Honorable mentions: Carl Yastrzemski, Yogi Berra, Willie Stargell, Joe Morgan 9: Ted Williams Why he's here: Maybe the best pure hitter of all time, Williams finished his career with 521 home runs. 30 with the Angels, meaning some of his most spectacular years didn't come at 34. Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history, Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball, Basketball-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREE. 15 his first two years with the Reds before switching to 11 after Kurt Stillwell was traded to the Royals after the 1987 season. He led the NL in batting average seven times and in OPS seven times, though that statistic didnt exist during his career and finished with a career .331 average. 8 and 24. Joe DiMaggios 56-game hitting streak might never be topped. This was a battle between two running backs, namely Faulk and Adrian Peterson. While he never won a Cy Young, he finished second three times and led the National League in strikeouts twice. This was pretty much an impossible choice, guaranteed to please exactly nobody. When Gretzky retired, and the NHL retired his number as a whole. Durant is a truly modern player, as hes a 7-footer who shoots threes with ease. Why he's here: Two seasons at No. 99 J.J. Watt. By the time he was finished, Robinson had a pair of MVP awards for Cincinnati in 1961 and for Baltimore in 1966and he had collected 586 career home runs. He spent almost the entirety of his career with the Cowboys, making six straight All-Pro squads. Honorable mentions: Steve Carlton, Roy Halladay. Bryant split his career between Nos. Why hes here: Raines, one of the greatest leadoff batters in baseball history (career .385 OBP hitting first in the lineup), stole 808 bases in his career. It's the day Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball and debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers.. He made five Pro Bowls and led the league in sacks once. Why he's here: The Pirate starting pitcher wore No. Why hes here: One of the most underrated players of his era, Stieb was one of the top AL pitcher of the 1980s, even if no one knew it at the time. All of. The still-active Wainwright edges out ageless Jamie Moyer. When the Ravens had the best defense in the NFL, Lewis was at the center of that. Find out more. So check out the list of athletes who wore 3 and help decide who deserves to rank the highest for wearing this iconic jersey number. Well, he could have been the first overall pick, and he still would have had a stellar career. Honorable mentions: Eddie Mathews, Darell Evans, Kevin Brown. He only played five seasons with the Blue Jays, but hes a bit of a hero in Toronto; his Jays teams won back-to-back World Series titles in 1992 and 1993, and Alomar hit .354 with 16 stolen bases in 24 playoff games during those two title runs. Pele wore the No. To purchase Any Given Number, go to SI.com/anygivennumber. The NFL was weird then. Why hes here: Maybe the best pure hitter of all time, Williams finished his career with 521 home runs and a.344 average despite missing all or most of five seasons (1943-45 and 1952-53) while serving in the military. But when he joined the Giants, that number had obviously been retired in honor of Mays, so Bonds chose the number 25 his father wore while Mays teammate. Orlando Magic ( 01) Steve Alford. While Johnson had a couple of seasons wearing other numbers, the Big Unit was the clear choice here. Hockey is also strongly represented with Brett Hull and Mike Bossy among others to sport the number in the NHL. For a guy who played basketball in college, Gates had quite the NFL career. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Monday, May 1, 4:39AM. However, we couldnt deny Mantle. For now, though, were running from zero to 99 to find the best athlete for each number. Nobody beats the Babe. When was the last time Mean wasnt attached to his name? 97. Few players were as reliable while also being incredible on the court Hes the greatest Spur of all time and a 15-time All-NBA team member. His highlight reel is unparalleled. Otto Graham, the Hall of Fame quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, wore 60. Teammates back-to-back here. In a few years this choice is going to be even more obvious. 66. Why he's here: No one else in MLB history has worn No. There he added five more rings, and in his career he won the MVP a whopping six times. Thats enough to outduel Larry Bird, much to the chagrin of Celtics fans. His numbers blow everybody elses out of the water, and even in this pass-happy era nobody has topped Rices numbers yet. No. