# Retired Uniform Numbers **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 14, 2000, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retired-uniform-numbers/36910 "2000-10-14T19:01:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Winnowill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4491bb/32.png) [@Winnowill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winnowill)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retired-uniform-numbers/36910/41 "2001-02-07T19:00:11Z")
I live in Phoenix - home of the three-year-old Arizona Diamondbacks. We have no retirees, nor players who have made enough of an impact (yet) to warrant retiring their numbers (although I see The Big Unit’s #51 going up on the wall someday). And yet, on Opening Day, 1998, there on the outfield wall was a retired number! They hadn’t even played a game, yet. The Cleveland Indians (my “regular” team) signed Larry Doby not long after Branch Rickey signed Robinson. Doby was the first black player in the AL, he went through as much or more than Robinson did, and he’s still alive. It might have been nice for him to have gotten some nation-wide recognition in '97, too (retire Robinson’s number in the NL and Doby’s in the AL, say). The Indians have retired his number. And nobody can say that the Indians retire numbers without proper consideration. As for Martin and the rest of the Yankees… well, [Rick Reilly](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/magazine/life_of_reilly/news/1999/10/26/life_of_reilly/) says it better than I could… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retired-uniform-numbers/36910/42 "2001-02-08T00:37:13Z")
Here is the list of all retired baseball uniform numbers from [http://baseball1.com/bb-data/bbd-run.html](http://baseball1.com/bb-data/bbd-run.html) My feelings (using Zev’s ratings): Major League Baseball Jackie Robinson 42 no question Anaheim Angels Gene Autry (Owner) 26 kind of sucking up, isn’t it? Rod Carew 29 passable. Better for Minnesota. Nolan Ryan 30 justified Jimmie Reese (Coach) 50 don’t know this one. It seems to be a general “service to the club” award, not for his stats on the field. Atlanta Braves Dale Murphy 3 justified Warren Spahn 21 justified Phil Niekro 35 Passable Eddie Matthews 41 Passable Henry Aaron 44 no question Baltimore Orioles Earl Weaver (Manager) 4 justified Brooks Robinson 5 justified Frank Robinson (Player,Mgr.) 20 no question Jim Palmer 22 no question Eddie Murray 33 passable Boston Red Sox Bobby Doerr 1 passable Joe Cronin (Player, Mgr.) 4 justified Carl Yastrzemski 8 no question Ted Williams 9 no question Chicago Cubs Ernie Banks 14 no question Billy Williams 26 unjustified. A good ballplayer, but not a great one Chicago White Sox Nellie Fox 2 passable Harold Baines 3 unjustified Luke Appling 4 passable Minnie Minoso 9 passable Luis Aparicio 11 passable Ted Lyons (Player, Mgr.) 16 unjustified Billy Pierce 19 unjustified Carlton Fisk 72 unjustified. It should be the Red Sox doing this. Cincinnati Reds Fred Hutchinson (Manager) 1 Passable, though his death from cancer was a factor here. Johnny Bench 5 no question Joe Morgan 8 no question Ted Kluszewski 18 unjustified. Not much more than longevity. Frank Robinson 20 justified Cleveland Indians Earl Averill 3 unjustified Lou Boudreau (Player,Mgr.) 5 justified Larry Doby 14 passable Mel Harder (Player, Mgr.) 18 unjustified Bob Feller 19 no question Bob Lemon 21 justified Detroit Tigers Charlie Gehringer 2 justified Hank Greenberg 5 no question Al Kaline 6 justified Hal Newhouser 16 passable Florida Marlins Carl Barger (Executive) 5 unjustified. What did he do **on** the field? Houston Astros Jose Cruz 25 unjustified Jim Umbricht 32 unjustified Mike Scott 33 unjustified. Only a couple of good years. Nolan Ryan 34 no question Don Wilson 40 unjustified. Sad the man died, but no. Kansas City Royals George Brett 5 no question Dick Howser (Manager) 10 passable Frank White 20 unjustified. Not enough of