The Hall of Fame second baseman hit arguably the most famous home run in the sport's history: the walk-off shot in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series. Why hes here: Rapid Robert had already struck out 466 major-league hitters before he turned 20 years old, thats why. No NBA player has ever wore No. Eighty-eight years ago this week, the New York Yankees became the first professional sports team to permanently wear numbers on their uniforms. Too early? 66. Reggie Miller also did some great things in this number. He became the youngest person ever elected to the Hall of Fame in 1972. We considered Doak Walker, mostly for his college career as he only played a few seasons in the NFL. Had Ken Dryden, the legendary Montreal Canadiens goalie, played longer he would have been the choice, and also Satchel Paige was known to wear the No. 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. Why hes here: A second-ballot Hall of Famer, Alomar was named to the All-Star team 12 consecutive seasons, with the Padres, Blue Jays, Orioles and Indians. Playing alongside Ruth, Gehrig still won two MVPs and was on six title-winning Yankees teams. Andy Pettitte was a good pitcher on some great teams, but nobody ever considered him one of the best at his job. This was a battle of three linebackers: two in the Hall of Fame and one headed there. Weirdly, in the one season he won Defensive Player of the Year he wore No. USA TODAY. Why hes here: A great pitcher with a number of iconic postseason moments, Schilling will be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame one of these days. Hockey? When you have a nickname like that, youve earned the right to be considered the greatest athlete to wear the No. Before he did that, it was an unthinkable feat. So instead, were going with Theodore, who wore an odd number for a goalie. Congratulations, we guess? Peppers came out of the gates with a bang, picking up 12 sacks as a rookie for the Carolina Panthers. 00 Jim Otto to No. Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Basketball Reference Database. Injuries cut his career short, which is the only reason he didnt end up with 500 goals. 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. 0:00. In his 20 years with the Yankees, The Captain earned 15 All-Star nods, rapped out 3,465 hits, scored 1,923 runs and hit .310 and he was a cornerstone for five World Series-winning squads. The eight-time All-Star lead the NL in ERA four times and won 355 games, most among pitchers of the last half century. Data Provided By Pele wore the No. 99, because it was a source of derision to don the number that Gretzky had made iconic. 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. But Ruth is maybe the best baseball player ever. Injuries caught up to Santana and will keep him out of the Hall of Fame, but at his peak he was incredible. 1. Cy Youngs 511 career wins certainly never will. Why he's here: The future Hall of Famer wore No. You know a goalie carried his team when that happens. Honorable mentions: Tom Candiotti, Charlie Hough. 22 currently, but he isn't the only one sporting that number. Do you have a sports website? A full century after his career began, he is still the Babe Ruth of sports. In 1999 he was named Athlete of the Century across all sports by the International Olympic Committee. Honorable mentions: Jimmie Foxx, Alex Rodriguez, Harmon Killebrew. Why he's here: Six All-Star appearances, a 2.35 ERA, 349 saves and a World Series ring. Payton wore it during his entire career with the Bears. Be it with Oklahoma City or Golden State, or even his one year in Seattle, Durant has worn No. Speaking of guys who rushed for over 2,000 yards in a season, Dickerson still holds the record for the most rushing yards in a season with 2,105. Jack Lambert was also fantastic. Why he's here: Two seasons at No. Honorable mentions: Vada Pinson, Cesar Cedeno, Pedro Guerrero. 