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Sunday, April 30, 2:31PM. Larry Murphy is a Hall of Fame NHL defenseman, and he would have been the choice if he had worn 55 his entire career. Considered one of the best defensive players ever, Russell led the Celtics to a whopping 11 titles. Theres more to Aaron than just his 755 homers. Orr is the choice at number 4, for far more than the Stanley Cup-winning goal he scored for the Bruins in 1970. There is great, and then there is Joe DiMaggio. Then again, he played only nine seasons. He finished with 1,000 receptions, one of only 14 players to have done that so far, and he had 85 receiving touchdowns. Honorable mentions: Ivan Rodriguez, Craig Biggio, Kenny Lofton. Had Wade Boggs worn No. He made eight All-Defense teams to go with 10 All-NBA teams. The NBA also has a rich history of players to rock the number with champions like Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Garnett, and Kyrie Irving all sporting the 2 on their backs. Taylor is considered by some the best defensive player ever. Alex Rodriguez may have a bit of the taint of PEDs on him, but he would be a fine choice. 32. We didnt have to think about this for a second. Hes still had an excellent career. He would become famous in the 1951 playoffs for surrendering Bobby Thomson's "shot heard round the world" home run, one of the most famous home runs of all-time. Mantles Yankees played in the World Series 12 times they won seven of those and The Mick hit 18 homers in 65 games, a record that will never be broken. Bobby Orr, quite simply, transformed hockey. Offensive linemen maybe arent the most exciting players to talk about, but excellence should be recognized. Its rare for a middle linebacker to get a ton of awards love, but Lewis managed to be named Defensive Player of the Year twice. Fun fact: Kramer also served as the Green Bay kicker for three seasons. Ichiro Suzuki, who also wore 51. 6 for a few seasons in Miami, Russell wore it for his entire career a career, mind you, in which he averaged 22.5 rebounds per game. Why hes here: Ryan is the greatest strikout pitcher in baseball history of course. The Yankee Clipper has the numbers and the accolades: three MVPs, .325 average, nine World Series rings. In fact, nobody is within 1,000 yards of him. Oh, and hes hit .332 with 16 homers and a 1.115 OPS in 52 career playoff gams. Tittle, NFL, Bart Starr, NFL; ThurmanMunson, MLB;Carmelo Anthony, NBA; Hal Greer, NBA; Earl Monroe, NBA, Joe Montana, NFL; Brett Hull, NHL; George Blanda, NFL; Whitey Ford, MLB; Len Dawson, NFL; Dwight Gooden, MLB, Dizzy Dean, MLB; John Havlicek, NBA;Jari Kurri, NHL; Matt Kenseth, NASCAR; Doug Williams, NFL; Darrell Waltrip, NASCAR, Peyton Manning, NFL; Dave Cowens, NBA; Charlie Joiner, NFL; Denis Savard, NHL; Bobby Labonte, NASCAR, Johnny Unitas, NFL; Willis Reed, NBA; Steve Yzerman, NHL; Lance Alworth, NFL, Bob Feller, MLB; Robin Yount, MLB; Tony Gwynn, MLB, Barry Sanders, NFL; Lou Brock, MLB; Mike Schmidt, MLB; Frank Robinson, MLB; Tony Stewart, NASCAR; Luc Robitaille, NHL; Ed Reed, NFL;RobNiedermayer, NHL; Josh Gibson, baseball, Roberto Clemente, MLB; Tim Duncan, NBA; Warren Spahn, MLB; LaDainian Tomlinson, NFL; Sammy Sosa, MLB; David Pearson, NASCAR; Roger Clemens, MLB; Deion Sanders, NFL, Emmitt Smith, NFL; Elgin Baylor, NBA; Clyde Drexler, NBA; Bobby Lane, NFL; Jim Palmer, MLB, Michael Jordan, NBA; LeBron James, NBA; Kirk Gibson, MLB; Calvin Murphy, NBA; Ryne Sandberg, MLB, Willie Mays, MLB; Kobe Bryant, NBA; Jeff Gordon, NASCAR; Moses Malone, NBA; Ken GriffeyJr., MLB; Lenny Moore, NFL; Rick Barry, NBA, Barry Bonds, MLB; FredBiletnikoff, NFL; Mark McGwire, MLB; K.C. Allen currently ranks 12th in career sacks. This is a stacked number, but its still such an easy choice to go with Mays, who is in the conversation about the greatest players in the history of the sport. The Say Hey Kid won two MVPs and 12 Gold Gloves, and he made 24 All-Star Games wearing No. Both had their careers cut short by their bodies giving out on them. 10. Sidney Crosby gets a ton of credit, but Malkin actually has two Art Ross trophies, not to mention a Hart and a Conn Smythe, in his own right. He helped change the position, showing that a tight end could be a de facto receiver out there. This gallery provides a sample of SI's best players to wear numbers 00 to 10. Why hes here: Grove didnt make his big-league debut until 1925, when he was 25 