When Babe Ruth hit home run No. 60 on Sept. 30, 1927, he was wearing, well, nothing on his back. Jersey numbers became common after the Depression, and the Yankees didnt officially decide to wear them until Opening Day 1929.
On May 13 of that year, in a game between the Yankees and Indians, major league baseball played its first game in which both teams wore numbers at the same time. By 1933, all big-league players wore uniform numbers.
Ruth was a lock at No. 3 when we crunched the data for the best performers in baseball at each number. We based our decisions on a combination of statistics, impact on the game and a teams success during the players years. For research we culled through dozens and dozens of media guides, some terrific baseball Web sites, as well as archived stories from the Sports Illustrated library.
There was immeasurable help from one of the great books on the subject, “Now Batting Number…The Mystique, Superstition, and Lore of Baseballs Uniform Numbers” by Jack Looney. Ace photo editor David Kaye painstakingly sorted through hundreds of s and built the galleries of the chosen few.
For those players who switched numbers during their career, we based our decision on how they performed at that specific number. Thus, Padres closer Trevor Hoffman is listed as “worthy of consideration” at 51 but not at 34 (which he wore for one unremarkable season, in 1993).
We decided to list only the numbers where a player had achieved a certain level of success. Thus, we omitted many numbers above 63. (Apologies to fans of Brewers pitcher Seth McClung, who currently wears No. 73).
Its worth noting that no number greater than 54 has been retired, with the exception of Carlton Fisks No. 72 with the White Sox. Phillies outfielder So Taguchi owns the highest number (99) in baseball today. Dodgers reliever Joe Beimel wears his number (97) as a tribute to his son, Drew, who was born in 1997. Also worth noting are the many famous players who never had a uniform number, including Ty Cobb, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Christy Mathewson and Cy Young.
The toughest calls? Kirby Puckett over David Ortiz (No. 34), Bob Gibson over Pedro Martinez (45), Jack Morris over Tom Glavine (47) and Ichiro over Randy Johnson (51). You can flip a coin between Puckett and Ortiz but we gave the late Puckett the nod for his brilliant all-around play in two World Series. Glavine has more career wins but few were better than Morris in big games. Click here to vote in a FanNation throwdown about Puckett and Ortiz.
The easiest choices? Ruth (3), Lou Gehrig (4), Mickey Mantle (7), Ted Williams (9), Don Drysdale (53) and Rich Gossage (54). Eddie Gaedel was also a lock at 1/8.
The number worn by the most stars? JoeDiMaggio, Johnny Bench, Jeff Bagwell, Lou Boudreau, George Brett, Nomar Garciaparra, Hank Greenberg,Albert Pujolsand Brooks Robinson all wore No. 5. Cal Ripken, Yogi Berra, Gary Carter, Bill Dickey, Joe Morgan, Willie Stargell and Carl Yastrzemski are famous No. 8s.
In our three photo galleries of the selections, we listed our runner-up choice and others who were worthy of consideration for the top spot. SI.coms Bryan Grahamalso offers an argument for Mariano Rivera (42) over Jackie Robinson. No doubt youll disagree with some of our choices and we look forward to reading your arguments on FanNation.
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What number was Shoeless Joe Jackson on the White Sox?
| Shoeless Joe Jackson | |
|---|---|
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .356 |
| Hits | 1,772 |
How did Joe get the nickname “Shoeless”??Back in 1908 Joe was playing for a team in his hometown of Greenville, South Carolina and he had bought a new pair of spikes. He had worn the spikes one day and the next day his team was playing the Anderson, South Carolinateam. The new pair of spikes had rubbed blisters on Joe’s feet, so he wanted to sit this game out, however his team was short some players and Joe had to play. Joe tried to play in the new spikes but they hurt hisfeet real bad. During one inning Joe took the spikes off and played in just his socks, he came up to bat and hit a triple and as he was pulling up at third an Anderson fan hollered “You shoeless son of a gun you!” It was theonly day Joe played in his stockinged feet, but the name stuck forever. Joe did not like this handle he carried all his life, but that is how the world knew him……”Shoeless” Joe Jackson.
| Player | 1919 Salary | 1920 Salary | % Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buck Weaver | $6,000.00 | $7,250.00 (2 yrs.+) | 21% |
| Joe Jackson | $6,000.00 | $8,000.00 (3 yrs.) | 33% |
| Eddie Cicotte | $5,000.00 | $10,000.00 | 100% |
| Lefty Williams | $3,000.00 | $6,000.00+ | 100% |
| Happy Felsch | $3,750.00 | $7,000.00 | 87% |
| Swede Risberg | $2,500.00 | $3,200.00 | 30% |
| Fred McMullin | $2,750.00 | $3,600.00 | 31% |
In 1919, the last year Joe Jackson played professional baseball, numbers were not standard on Uniforms. They would not become so until the 1930s, with virtually all teams wearing them by 1937.
Its worth noting that no number greater than 54 has been retired, with the exception of Carlton Fisks No. 72 with the White Sox. Phillies outfielder So Taguchi owns the highest number (99) in baseball today. Dodgers reliever Joe Beimel wears his number (97) as a tribute to his son, Drew, who was born in 1997. Also worth noting are the many famous players who never had a uniform number, including Ty Cobb, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Christy Mathewson and Cy Young.
On May 13 of that year, in a game between the Yankees and Indians, major league baseball played its first game in which both teams wore numbers at the same time. By 1933, all big-league players wore uniform numbers.
When Babe Ruth hit home run No. 60 on Sept. 30, 1927, he was wearing, well, nothing on his back. Jersey numbers became common after the Depression, and the Yankees didnt officially decide to wear them until Opening Day 1929.
There was immeasurable help from one of the great books on the subject, “Now Batting Number…The Mystique, Superstition, and Lore of Baseballs Uniform Numbers” by Jack Looney. Ace photo editor David Kaye painstakingly sorted through hundreds of s and built the galleries of the chosen few.
In our three photo galleries of the selections, we listed our runner-up choice and others who were worthy of consideration for the top spot. SI.coms Bryan Grahamalso offers an argument for Mariano Rivera (42) over Jackie Robinson. No doubt youll disagree with some of our choices and we look forward to reading your arguments on FanNation.
FAQ
What was Shoeless Joe Jackson’s number on the White Sox?
Why is Shoeless Joe Jackson’s signature so rare?
As a result of Jackson’s relative illiteracy there are scant few authentic examples of his autograph known to exist. To date, the offered Jackson signed image is the lone surviving example of any type. Jackson’s wife signed for him after his playing days ended.
Why is Joe Jackson called Shoeless?
Baseball legend Joseph Jefferson Jackson (1887-1951) got his start in the textile league with the Greenville Spinners. It was here he got his nickname “Shoeless Joe,” for running the bases in his stocking feet after a new pair of spikes rubbed blisters on his feet.
How far could Shoeless Joe Jackson throw a baseball?