a star. Los Angeles Dodgers Pee Wee Reese 1 justified Tommy Lasorda (Player,Mgr.)2 passable Duke Snider 4 justified. People forget that in the early years he was the equal of Mays or Mantle. Jim Gilliam 19 unjustified. Longevity only. Don Sutton 20 passable. Mostly longevity, though he’s in the HOF Walter Alston (Manager) 24 justified Sandy Koufax 32 no question Roy Campanella 39 justified Jackie Robinson 42 no question Don Drysdale 53 justified Milwaukee Brewers Robin Yount 19 justified Rollie Fingers 34 passable Henry Aaron 44 passable, though this should only be Atlanta Minnesota Twins Harmon Killebrew 3 justified Tony Oliva 6 justified Kent Hrbek 14 passable Rod Carew 29 justified Kirby Puckett 34 justified Montreal Expos Gary Carter 8 passable, especially if he makes HOF Rusty Staub 10 passable Andre Dawson 10 passable New York Mets Gil Hodges (Player, Mgr.) 14 passable Casey Stengel (Manager) 37 passable Tom Seaver 41 no question New York Yankees I’ll skip these Oakland Athletics Catfish Hunter 27 passable Rollie Fingers 34 passable Philadelphia Phillies Richie Ashburn 1 passable Mike Schmidt 20 justified Steve Carlton 32 no question Robin Roberts 36 passable Pittsburgh Pirates Billy Meyer (Manager) 1 unjustified. Just service. Ralph Kiner 4 passable Willie Stargell 8 justified Bill Mazeroski 9 passable, primarily on one particular home run Pie Traynor (Player, Mgr.) 20 justified Roberto Clemente 21 no question whatsoever Honus Wagner (Player, Mgr.) 33 no question Danny Murtaugh (Player, Mgr.) 40 unjustified. San Diego Padres Steve Garvey 6 unjustified. Garvey was a Dodger. Randy Jones 35 unjustified. One Cy Young and he’s traded a few years later. San Francisco Giants Christy Mathewson - no question John McGraw (Player, Mgr.) - no question Bill Terry (Player, Mgr.) 3 no question Mel Ott (Player, Mgr.) 4 justified Carl Hubbell 11 justified Willie Mays 24 no question Juan Marichal 27 justified Willie McCovey 44 justified St. Louis Cardinals These have been discussed. Texas Rangers Nolan Ryan 34 OK ---
**Author:** ![shimmery](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@shimmery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shimmery)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retired-uniform-numbers/36910/43 "2001-02-08T02:09:37Z")
**RealityChuck** , not that it’s my personal opinion but my brother is making me post this … (seriously, he is standing right here threatening to beat me up). He wants me to say that a lot of your "passable"s are unquestionables. (sorry!) I don’t really know a lot about baseball history so I can’t say. (…he liked your link though…) ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retired-uniform-numbers/36910/44 "2001-02-08T04:10:44Z")
Wow! Thanks for the complete list, **RealityChuck**. Also kudos in order for opening up a lot of debate. (Mike Schmidt only “justified”? Keep quiet about that one in Philly.) ---
**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:** [February 8, 2001, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retired-uniform-numbers/36910/45 "2001-02-08T05:04:03Z")
Here are the career stats for Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. Name: Games Played Goals Assists Pts. Pts/Game Gretzky 1487 \*894 \*1963 \*2857 1.921 Lemieux 761 629 817 1526 \*2.005 - denotes league record Gretzky holds all the single season records (goals, assists, points). However, Lemieux does have the highest points per game average and a higher goals per game average. The stats seem to indicate that they were pretty equal in terms of production. You must also take into account that Gretzky had the luxury of playing with Messier, Anderson, Kurri and Coffey. Also, FTR, the Montreal Canadiens have 7 retired numbers: 1 Jacques Plante 2 Doug Harvey 4 Jean Beliveau 7 Howie Morenz 9 Maurice “Rocket” Richard 10 Guy Lafleur 16 Henri “Pocket Rocket” Richard [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retired-uniform-numbers/36910.md?page=2)