10 for 10: #3 Player Uniform Numbers
Posted by Sean Forman on March 24, 2010
This is the third of ten features we are adding for our 10th anniversary.
Uniform numbers have been a long standing user request and if you are a user of our other sites you know that we have had uniform numbers and neat uni medallions on our other pro sports websites for quite awhile.
I'm happy to announce that B-R is joining them. From 1929 on, we have uni medallions on player, team pages (under the roster tab), and retired numbers on the franchise pages.
Here are a couple of examples.
Bernie Williams (the consistent),
George Brunet (the inconsistent),
1979 Astros (scroll down),
2009 Yankees (scroll down),
Braves Retired numbers
We've also provided links to the HOF's Dressed to the Nines Exhibit, so you can see a drawing of what the uniform looked like as well as the numbers for the players. Putting the two together gives you a fuller picture of what the player's uniform would have looked like.
The data is essentially complete and comes from multiple sources. Please let us know if you have any corrections or suggestions.
March 24th, 2010 at 10:43 am
Very exciting!
Cal Ripken Jr. is listed with the numbers 47, 8, 7, 7, 8. Is that right? is it counting single games that I had never heard of (eg, maybe on his father's birthday in 1986 he wore #7), or is it possibly colliding with data on Cal Ripken Sr (who wore #7 as Orioles coach and manager in the late-80s)?
March 24th, 2010 at 10:50 am
Great feature! I have an idea for a game you could play using this: Show just the number badge section of some randomly determined player's page, and try to guess what player it is.
March 24th, 2010 at 11:08 am
I love this. Love the information, love the colored circles. Love, love, love.
At first I was going to criticize you for having the numbers at the top because it doesn't match the uni number to the team/year, but then I noticed the mouse-over text gives that info--a perfect solution.
March 24th, 2010 at 11:43 am
Maybe somewhere on the franchise pages you could list each number along with every player who has worn that number. For instance, as a Dave Winfield fan I always notice when a new Yankee is wearing 31. It would be interesting to see a consolidated list of all the players who have worn 31 since Winfield left (and even before, I suppose), rather than scrolling through the rosters season by season.
March 24th, 2010 at 11:44 am
Yet another reason why this is the greatest website on the internet. Thank you, Sean
March 24th, 2010 at 11:49 am
Johnny,
That is on the long-term to do list.
March 24th, 2010 at 11:57 am
Interesting to see all the players who wore "42" in 2007 to honor Jackie Robinson in 2007. Very thorough to pick all of those up. I've seen Ken Griffey, Torii Hunter and Jim Thome so far. Gotta be more.
March 24th, 2010 at 12:16 pm
Wow! These 10 for 10 updates have been amazing so far. Keep up the great work.
March 24th, 2010 at 1:13 pm
This is great ... it's wonderful little things like this that make B-R.com my most clicked bookmark!
March 24th, 2010 at 1:54 pm
Rickey Henderson is incomplete. Upon his 1st arrival back to the A's in 1989 he wore #22 breifly before getting his #24. I know this is an extremely hard task to cover every little number that was worn but I can continue to give a heads up if needed. Uniform numbers are my "thing. I know, i'm a dork!
March 24th, 2010 at 2:36 pm
I operate a site that tries to keep tabs on the Orioles' uniform numbers. I don't have everything 100% straight; it's an ongoing work in progress. What I can say is that you've got plenty of inaccuracies here. I'm pretty sure Melvin Mora didn't wear four different numbers in 2000, and I definitely know that he never wore #5 in 2007 (which is retired for Brooks Robinson). Likewise, you've got Chris Tillman in #84 in 2009, and I'm not at all sure where that came from. This is a great idea for a feature but it might need to go back to the drawing board.
March 24th, 2010 at 2:45 pm
Kevin,
Thank you for the feedback. We'll fix those up and perhaps verify our recent seasons with your resource. We've got 90,000 numbers in the database, so I definitely am not claiming it is 100% accurate. I also suspect that I've mixed some spring training numbers in with the regular season numbers for recent years.
March 24th, 2010 at 2:52 pm
If the uniform numbers could be gelled to the PI that would be great.
(Most HRs by a #45 all-time and by team...)
March 24th, 2010 at 3:06 pm
I think this website is fantastic and keeps getting better. That said, the unform numbers will be a work in progress. There are definitely a bunch of spring training numbers with the Mets of the mid 80's. El Sid never wore #10 in a season (but did in spring training)and Bobby O never wore #46. Again, I am nitpicking a well done website, so I am sorry. Oh, and Hojo never wore numbers 5 and 15 for the Mets but did sport #44 for one week in 1991.
March 24th, 2010 at 3:29 pm
Very nice.
Here's a nit-picking suggestion: Putting the numbers used in order. Example: Kevin Millar wore 30 while Alex Rios was on the Jays and wore 15. After the waiver of Rios, Millar switched to the #15 he had worn most of his career. On Millar's page it shows the #15 before the #30.
March 24th, 2010 at 3:52 pm
I really like the payroll information. I find that more interesting than uniform numbers, but I am strange that way.
One suggestion on salaries: remove the pennies, so instead of $4,560,000.00, it reads $4,560,000. It will be cleaner looking, and the pennies info only serves to distract.
March 24th, 2010 at 3:58 pm
Chuck what pages do we have pennies?
March 24th, 2010 at 4:05 pm
This is tremendous. Thanks for this and all the other recent additions.
March 24th, 2010 at 4:10 pm
One request: For games during the box score era, it would be great if the debut date at the top of each player's page actually included a link to his debut game.
