Numbers in the back in baseball

[Swiss]

Everyone knows that the first numbers ever in the back were related to the batting order.

That's why Babe Ruth was #3 and Lou Gehrig was #4, batting third and fourth respectively.

But when it was the first time that appeared numbers in the back NOT related to the batting order?

Someone told me 1939 and Ted Williams' #9 (who obviously never batted ninth in the majors) but I don't believe it.

[bterreson]

Perhaps when he first started in the major leagues, he batted ninth.. bu tas he moved up to order, he wanted to save his number.

[Your Name Here]

Impossible, the pitcher always hits in the ninth hole.

[WJMorris3]

Not impossible. The pitcher USUALLY bats in the 9th position.

I have seen teams on occasion bat the pitcher 8th. In fact, remember that Babe Ruth was once a pitcher and in the World Series, bat sixth while pitching.

[pollux]

Impossible, the pitcher always hits in the ninth hole.

Dontrelle Willis hit seventh in a game this year.

[Swiss]

Not impossible.  The pitcher USUALLY bats in the 9th position.

I have seen teams on occasion bat the pitcher 8th.  In fact, remember that Babe Ruth was once a pitcher and in the World Series, bat sixth while pitching.

Well, but it was in non-numbers times... the Babe pitched in the '10s and there isn't any jersey with number around.

When Babe got his famous #3, it would between 10 and 15 years after his last pitching game for the Red Sox.

Now talking about Teddy Ballgame. I read alots of books about him and I can assure that he never in his life batted ninth. Maybe it can surprise you: Ted Williams often pitched in college and minor league games. Only he pitched 1 inning in 1940 giving 3 hits and 1 run in the majors. But he started his baseball career as hitter and always his managers thought him primarily as a hitter.

But in none of all my books I can found the why of #9 for him (er-- I've "Ted Williams" of Leigh Montville but I hadn't time yet to read it).

BTW, I'd like to know why some famous ballplayers chose their numbers. Why the Bonds' #25? Why Clemens' #22? Why Jeter's #2?

So I'm still searching who was the first ballplayer ever to wear a number in his back not relating to his batting order.

[Lee.]

Now, fluff me if I'm wrong, but I believe Bonds wore 26 in Pittsburgh, for his dad. When he moved to SF, his dad's number was already retired, so he took 25 instead.

But I could be mistaken.

[Shumway]

Now, fluff me if I'm wrong, but I believe Bonds wore 26 in Pittsburgh, for his dad. When he moved to SF, his dad's number was already retired, so he took 25 instead.

But I could be mistaken.

He wore 24 I thought in Pittsburgh.

[WSU151]

Now, fluff me if I'm wrong, but I believe Bonds wore 26 in Pittsburgh, for his dad. When he moved to SF, his dad's number was already retired, so he took 25 instead.

But I could be mistaken.

He wore 24 I thought in Pittsburgh.

He did wear 24 in Pittsburgh. 24 in San Francisco was already retired, due to some guy named Mays, I think.

[slapshot]

So I'm still searching who was the first ballplayer ever to wear a number in his back not relating to his batting order.

Eddie Gaedel?

[VitaminD]

So I'm still searching who was the first ballplayer ever to wear a number in his back not relating to his batting order.

Logic would say it was the first guy who came off the bench to play in a game. The usual starters would've had #1 through #8, the pitchers #9 (though you almost never see single-digit pitchers, but there have been exceptions I'm not going to list now) through whatever, and the subs got the rest of the numbers.

But if you mean the first person who consciously chose to be #14 or #36, you've got me there.

[jkrdevil]

BTW, I'd like to know why some famous ballplayers chose their numbers. Why the Bonds' #25? Why Clemens' #22? Why Jeter's #2?

As far as Jeter goes I think the Yankees just gave him that number. It has turned ot to be appropriate with the way he has played as the Yankees have no single digit numbers left (Jeter wears 2, Torre wears 6, and the rest are retired).

As far as Clemens goes he wore 21 with the Red Sox and Blue Jays, when he came to the Yankees Paul O'Neill already had that number and there was no way Clemens could make him give up that number as O'Neill was a very popular player. He first wore 12 with the Yankees, which was the reverse of 21. In fact I used to have a Yankees number 12 Clemens shirt. After struggling in the early part of the season he switched to 22 I guys because it was one number away from 21. When he went to Houston I guess he didn't want to change his number back to 21 so he kept 22.

[Swiss]

Now, fluff me if I'm wrong, but I believe Bonds wore 26 in Pittsburgh, for his dad. When he moved to SF, his dad's number was already retired, so he took 25 instead.

But I could be mistaken.

