# Sports Numbers list **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 24, 2005, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-numbers-list/318473 "2005-08-24T19:34:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-numbers-list/318473/1 "2005-08-24T19:34:20Z")
This is going to be an awfully long list to build so we’ll keep it at 1-99. For each number, 1 thru 99, what sports figure is most recognized with that number or should be attached to that number. For instance: 3 Dale Earnhardt 10 Babe Ruth (3?) 13 Dan Marino 16 Joe Montana 23 Michael Jordan 44 Reggie Jackson 99 Wayne Gretzky (Sorry Lance Armstrong, Jesse Owens, Pete Sampras, Tiger Woods. No jersey number, no on the list.) ---
**Author:** ![hendy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3bc359/32.png) [@hendy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hendy)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-numbers-list/318473/2 "2005-08-24T19:53:26Z")
1 - Ozzie Smith 2 - Derek Jeter 4 - Brett Favre 32 - Shaq 33 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 34 - Walter Payton 92 - Reggie White ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-numbers-list/318473/3 "2005-08-24T19:59:12Z")
66 - Mario Lemieux Who do we give #9 to? Maurice Richard, or Gordie Howe? ---
**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:** [August 24, 2005, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-numbers-list/318473/4 "2005-08-24T20:06:36Z")
> [@Rysto](#): > > Who do we give #9 to? Maurice Richard, or Gordie Howe? I think that would be an argument for us Canadians, however Americans would probably lean towards somebody like Ted Williams. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-numbers-list/318473/5 "2005-08-24T20:35:13Z")
3 - Babe Ruth 23 - Michael Jordan 53 - Herbie ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-numbers-list/318473/6 "2005-08-24T20:44:17Z")
22-Emmitt Smith 19-Bernie Kosar. Go Bernie! 🙂 #8 is just going to be brutal… ---
**Author:** ![Notorious\_Nik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/858c86/32.png) [@Notorious\_Nik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Notorious_Nik)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-numbers-list/318473/7 "2005-08-24T20:55:12Z")
#80- Jerry Rice #29- Kevin Harvick ---
**Author:** ![want2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@want2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2know)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-numbers-list/318473/8 "2005-08-24T20:57:24Z")
> [@kidchameleon](#): > > 22-Emmitt Smith > 19-Bernie Kosar. Go Bernie! 🙂 > > #8 is just going to be brutal… 8-Yogi Berra42-Jackie Robinson 72-Carlton Fisk 51-Dick Butkus 41-Tom Seaver ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-numbers-list/318473/9 "2005-08-24T21:03:12Z")
7 Mickey Mantle. (Geoge Costanza would be horrified that this hasn’t been posted already.) ---
**Author:** ![want2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@want2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2know)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-numbers-list/318473/10 "2005-08-24T21:04:50Z")
> [@](#): > > 44 Reggie Jackson As much of a Reggie fan as I am, #44 should rightfully belong to the man for whom Reggie wore it as a tribute: **Henry Aaron**.Just MHO, ya unnerstand. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-numbers-list/318473/11 "2005-08-24T21:15:17Z")
> [@Rysto](#): > > Who do we give #9 to? Maurice Richard, or Gordie Howe? Bobby Hull. 😉 Just for fun, here are a couple of unusual ones: 1A - Secretariat 1/8 - Eddie Gaedel ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-numbers-list/318473/12 "2005-08-24T21:18:00Z")
> [@want2know](#): > > 8-Yogi Berra Around here, 8 definitely goes to Cal Ripken. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-numbers-list/318473/13 "2005-08-24T21:18:55Z")
4 - Bobby Orr 10 - Pele 24 - Jeff Gordon 77 - Ray Bourque 80 - Jerry Rice I think Orr has Favre by a hair. Just my opinion though. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-numbers-list/318473/14 "2005-08-24T21:20:41Z")
1 = Ozzie Smith 2 = Jeter 3 = Ruth (First man to wear #3) 4 = Gehrig (First Number ever retired) 5 = DiMaggio (Only in NY area probably) 7 = Mantle (Very famous picture of Mantle with number 7 on back) 8 = Yogi Berra (Only in NY area probably) 13 = Dan Marino 16 = Joe Montana 23 = Michael Jordan 42 = Jackie Robinson (Retired throughout baseball) 56 = LT - Lawrence Taylor (Only in NY area probably) 72 = Carlton Fisk (Such a High number for so famous a player, it stood out) Note: Yankees are the team that introduced Uniform Numbers. Where did you get 10 for Ruth from? He was either no # or 3 entire career. Even Boston Braves gave him 3 as he was so famous for it. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-numbers-list/318473/15 "2005-08-24T21:23:54Z")
> [@kidchameleon](#): > > 19-Bernie Kosar. Go Bernie! 🙂 19 - Johnny Unitas. ---
**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:** [August 24, 2005, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-numbers-list/318473/16 "2005-08-24T22:27:16Z")
0 - [George Plimpton](http://espn-att.starwave.com/i/media/nfl/2003/0926/photo/plimpton_i.jpg) 37: Casey Stengel AFAIK, only his number and Gehrig’s were never issued to another player for the team that retired it (Ruth’s #3 was used by several players before it was returned, including one Hall of Famer). Joe “Ducky” Medwick wore it for the Yankees in spring training of 1947. > [@](#): > > Note: Yankees are the team that introduced Uniform Numbers. Not strictly true. The Cleveland Indians did it several years earlier, but were ridiculed so much for it that they dropped the idea. ---
**Author:** ![Kid\_A\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Kid\_A\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kid_A_1)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-numbers-list/318473/17 "2005-08-24T22:58:37Z")
[espn.com](http://espn.com) did a list with all the numbers including 0 and 00. Unfortunately, I can’t find it now. Some of those numbers between 50 and 79 were tough to do if I recall. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-numbers-list/318473/18 "2005-08-24T23:00:43Z")
> [@Kid\_A](#): > > [espn.com](http://espn.com) did a list with all the numbers including 0 and 00. Unfortunately, I can’t find it now. Some of those numbers between 50 and 79 were tough to do if I recall. Here is the complete Yankee List [http://www.ultimateyankees.com/yankeeplayernumbers.htm](http://www.ultimateyankees.com/yankeeplayernumbers.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-numbers-list/318473/19 "2005-08-25T04:17:35Z")
14 - Johan Cruyff ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-numbers-list/318473/20 "2005-08-25T05:00:31Z")
> [@jrfranchi](#): > > 56 = LT - Lawrence Taylor (Only in NY area probably) That’s the number I came in to say, and I doubt it would be confined to the NY area. (Though certainly more prevalent here.) I third Jerry Rice for #80. And 34 for Sweetness? Oh hell yeah. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-numbers-list/318473.md?page=2)