How Many Baseball Numbers Are Retired?

The answer to how many baseball numbers are retired depends on the team. For example, the Yankees have retired a total of 22 numbers.

Introduction

Retired numbers are a tradition in Major League Baseball (MLB), where a team removes the uniform number of a player from future use to honor the player’s accomplishments with that team. These numbers are usually given to certain superstar players, and players who have made significant contributions to the history or culture of the franchise. Once a number is retired, it can never be worn again by any player on that team, unless the player played for another team before coming to the current one and had already been assigned that number.

The Numbers

The number 42 was retired by every Major League Baseball team in 1997 to honor the 50th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the league’s color barrier. Robinson’s number had been retired by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1972, but when Robinson became the first African American player inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962, every other team in the league followed suit and retired his number as well.

Number of retired numbers by team

MLB

1. Atlanta Braves – 7
2. Baltimore Orioles – 8
3. Boston Red Sox – 10
4. Chicago Cubs – 10
5. Chicago White Sox – 6
6. Cincinnati Reds – 7
7. Cleveland Indians – 6
8. Detroit Tigers – 11
9. Houston Astros – 5
10. Kansas City Royals – 4
11. Los Angeles Angels – 5
12. Los Angeles Dodgers – 8
13. Miami Marlins – 2
14. Milwaukee Brewers – 4
15. Minnesota Twins – 3
16. New York Mets – 9
17. New York Yankees – 20
18 . Oakland Athletics – 9 19 . Philadelphia Phillies – 8 20 . Pittsburgh Pirates – 7 21 . San Diego Padres – 0 (one number, 42, is retired throughout baseball) 22 . San Francisco Giants – 11 23 . Seattle Mariners – 5 24 . St Louis Cardinals – 11 (plus two additional numbers honored) 25 . Tampa Bay Rays – 0 26 . Texas Rangers – 5 27 . Toronto Blue Jays – 2 28 . Washington Nationals / Montreal Expos – 4

Why are numbers retired?

There are a lot of reasons why a team might decide to retire a player’s number. Maybe the player was an all-time great for that team. Maybe the player died young, or under tragic circumstances. Maybe the player was simply so popular with fans that the team decides to give him or her the ultimate honor.

Whatever the reason, it’s a big deal when a team decides to retire a player’s number. It means that number will never be worn again by any player on that team, and it usually goes up on the wall or in some other permanent display at the team’s home stadium.

As of 2019, there are more than 150 numbers retired by Major League Baseball teams. The first number retired was Lou Gehrig’s #4 by the New York Yankees in 1939, just days after Gehrig died from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), now commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Many players have had their numbers retired by more than one team. For example, Babe Ruth’s #3 is retired by both the Yankees and Boston Red Sox; Jackie Robinson’s #42 is retired by every MLB team; and Nolan Ryan’s #34 is retired by both the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers.

The most common numbers to be retired are #42 ( Jackie Robinson), #1 ( Billy Martin, Pee Wee Reese, etc.), #5 (Joe DiMaggio, Hank Aaron), #7 (Mickey Mantle , Carl Yastrzemski), and #10 (Honus Wagner , Stan Musial).

The Players

The number of a player who has been retired is intended to honor the player for his/her contributions to the team, both on and off the field. A player’s number can only be retired by the team for which he/she played. Here is the list of the players whose numbers have been retired by their teams.

Number of players by team

As of the 2019 season, a total of 310 players have had their numbers retired by Major League Baseball teams. Of these, 202 players have had their numbers retired by just one team, while the other 108 players have had their numbers retired by multiple teams. The most common number to be retired is 42, which has been retired by every team in Major League Baseball in honor of Jackie Robinson.

Number of players by team:

-Boston Red Sox: 14
-New York Yankees: 13
-Los Angeles Dodgers: 12
-Chicago White Sox: 10
-St. Louis Cardinals: 10
-San Francisco Giants: 10
-Baltimore Orioles: 8
-Cincinnati Reds: 8
-Milwaukee Brewers: 8

Why are players retired?

When a player retires, their number is also retired by the team. This is to honor the contributions that player made to the team during their career. For some players, this may be because they were with the team for a long time or were an important part of the team’s history. For others, it may be because they were exceptionally talented and had a significant impact on the game.

There are a few different reasons why a player’s number may be retired by their team. The most common reason is that the player was an important part of the team’s history and their contributions warrant recognition. Another reason is that the player was exceptionally talented and had a significant impact on the game. Finally, a player’s number may be retired out of respect for their achievements, even if they didn’t spend a lot of time with the team.

Conclusion

As of 2019, 147 Major League Baseball players have had their jersey numbers retired by teams in MLB. Major League Baseball teams have been retiring numbers since Jackie Robinson’s number 42 was retired throughout baseball in 1997.