years old, but he wasted no time becoming a star he led the AL in strikeouts each of his first seven years in the majors. Richard Petty passed the torch of the best driver in NASCAR to Dale Earnhardt. In the middle of his career he lost a few seasons to injury, but that hasnt stopped him from putting up incredible numbers. Martinez had a 1.74 ERA in 2000. Why hes here: Larkin, who was elected to the Hall of Fame in his third year of eligibility, actually wore No. William The Refrigerator Perry was the beloved face of the Chicago Bears defensive line, but Dent was the true star of the bunch. Honorable mentions: Carl Yastrzemski, Yogi Berra, Willie Stargell, Joe Morgan. Also sorry to NASCAR fans who know that Jeff Gordon drove the 24 car during his sterling career. Why he's here: A pitcher in the 1940 and 1950s, Voiselle wore No. He had 767 receptions for 6,875 yards and 36 touchdowns through the air. While we briefly thought about Brett Favre, this really came down to Bobby Orr and Lou Gehrig. Hes led the league in points per game four times, and the Hall will come calling when he retires. Troy Polamalu, who wore 43, was a great safety, but hes not The King.. 88, and Eric Lindros may have been the choice if not for his unfortunate concussion issues. It has been a popular jersey number for decades with success of athletes across the board. Soccer player of the century? 53, thats not going to happen for any young Dodgers players. Prior to that, he made seven Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams and won two MVPs. It was one of the four years he led the league in rushing yards. Rivers has thrown for almost 400 career touchdowns and has made eight Pro Bowls. Why he's here: The Hall of Famer wore No. As most baseball fans know, April 15, 1947 is a special day in MLB history. 9 to Maya Moore at No. Years active: 2011-present Keep the linebackers coming! Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. While he led the league in sacks only twice, his 198 career sacks are second-best in NFL history. His 71 interceptions are third all time in NFL history, and the league wasnt super pass happy for his whole career. Honorable mentions: Warren Spahn, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa. Roger Clemens would have been a good choice, but he wore a couple of other numbers. Honorable mentions: Mel Ott, Paul Molitor, Duke Snider. Nash was not just a first overall pick, but the first pick in Columbus Blue Jackets history. Fun fact: With Williams away fighting in World War II, catcher Johnny Peacock wore No. When Geno was left off the NHLs top 100 players list, it caused an uproar. *Years refers to the time the player spent with the primary team listed with this number. The franchise has retired Drysdales number after he spent 14 seasons in Dodger blue. Upshaw spent 15 seasons as an offensive guard, playing well enough to make it into the Hall of Fame with the Raiders. Follow. 35 the entire time. He actually pitched through the heart of the steroid era. Jim Thorpe. Why hes here: Only one player in baseball history (Jeff Kent) ever hit more home runs as a second baseman than Sandbergs 277 career dingers at the position, and in 1990 he became the second NL second baseman since the legendary Rogers Hornsby to ever hit at least 40 home runs in a season. Why he's here: The rest of the players who have worn No. Guidrys name is forgotten in Yankees lore, which is fair given how many legends they have. Why he's here: A few years ago, he looked like a budding superstar. (Photo Credit: Rocky Widner/Getty Images . There was no fixed numbering until the 90s. But Rice is the best receiver of all time to this day. Tim Tebow wore 15 in college, but its hard to honor a player with a number off four years of action. To purchase Any Given Number, go to SI.com/anygivennumber. Do you have a blog? Honorable mentions: Todd Helton, Lance Berkman, Mark Grace. Thomas numbers could have been even better, but he unfortunately died in a car accident after the 1999 season. The 30+ Top Athletes To Wear Jersey Number 1, Ranked By Fans COLLECTION What's Your Number? When he can finally take the court for Brooklyn, that will probably be true as well, though he did wear No. Moses Malone was a great player who wore two, but he wore a few other numbers as well. Honorable mentions: Billy Williams, Chase Utley, Amos Otis. Want stats? All rights reserved. He was able to just beat out the wide receiver Steve Smith. LeBron James made a bold choice of wearing the same number as the man he was considered the heir apparent to. Its also enough for him to represent No. Dirk is the best player from Europe in NBA history. Eighty-eight years ago this week, the New York Yankees became the first professional sports team to permanently wear numbers on their uniforms. However, we are of the belief that Messi, Barcelona and Argentinas legend, is the best of the bunch. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. But Ruth is maybe the best baseball player ever. Ralph Branca - Baseball. 70. Why hes here: Koufax's numbers from 1962 to 1966 are staggering: Three Cy Youngs, a 113-34 record, five straight ERA titles, three seasons of more than 300 strikeouts. Outside of his rookie campaign, Mays wore 24 his entire career. Honorable mentions: Andy Benes, Bud Black. Which got us thinking about the greatest athletes -- across all sports -- who wore each number, from 00 to 99. Why he's here: A first-ballot Hall of Famer with two Cy Youngs and more than 300 wins, Glavine laps the field at No. Lets not forget the world of auto racing, which brought us Dale Earnhardt. 61 for more than a few seasons, and Hernandez is the best of the bunch. The tight end made eight straight Pro Bowls and three straight All-Pro teams, and he had a 12-touchdown season after his peak. Why hes here: The first-ballot Hall of Famer was just the third player in MLB history to register 3,000 hits and 500 homers. Iconic NFL players with number 20 jerseys include Barry Sanders, Ed Reed, and Brian Dawkins, all Hall of Fame-level players whose career highlights are among the greatest moments in football history . In those seven seasons he had 574 receptions for 9,142 yards and 90 touchdowns. In spite of that, the Pitt Panthers product is second in career receiving yards and receptions. Eventually, Johnson would take the title of the top driver on the NASCAR circuit. Years active: 1995-2014 Back in the day in soccer, starters wore Nos. Apparently Pittsburgh Penguins history is filled with great players who wear unusual numbers. USA Today Sports compiled a list of some of the best athletes across all sports to wear each number, from 00 to 99. USA TODAY. Of course, Jagr ended up playing for a bunch of teams in his career as he held on to add to his incredible goal total. Players had long ago decided to stop wearing No. The best defensive player in the history of the game, Ozzie is No. No other player wore it for than one. Cy Youngs 511 career wins certainly never will. In his first five full seasons with the Cardinals, the colorful right-hander won 120 games (and saved 30), won an MVP and finished second twice, threw 1,531 innings and compiled a 3.04 ERA. Can you imagine a 6-foot-7 linebacker? Not too bad for a guy who wasnt even drafted out of college. This was an easy choice. Why hes here: Robinsons career started with a bang he won the 1956 NL rookie of the year award in his Age 20 season for the Reds and barely ever slowed down. The two-time MVP was a first-ballot Hall of Fame selection. The seven-footer teamed with Larry Bird and Kevin McKale in the iconic frontcourt that led the Celtics to three NBA titles in the 1980s. Why hes here: Musial feasted on opposing pitchers during his 22-year career with the Cardinals. Why hes here: Bonds wore 24 during his seven years with Pittsburgh as a tribute to Willie Mays, his godfather. Yes, Sayers played only five seasons in the NFL, more or less. Robinson is even better than the last player to wear his number, Mariano Rivera. After all, he was named to the NFL All-Pro team for six straight seasons. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Payton wore it during his entire career with the Bears. Honorable mentions: Luis Aparicio, Edgar Martinez, Carl Hubbell. Why he's here: The hard-throwing Yankee has established himself as one of baseball's top relievers over the past two seasons. We talked about how impressive it was that Lewis won Defensive Player of the Year twice as a middle linebacker, but Urlacher did the same thing. Honorable mentions: Dwight Gooden, Hal Newhouser, Ted Lyons. 79, which is kind of interesting, but a few football players have. As smooth and regal a player who ever wore a Celtics . Allen was known for his massive arms and incredible strength, which helped him become an elite offensive lineman. Disagree with our picks? The Wizard owned the web gem before the term existed, but beyond his lengthy highlight reel the longtime Cardinal was remarkably consistent, setting records for assists and double plays by a shortstop. In their prime, probably, and wearing the uniform of the team they are synonymous with. In the course of his 16-year career, Elway matured from rawly talented escape artist to field general. Unfortunately for him, he spent half his career in other numbers. Nobody was close to the "Dominator.". 