He wore 24 I thought in Pittsburgh.

He did wear 24 in Pittsburgh. 24 in San Francisco was already retired, due to some guy named Mays, I think.

Yes, the great (my idol) Willie Mays is Bonds' godfather. That's right, Bonds used #24 in Pitts and when was moved to SF, changed to #25 (maybe he did the same thing than Clemens: add 1 to his number).

QUOTE (Swiss @ Friday, October 21st, 2005 - 09:03:58)

So I'm still searching who was the first ballplayer ever to wear a number in his back not relating to his batting order.

Logic would say it was the first guy who came off the bench to play in a game. The usual starters would've had #1 through #8, the pitchers #9 (though you almost never see single-digit pitchers, but there have been exceptions I'm not going to list now) through whatever, and the subs got the rest of the numbers.

But if you mean the first person who consciously chose to be #14 or #36, you've got me there.

Your logic answered big part of my question. So there were the benched men in those days the first men ever to wear from #10 until up.

But... of course, who would be the first ballplayer to chose conscously a number so typic of the bench?

Ted Williams? But I think that Lefty Grove and Jimmy Foxx from the A's already had numbers that ran away from #1-#9.

Where I can search all the numbers of famous ballplayers?

In this exclusive Red Sox website I can find some famous ballplayer wearing #10 (Muddy Ruel in 1931), #15 (Rube Walberg 1934-37) and #17 (Herb Pennock 1934). I think they are now Hall of Famers.

Maybe they (already being famous) chose those numbers.

[VitaminD]

Where I can search all the numbers of famous ballplayers?

Many MLB teams list all-time compilations of every player to wear a number in their team's history. It may be more time-consuming to look this way, team by team, but you'll find your answers eventually.

And BTW, I think Barry Bonds also wore #7 at the very start of his Pirates' career. Somewhere in my stuff I have baseball card to support this. But me and the wife are moving soon, so I know I can't find it for a few weeks, and I won't look by the time I could find it...

[BBTV]

BTW, I'd like to know why some famous ballplayers chose their numbers. Why the Bonds' #25? Why Clemens' #22? Why Jeter's #2?

As far as Jeter goes I think the Yankees just gave him that number. It has turned ot to be appropriate with the way he has played as the Yankees have no single digit numbers left (Jeter wears 2, Torre wears 6, and the rest are retired).

As far as Clemens goes he wore 21 with the Red Sox and Blue Jays, when he came to the Yankees Paul O'Neill already had that number and there was no way Clemens could make him give up that number as O'Neill was a very popular player. He first wore 12 with the Yankees, which was the reverse of 21. In fact I used to have a Yankees number 12 Clemens shirt. After struggling in the early part of the season he switched to 22 I guys because it was one number away from 21. When he went to Houston I guess he didn't want to change his number back to 21 so he kept 22.

I think when Pettit signed with Houston, he took 21 partially because he loved Clemens so much. When Clemens signed there, he kept 22 instead of getting Pettit to change.

[sj32]

I'm not sure when numbering players via their spots in the batting order went out, but it seemed to be pretty institutionalized based on the 1934 All-Star game. If you look at film of Carl Hubbell striking out Ruth, Gehrig, Foxx, Simmons and Cronin in order during that game, you will notice that Ruth and Gehrig are wearing their normal "3" and "4". Foxx, who wore #3 for the Philadelphia A's in 1934, appears to have a piece of fabric with a "5" on it pinned to the back of his uniform.

[Lee.]

Now, fluff me if I'm wrong, but I believe Bonds wore 26 in Pittsburgh, for his dad. When he moved to SF, his dad's number was already retired, so he took 25 instead.

But I could be mistaken.

He wore 24 I thought in Pittsburgh.

He did wear 24 in Pittsburgh. 24 in San Francisco was already retired, due to some guy named Mays, I think.

Yes, the great (my idol) Willie Mays is Bonds' godfather. That's right, Bonds used #24 in Pitts and when was moved to SF, changed to #25 (maybe he did the same thing than Clemens: add 1 to his number).

I knew it was something along those lines.

Somebody's gettin' laid!

[Your Name Here]

Well I feel like somewhat of a stupid @#$%ing idiot. Where have I been?

[Swiss]

Very good answers my folks! Thanks.

[mjrbaseball]

A lot of times in the minor leagues, equipment managers will hand out whatever uniforms they have on hand that fit, and whatever the number is, that's what the player gets. (At least it used to be that way.) And if a player is any good, he may feel lucky with it and ask to keep it later on.

And in Spring Training, rookies usually get really high numbers, then eventually when they make the majors they will trade it for a lower number.