It’s hard to kick a 14-month habit.
I started writing about baseball’s retired numbers on September 11, 2020, focusing on the Angels. I worked my way through the alphabetical order every other Friday, finally landing on the Yankees on October 22 of this year.
And that was that.
Two weeks have passed since the final entry in my 30-part series, which means it’s time to move on to something new. But I’m not quite ready.
My research uncovered the records of several ex-stars whose numbers should be pulled from circulation, but haven’t been honored by their clubs. I’m talking only about players and managers who have already stepped away from the field, not those who might hang up their uniforms in the next year or two. (That latter group includes you, Yadier Molina, and you too, Albert Pujols.)
Below, once again in alphabetical order, are my recommendations for immediate action for 15 clubs. It’s time — long past time, in many cases — for them to get their retirement ceremonies scheduled.
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1. Blue Jays
No. 43 Cito Gaston managed the Blue Jays for 12 seasons (1989-1997, 2008-2010), yet he never seemed to satisfy his critics. They always insisted that he was inadequate. But here’s the thing: Gaston brought two World Series trophies to Toronto — and that’s two more than anybody else. Next season will be the 30th anniversary of the first title, perfectly setting the stage.
2. Braves
No. 25 Andruw Jones won 10 Gold Gloves during his 12 seasons as a center fielder in Atlanta (1996-2007). But he was more than just a flashy fielder. Jones also hit 368 home runs for the Braves, leading the majors with 51 in 2005. And he drove in more than 100 runs in five different seasons.
3. Brewers
No. 8 Ryan Braun spent his entire 14-year career in Milwaukee (2007-2020). Yes, the outfielder’s legacy is shadowed by his 2013 suspension for use of performance-enhancing drugs, but the bad is clearly outweighed by the good. Braun was the National League’s Most Valuable Player in 2011. He holds the Brewers’ record for home runs (352), is second in club history in RBIs (1,154), and third in hits (1,963).
4. Diamondbacks
No. 38 Curt Schilling pitched only four seasons in Arizona (2000-2003), but they were momentous years. Schilling led the National League with 22 wins in 2001, then added 23 in 2002. He covered himself with glory in Arizona’s only World Series appearance, starting three of the seven games against the Yankees in 2001, allowing a total of only four runs.
5. Dodgers
No. 34 hasn’t been formally retired, though no Dodger has worn it since Fernando Valenzuela (1980-1990). The pitcher broke in with a bang in his official rookie season of 1981, winning both the Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Awards. Valenzuela’s 141 wins rank ninth in Dodgers history.
6. Giants
Only 10 big-league managers have won at least three world championships. Nine of them are in the Hall of Fame. The exception is No. 15 Bruce Bochy, who managed the Giants to world titles in three of his 13 seasons (2007-2019). Bochy amassed 2,003 wins in 25 years as a manager, including a previous stretch with the San Diego Padres.
7. Guardians
Satchel Paige’s record offers no immediate reason to retire his No. 29. Paige appeared in only 52 games for Cleveland over two seasons (1948-1949), notching 10 wins and six saves. But it should be noted that he was 42 years old — and already considered an all-time great — when he became the first black pitcher in the American League. Why not honor a trailblazer who helped secure the franchise’s last world title in 1948?
8. Mariners
No. 51 was worn both by Randy Johnson and Ichiro Suzuki. Johnson spent 10 of his 22 seasons with the Mariners (1989-1998), and is one of three Seattle pitchers with more than 100 wins. Suzuki (2001-2012, 2018-2019) made a splash when he arrived in Seattle, winning the Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards in his initial season. The right fielder won batting titles in 2001 (.350) and 2004 (.372).
9. Nationals
It’s assumed that No. 11 Ryan Zimmerman will retire this winter after 16 seasons in Washington (2005-2019, 2021). The first and third baseman was the franchise’s very first draft choice after its relocation from Montreal, and he departs as the club’s all-time leader in hits (1,786), home runs (270), and runs batted in (1,015).
10. Phillies
The Phillies have yet to retire the jersey of anyone associated with their 2008 world-championship squad. Four good possibilities: No. 6 Ryan Howard (2004-2016), a first baseman who was the National League’s Most Valuable Player in 2006 and the league leader in 2008 with 48 home runs and 146 RBIs; No. 11 Jimmy Rollins (2000-2014), a shortstop who was the 2007 MVP; No. 26 Chase Utley (2003-2015), a second baseman who ranks sixth among all Phillies in career runs (949) and homers (233); and No. 41 Charlie Manuel, who managed the club for nine seasons (2005-2013), including the championship year.
11. Pirates
No. 39 Dave Parker won an MVP trophy (1978), a pair of National League batting titles (1977 and 1978), and three Gold Gloves while playing right field for the Pirates (1973-1983). He ranks sixth in franchise history for homers (166), seventh for doubles (296), and 10th for runs batted in (758).
12. Red Sox
No. 15 Dustin Pedroia was the sparkplug of Boston’s 2007 and 2013 world-championship teams. The second baseman was named the American League’s Rookie of the Year in ’07 and its MVP a year later. He hit better than .315 in three seasons and finished with a career batting average of .299 in 14 years (2006-2019). He also won four Gold Gloves.
13. Royals
No. 3 Ned Yost made history during his 10 years (2010-2019) as Kansas City’s manager, piling up 746 regular-season wins and a world title. The Royals have had 20 managers, and Yost tops them all in longevity and victories. His 2015 World Series championship was the club’s second, coming exactly 30 years after the first.
14. Tigers
No. 29 Mickey Lolich (1963-1975) secured a place in Detroit history in 1968, when he notched three victories in the Tigers’ World Series triumph over the Cardinals, allowing just five runs in 27 innings. No pitcher in club history made more starts than Lolich’s 459 over his 13-year tenure. Lolich also ranks first in club history in shutouts (39) and strikeouts (2,679).
15. White Sox
No. 13 Ozzie Guillen (1985-1997) was a feisty shortstop who won the American League’s Rookie of the Year Award in 1985, playing 1,743 games for the White Sox (sixth in club history). But he is best known for his eight seasons as manager of the Sox (2004-2011), capped by a world championship in 2005, the franchise’s first since 1917.