3, he didnt have much of a chance. (Yes, he pitched too.) 90. Shaquille ONeal wore No. He played for all four of the Steelers Super Bowl-winning squads in the 70s, and he was once named the Defensive Player of the Year on a team with names like Joe Greene and Jack Lambert. 2:07. Hasek won six Vezinas, but on top of that he won the Hart twice. Honorable mentions: Mike Schmidt, Don Sutton, Lou Brock. Do you have a sports website? Thats something almost no other player can say. Ruth is the game's greatest slugger -- but he also has the 17th-best ERA in history. > All Players To Wear Number 31. Brooks wore 55 for his whole NFL run, and he never left the Buccaneers. When you think 99 in sports, there is only one player who comes to mind: the Great One. Jack Lambert was also fantastic. 23, we rank the best all-time WNBA players by jersey number. Honorable mentions: Joe Morgan, Gene Tenace, Andy Van Slyke. He twice led the NFL in sacks, including a 22-sack season that almost broke the record. A full century after his career began, he is still the Babe Ruth of sports. Carew made the All-Star team in 18 of his 19 seasons in the majors and was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot (1991). Plus, there was the playoff heroics for the Diamondbacks and Red Sox. Mogilny was one of the first players to defect from the Soviet Union to play in the NHL, and he made his mark early. So we're letting you try, including polls with those select numbers. Injuries and illness tamped down Lemieuxs numbers a bit, but he still won three Harts and six Art Rosses. There werent many names to consider for 67. Why he's here: Not much to choose from. Sure, Bourque wore seven until it was retired for Phil Esposito. So instead, were going with Theodore, who wore an odd number for a goalie. Why he's here: An excellent starter, Eckersley became an elite reliever with the A's in the late 1980s and early 1990s. His numbers may never be beaten. It seems voters feel that since goalies have the Vezina, the Hart should go to the non-goalie MVP. With all due respect to Gary Zimmerman, a Hall of Fame guard in the NFL, Karlsson is only 29 and on his way to the Hall himself someday. Instead he became one of the best pass rushers in the league. 18 in 14 of his 18 seasons, including the 2004 season when he helped the Red Sox win the World Series and end the Curse of the Bambino, and 2009, when he helped the Yankees to a World Series title. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Hes not in the Hall of Fame yet, but he will be one day soon (he was just 23 votes shy of being part of the Class of 2016). Athletes who wore #34 Stats Can you name the Athletes who wore #34 on their Jersey? 81 with the Patriots when he was setting NFL records. No player in NHL history has more goals, assists or points. Mathis got overshadowed by Dwight Freeney, but he was a great pass rusher in his own right. Basically every starting goalie in the world of soccer wears. Probably before his iconic Coca-Cola ad. We want to briefly mention the underrated safety Dennis Smith as well. Bonds didnt wear 25 until he joined the Giants. After his rookie season, when he had only eight sacks, Ware never failed to have double-digit sacks in a season in which he played at least 14 games. After checking out the photo gallery, readthe list of top athletes at every number. With his incredible length, Hendricks blocked 25 field goals in his career. Petty is simply known as The King, which may say it all. To purchase Any Given Number, go to SI.com/anygivennumber. 8 and 24. He still could get there, and he's the most talented player to put on No. He was such a star that when he came out of retirement in '75 to play for the New York Cosmos of the upstart North American Soccer League, he instantly raised the profile of a sport that had been largely ignored by U.S. audiences. The NFL and NHL have also had their fair share of famous athletes who wore 2 on their jersey like Matt Ryan and Brian Leetch. Sanders is perhaps the best running back ever. Emailed daily. > All Players To Wear Number 2. So did Tony Gwynn while he won eight batting titles. Josh Beckett wore No. Orlando Magic ( 20, 21) Greg Anthony.
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