What's in a number? No uniform answer

[dasox24]

What's in a number? No uniform answer

 

July 11, 2004

 

BY JENNIFER JONES Staff Reporter

 

 

When baseball players take a number, they hope it sticks and does not create a sticky situation.

 

When asked the significance of the figure on their uniform, many of the Cubs and White Sox said it had no meaning and was just what they were given by the team.

 

If the players are lucky and their number is available, they tend to go for continuity, choosing the number they always have had in the major leagues, the minor leagues, college or high school. But they could lose it if they are sent back down to the minors or if a big-name player arrives who is affiliated with that number.

 

Cubs outfielder Moises Alou, who wears 18, considers himself a winner in the numbers game.

 

''When I got called up to the big leagues in Montreal, they gave me that number and I was kind of impressed'' he said.

 

''A rookie with number 18. I remember [Darryl] Strawberry had the number at the time and I was very proud of it. Usually, when you get called up in spring training you get the 50s or 60s.

 

''When I got called up to Montreal, I never went back to the minor leagues. Every team I went to after that, I was lucky enough that there wasn't a big-time player with the number and it was always available to me.''

 

Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa is one of a group of players who wear the number of a former star whom they admire. He has 21, the number worn by Roberto Clemente.

 

''They gave it to me for the first time when I got here,'' said Sosa, who wore 17 with the Rangers and 25 with the White Sox. ''Probably they know why. [They] picked the right number. I like it more, yes.''

 

Sox third baseman Joe Crede was able to get 24, which he likes because his older brother wore it when he played in college. Told his brother, who played in the minor leagues, must be proud to watch him play in the major leagues with that number, Crede said: ''I think so. I watched him play so much growing up. They won the national championship when he was at Central Missouri State, a Division II school, in 1994.''

 

It does not always work out so nicely. Ben Davis, who recently joined the Sox, said he usually wore 13 because that was what his dad wore in the adult leagues when Davis was growing up. But the Sox gave Davis 12 because someone in the clubhouse with a little more pull than Davis already had 13.

 

''I won't be able to get it here with Ozzie [Guillen] managing,'' Davis said.

 

Sox second baseman Willie Harris, who kept losing his number, said he asked for the number one in part to avoid such obstacles.

 

''I just figured if I get one, not a whole lot of big people wear one,'' he said. ''One is for like a smaller guy like me. One fits us better than anybody.''

 

I think that this is so true to when it comes to picking number. I personally, always like to be #2 or #7. My freshman year of high school, I got stuck with #82 b/c I was rehabbing an injury the I had the day that my team picked jersey numbers. I'm definitely not wearing that number again; it blew. Last year, I got #2, though, and that's what I'll be wearing next year and the year after too.

[greasywheels121]

Fun article. Frank's always been my favorite player, and if I could, I would have always had the number 35. However, my HS didn't carry numbers that high for baseball, or any league I did. So I got creative and just picked the number 8, because 3+5=8.

[CaliSoxFan]

I thought the read was interesting, and made me think about the numbers I used to wear. I wore both 7 and 9. I wore 9 because that was the day I was born

but when I played hockey I wore 7 because my favorite player, Chris Chelios wore the number and I played defense.

[SoxAce]

Yea I wore numbers 1,2,3 as a kid, but when getting older, I wanted to wear "5" to represent my little brother. But my H.S. didnt have 5 do I swipped "15". The one is the 1st number I wore ever playing baseball (and went to the WS) and the 5 is my brother's number when he had his best year (and he went to the WS but both of us lost) It suits me, I'm small, slap hitter, and a speedster (kinda like Guzman but steals more bases ) I'm wearing the same number for next year too.

[SuperSteve]

Yea I wore numbers 1,2,3 as a kid, but when getting older, I wanted to wear "5" to represent my little brother. But my H.S. didnt have 5 do I swipped "15". The one is the 1st number I wore ever playing baseball (and went to the WS) and the 5 is my brother's number when he had his best year (and he went to the WS but both of us lost) It suits me, I'm small, slap hitter, and a speedster (kinda like Guzman but steals more bases ) I'm wearing the same number for next year too.

J.ReedFan8 > Christian Guzman