March 24th, 2010 at 4:12 pm
Chuck I figured out where.
March 24th, 2010 at 4:14 pm
Possible bug: Some teams (1953 Cubs and Phillies are the ones I just encountered) no longer have any outfielders listed among their regulars.
March 24th, 2010 at 4:18 pm
Also, all outfielders are missing from the team fielding stats for the teams I just mentioned.
March 24th, 2010 at 4:23 pm
If we're using this thread to point out individual goofs that need correcting, here's another one: Clayton Kershaw has never worn #96 for the Dodgers.
March 24th, 2010 at 5:08 pm
Also, Randy Wolf only wore #43 as a Dodger in 2009, not 2007:
from July 2009:
"Randy Wolf has switched his uniform number to #43 as he seeks to improve his record to 4-3. Wolf wore #43 while with the Phillies before being issued #41 at his introductory news conference when he signed with the Dodgers. By Spring Training, he was #52 for his first season with Los Angeles. Last season, he wore #25 with the Padres and #39 with the Astros before starting this year as #21."
March 24th, 2010 at 5:10 pm
And not to nitpick - because i LOVE this feature and the way it's displayed - but Manny Ramirez never wore #28 as a Dodger.
Can I ask where this information came from?
March 24th, 2010 at 5:47 pm
Mike Marshall (the pitcher) of the Dodgers wore a different number than his usual 28 in the nationally televised game in Atlanta on April 8, 1974, in which Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run. At that time, the Dodgers didn't wear their names on the back of their uniforms, and the announcers (probably Curt Gowdy and Tony Kubek) were quite confused at first as to who this player warming up in the Dodgers' bullpen was. But they realized that he resembled Marshall, and it did indeed turn out to be he.
I think the number was 73. However, his page shows only 28 for his Dodger years.
March 24th, 2010 at 5:49 pm
I also want to mention that I love this new feature! I did, though, try to make myself remember a one-shot different number worn by someone that would be long ago but possibly easy to verify because the game was on national T.V. And that's why I checked Mike Marshall first.
John Kruk wore four different numbers with the Phillies one year. Off to check on that one now!
March 24th, 2010 at 9:19 pm
I came on here to note the discrepancy on Cal Ripken Jr.'s page -- that his dad's No. 47/7 and his brother's No. 7 are also included along with Cal's No. 8 -- but I see that Larry already made that observation in the very first response!
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/ripkeca01.shtml
March 25th, 2010 at 12:59 am
Great stuff, thanks!
One suggestion: manager and coaches numbers.
March 25th, 2010 at 2:46 am
In reference to Tom's wish for coaches' and managers' numbers, I had just been planning to ask if coaching staffs might be included on the team roster pages.
Some annecdotal info is included in bullpen biographical data, but I love to be able to trace where many oldtimers ended up after their playing days ended.
Also, the Minor League data is a big help. Again, being able to track those old ballplayers after they were cut from the Big League roster is neat.
I love the 10 for 10 features thus far. As a Strat-O-Matic gamer, I like to having access to the lineup info when I play the earlier seasons. The second 10 for 10 installment was Heaven for me.
More complete transaction data would also be nice (DL moves, etc.).
March 26th, 2010 at 8:56 am
Sorry, Sean, I did not check back right away. I know you said you figured out where, but just for the record here's an example:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/HOU/1999-roster.shtml
Jeff Bagwell's salary is listed as $6,500,000.00, rather than $6,500,000. I think the latter makes more sense, since we're talking millions of dollars.
March 26th, 2010 at 1:35 pm
Chuck,
I've fixed it.
March 28th, 2010 at 8:25 pm
Love the uniform numbers! Mike Morgan's page looks like a NASCAR race.
March 28th, 2010 at 10:05 pm
I'd like to have a list of the uniform numbers that Ken Griffey Jr.has worn year to year. Thanks.
JLMcKim
March 30th, 2010 at 5:33 pm
Shane Victorino wore 18 in 2006, but I'm not sure is he wore 18 in 2005 also. I know he switched to 8 in 2007. Here is a pic of the Phillies lineup from the Phillies-Mets game on May 25, 2006:
http://i324.photobucket.com/albums/k331/CharlesR5/May%2025%202006/Pictures004.jpg
It might be hard to read, but Victorino was wearing 18. I also have a Victorino shirt with the number 18.
April 1st, 2010 at 5:32 pm
A few corrections I notice, these are all based on my memory which is usually pretty OCD on these things.
Mark Sagmoen wore Number 42 for the Rangers very briefly as he was just called up to the Rangers days before that number was retired for Jackie Robinson.
Tom Brookens wore #5 for the Tigers until he gave it up to be retired fin honor of Hank Greenberg
Bill Denehy DID NOT wear #4 for the Mets in 1967. Ron Swoboda is correctly shown wearing that number. I believe that Denehy wore 44, but I wouldn't bet more than a 6-pack on it.
April 1st, 2010 at 10:52 pm
Awesome guys. I was permanently hooked on basketball-reference.com when they added the uniform numbers, and was always slightly disappointed this site didn't have it. So thank you for making my day 🙂
April 1st, 2010 at 10:57 pm
Also, I LOVE that you have the retired numbers on the "Team Encyclopedia" pages. Any chance you could have a list on that page of what the team's colors were from what year to what year? (Specifically shown as those neat little circles?)
April 2nd, 2010 at 9:02 am
I think your site is correct about Manny wearing 28 for the Dodgers. If I remember correctly he had an ill fitting uni for one or 2 games, and wore 28. By the way I love this site and the addition of the uniform number is awesome.!!