Uniform numbers all-time, Part I:1-25

[bucsparrothead]

[updated:LAST EDITED ON Apr-19-02 AT 04:51 PM (EDT)]I tried this with football,and it worked great, so here goes!
List your BEST players by UNIFORM number, starting with 1-25 for now.
My list is complete, so here is the only rule!

You can have TWO wild card players per part to make up for the non-number wearing players during the early years. This rule includes the greats, and also fills the slots of numbers which may have average players who were the best available. Have fun!

1 Ozzie Smith
2 Charlie Gehringer
3 Babe Ruth
4 Lou Gehrig
5 Joe Dimaggio
6 Stan Musial
7 Mickey Mantle
8 Willie Stargell
9 Ted Williams
10 Lloyd Waner
11 Paul Waner
12 Wade Boggs
13 Dave Concepcion
14 Ernie Banks
15 Dick Allen
16 TY COBB (WILD CARD)
17 David Cone
18 Nellie Fox
19 Tony Gwynn
20 Pie Traynor
21 Roberto Clemente
22 Jim Palmer
23 HONUS WAGNER (WILD CARD)
24 Willie Mays
25 George Brett

'...to the wall, GONE AND THE PIRATES WIN!' -Maz and the ORIGINAL home run WS blast!

[VELCROHIDE]

In Football, NFL that is, if you were to use the #20 and be a Lions fan you could have said: Lem Barney
Billy Sims
and Barry Sanders.

[bucsparrothead]

I had Barry Sanders matter of fact! :)

'...to the wall, GONE AND THE PIRATES WIN!' -Maz and the ORIGINAL home run WS blast!

[Chisox73]

OK.Here goes my list;

1-Ozzie Smith
2-Nellie Fox
3-Harmon Killebrew
4-Luke Appling
5-Johnny Bench
6-Al Kaline
7-Mickey Mantle
8-Yogi Berra
9-Reggie Jackson(The Oakland Years)
10-Sparky Anderson(Manager)
11-Luis Aparicio
12-Roberto Alomar
13-Dave Concepcion
14-Pete Rose
15-Dick Allen
16-Whitey Ford
17-Dizzy Dean
18-Ted Kluzewski
19-Robin Yount
20-Mike Schmidt
21-Roberto Clemente
22-Jim Palmer
23-Ryne Sandberg
24-Willie Mays
25-Norm Cash

[bucsparrothead]

Bench over Dimaggio and Cash over Brett? hmmmmm interesting

But Killebrew over Ruth? I'm not responsible for the flack you're gonna catch over that one! :)

'...to the wall, GONE AND THE PIRATES WIN!' -Maz and the ORIGINAL home run WS blast!

[Chisox73]

I knew everyone would pick Ruth,and so would I,but since he was taken,I went with Killebrew.Same scenario between Bench and DiMaggio.

BTW,Brett wore #5.

[bucsparrothead]

[updated:LAST EDITED ON Apr-19-02 AT 11:58 PM (EDT)]Hey, I respect that! If one player only wore a certain number for one season, and they are the best IMO, I'm putting them in that slot! :)

1973 and 1974: Brett wore #25.. hence the listing :)

'...to the wall, GONE AND THE PIRATES WIN!' -Maz and the ORIGINAL home run WS blast!

[Chisox73]

Didn't know that about Brett.

Learn something new every day.

[VELCROHIDE]

There are so many things you can do with a list like this. Sure, create a list with the icons of their day, that is put the greatest player who wore the number. But how about a list of players who DIDN'T make the grade to enter Cooperstown, NY but they have or had a record and were good players just NOT good enough for the hallowed hall.

For example, Elroy Face would be #17. He had that incredible year in '59, (18-1, with 10 saves) and was steady for several years. Bobby Bonds, Barry's dad, would be #25. Has to be a player NOT in the Hall of Fame. #31 could be Garry Maddox.

[rudy]

#16---Bo Jackson (he is my favorite player ever)

and why isnt barry bonds used for #25?

[bucsparrothead]

Because he would sue me for using his name without his permission, boast about suing me while hugging his child and smiling, and then he'd blow another postseason opportunity in the process. Bonds is the ONLY player I will not mention in any good light EVER. PERIOD. END OF STORY. It's a personal thing with me..the most arrogant man in sports perhaps ever.

'...to the wall, GONE AND THE PIRATES WIN!' -Maz and the ORIGINAL home run WS blast!

[VELCROHIDE]

[updated:LAST EDITED ON Apr-23-02 AT 02:11 PM (EDT)]I respect your opinion. And if you feel that strongly about something you shouldn't waver.

I never felt the need to blame Barry for the Giants or Pirates not winning their respective league championships. Seems to me the whole team slumped as ONE.

I enjoy watching Barry play. And unless he made a derogatory remark to me or my family I'll continue to enjoy watching him put the fear of God in opposing teams as they attend PacBell Park or when the Giants are on the road, watch him put a discomfiture on foes afield or in the stands.}>

[qual101]

Even if Bonds had the personality of Willie Mays, he might never become as "popular" as Sammy Sosa or Mark McGwire just because he is in the Pacific time zone. Most of us don't know of Barry exploits when they happen, because we've already gone to bed!

There is a topic under "Trivia" asking about the most famous baseball players ever. It is dominated by New York city stars -- and I don't think anyone with a West-coast team is in the consensus top ten list.

[69CUBS4EVER]

You may never have met the man. I did as a kid at Wrigley Field and always found him surley and reluctant to sign autographs, although he did on occasions.
At card shows, he has been a nightmare. I've seen him roll balls back at people, deliberately run his hand over a signature to smear it and complain about how much he was signing.
The saddest thing I saw was at a Chicago show in the late 1980s, when players used counters to hopefully discretely figure the number of autrographes they signed. Mays had a pad of paper and was making marks for each one, crossing the fifth as we've all done. He argued that the promoter was gypping him. The guy said he'd never have Mays at a signing again. He said people complained that Mays refused to sign their item where they wanted it signed. Hey, when getting paid, that's the least these guys can do.
What would Willie Mays be doing now if it weren't for baseball and the fans?