > > I seem to remember hearing that Gretzky was wearing #14 when playing junior, but switched to #99 pretty soon. Gretzky took up #99 in the OHL; he’d always tried to get 9, that being Gordie Howe’s number, but it was already taken when he joined the Soo Greyhounds, so he figured 99 was twice as good. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-pro-player-with-an-unusual-number/328549/12 "2005-10-30T07:52:56Z")
The baseball players with the highest numbers I can think of are Jim Bouton (56) and Don Drysdale (53). Football quarterbacks seem to wear 12 a lot, and other positions wear much higher numbers (Mean Joe Greene was 75, for example). Hockey Goalie Gump Worsley wore #1. ---
**Author:** ![raindog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-pro-player-with-an-unusual-number/328549/13 "2005-10-30T11:25:49Z")
I’ll bet there were many pitchers who had numbers in the 50’s. Wasn’t Oral Hersheiser (sp?) number 55? ---
**Author:** ![cstamets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/958977/32.png) [@cstamets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cstamets)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-pro-player-with-an-unusual-number/328549/14 "2005-10-30T14:30:09Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > Football quarterbacks seem to wear 12 a lot, and other positions wear much higher numbers (Mean Joe Greene was 75, for example). > Hockey Goalie Gump Worsley wore #1. Jersey numbers in pro football are dictated by the position of the player. For a simplified example (meaning I may not be 100% accurate, but it’s close enough to show what I mean), quaterbacks are under 20, running backs are in the 30s and 40s, wide receivers and tight ends are in the 80s, defensive linemen are in the 90s, offensive linemen are 60s and 70s. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-pro-player-with-an-unusual-number/328549/15 "2005-10-30T14:52:51Z")
A rule in pro basketball that was tossed in the early 90’s required players numbers must be able to be shown by hand by the referees. Thus the only numbers that could be used were 1-15, 20-25, 30-35, 40-45, and 50-55. This way the ref could show the official scorekeeper the number of a player that committed a foul with his hands. There were a few exceptions, those players had to petition the NBA to use the numbers. If KA Jabbar, #33 committed a foul, the ref would hold up 3 fingers on each hand with his hands spread apart. If it was Julius Erving, #6, the ref would hold up 3 fingers on each hand with his hands next to each other. The refs now must go to the scorer’s table and tell the scorekeeper who committed a foul. Many refs still do the number thing with their hands. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-pro-player-with-an-unusual-number/328549/16 "2005-10-30T15:16:55Z")
> [@the raindog](#): > > I’ll bet there were many pitchers who had numbers in the 50’s. > > Wasn’t Oral Hersheiser (sp?) number 55? This isn’t new; Don Drysdale wore 53. Lots of baseball players have numbers in the 50s. On the NY Yankees 40-man roster, for example, there are 9 players with numbers above 50, the highest currently being pitcher Jorge de Paula with 61. While pitchers tend to have higher numbers than position players, among outfielders Bernie Williams wears 51, Hideki Matsui 55, and Mike Vento 58. Of course, the Yankees have fewer numbers available than most teams, having retired all of their single-digit numbers but 2 and 6. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-pro-player-with-an-unusual-number/328549/17 "2005-10-30T15:48:43Z")
Red Grange was #77 in college, and when he turned pro in 1925? he continued to wear # 77 for da Bears. Wouldn’t this be considered outside of the traditional numbering system? ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-pro-player-with-an-unusual-number/328549/18 "2005-10-30T16:05:16Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Gretzky took up #99 in the OHL; he’d always tried to get 9, that being Gordie Howe’s number, but it was already taken when he joined the Soo Greyhounds, so he figured 99 was twice as good. OK. Do you know if he was using #9 or #14 (or something else) before joining the OHL? > [@dougie\_monty](#): > > Hockey Goalie Gump Worsley wore #1. Many goaltenders have worn and still wear #1, it’s in fact a traditional number for them and I think only them wear this number. Numbers from 30 to 39 are also frequently used by goaltenders. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-pro-player-with-an-unusual-number/328549/19 "2005-10-30T16:14:43Z")
> [@severus](#): > > I seem to remember hearing that Gretzky was wearing #14 when playing junior, but switched to #99 pretty soon. Yeah. My sentence would have made a lot more sense if I had typed, “from the beginning of (at least) his **pro** career,” as my brain was frantically screaming at my oblivious fingers. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-pro-player-with-an-unusual-number/328549/20 "2005-10-30T16:15:29Z")
I’m not so sure that Gretzky was even the first hockey player to wear number 99. I know for sure that Wilf Paiement wore 99, I’m just not sure if it was before or after Gretzky came into the league. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-pro-player-with-an-unusual-number/328549.md?page=2)