15 for the Chiefs, after all. This was not an easy one. Had Wade Boggs worn No. In fact, the iron man offensive lineman played in every game for 14 straight seasons. Joe DiMaggios 56-game hitting streak might never be topped. Utah Jazz ( 12) Cory Alexander. Like Murphy, hes in his sports Hall, but he did it all in 55. And is No. No, seriously. Fun fact: With Williams away fighting in World War II, catcher Johnny Peacock wore No. Honorable mentions: Dwight Gooden, Hal Newhouser, Ted Lyons. Why he's here: A few years ago, he looked like a budding superstar. Honorable mentions: Phil Niekro, Mike Mussina, Cole Hamels. Orlando Magic ( 20, 21) Greg Anthony. Once he won 10 races in a row. 8 and 24. The sport was never the same. 11-99, and why, grab a copy at your nearest book store or go to SI.com/anygivennumber. Why hes here: The man with one of the greatest nicknames in baseball history the Wizard of Oz earned his reputation as arguably the best defensive shortstop in baseball history during a highlight-filled 19-year career that included 15 All-Star nods and 13 Gold Gloves. Bettis is in the Hall of Fame, as is pitcher Gaylord Perry, but Perry wore a few numbers in his career. This is one of those numbers where you dont even have to think for a second about who you are picking. He created the archetype of the modern slugger, and his exploits on and off the field made him the perfect Jazz Age superstar. Abdul-Jabbar has more points than anybody in NBA history. Why he's here: After just two seasons, the Cuban slugger has established himself as by far the best player at this number. He wore No. Honorable mentions: Chipper Jones, Ron Santo, Andre Dawson. Thats enough to outduel Larry Bird, much to the chagrin of Celtics fans. Simpson, NFL; Sandy Koufax, MLB; Bill Walton, NBA; Marcus Allen, NFL; Steve Carlton, MLB, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, NBA; Larry Bird, NBA; Patrick Roy, NHL; Tony Dorsett, NFL; Jose Canseco, MLB; Harry Gant, NASCAR; Honus Wagner, MLB; Patrick Ewing, NBA; Scottie Pippen, NBA, Walter Payton, NFL; Shaquille O'Neal, NBA; Bryce Harper, MLB; Hakeem Olajuwon, NBA; Kirby Puckett, MLB; Thurman Thomas, NFL, Kevin Durant, NBA; Rickey Henderson, MLB; Frank Thomas, MLB; Phil Neikro, MLB; Mike Cuellar, MLB, Jerome Bettis, NFL; Robin Roberts, MLB; Gaylord Perry, MLB; Don Newcombe, MLB, Doak Walker, NFL; Dave Stieb, MLB; Lester Hayes, NFL; Casey Stengel, MLB; Bill "Spaceman" Lee, MLB, Curt Schilling, MLB; George Rogers, NFL;Pavol Demitra, NHL, Larry Csonka, NFL; Dominik Hasek, NHL;Roy Campanella, MLB, Gale Sayers, NFL; Shawn Kemp, NBA; Rick Sutcliffe, MLB, Dirk Nowitzki, NBA; Wes Unseld, NBA; Tom Seaver, MLB; Charlie Waters, NFL; Eddie Matthews, MLB, Jackie Robinson, MLB; Ronnie Lott, NFL; James Worthy, NBA; Mariano Rivera, MLB, Richard Petty, NASCAR; Dennis Eckersley, MLB; Troy Polamalu, NFL, Hank Aaron, MLB; Jerry West, NBA; Pete Maravich, NBA; George Gervin, NBA; John Riggins, NFL; Reggie Jackson, MLB; Willie McCovey, MLB, Bob Gibson, MLB; A.C. Green, NBA; Pedro Martinez, MLB; Kyle Petty, NASCAR, Lee Smith, MLB; Todd Christensen, NFL; Andy Pettitte, MLB, Jack Morris, MLB; Mel Blount, NFL; Tom Glavine, MLB; Jerry Lucas, NBA, Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR; Torii Hunter, MLB; Scott Young, NHL, Hoyt Wilhelm, MLB; Ron Guidry, MLB; Bobby Mitchell, NFL; Brian Savage, NHL, David Robinson, NBA; Mike Singletary, NFL; Dave Dalby, NFL, Jamie Moyer, MLB, Dick Butkus, NFL;Ichiro Suzuki, MLB; Randy Cross, NFL; Randy Johnson, MLB; Jim Ringo, NFL, Ray Lewis, NFL; Dave Edwards, NFL; Jamaal Wilkes, NBA; Mike Webster, NFL, Don Drysdale, MLB; Harry Carson, NFL; Randy Gradishar, NFL; Artis Gilmore, NBA, Randy White, NFL; Rich Gossage, MLB; Brian Urlacher, NFL; Chuck Howley, NFL, Orel Hershiser, MLB; Junior Seau, NFL; Lee Roy Jordan, NFL; Otis Wilson, NFL, Lawrence Taylor, NFL; Shawne Merriman, NFL; Martin Truex Jr., NASCAR, Francisco Rodriguez, MLB; Tom Jackson, NFL; Dwight Stephenson, NFL, Jack Lambert, NFL; Derrick Thomas, NFL; Carl Banks, NFL; Wilber Marshall, NFL, Jack Ham, NFL; "Tiger" Tom Pistone, NASCAR; Seth Joyner, NFL, Chuck Bednarik, NFL; Otto Graham, NFL;Tommy Nobis, NFL; Otis Sistrunk, NFL, Curley Culp, NFL; Bill George, NFL; Josh Beckett, MLB, Jim Langer, NFL;Curtis "Crawfish" Crider, NASCAR, Gene Upshaw, NFL; Willie Lanier, NFL; Lee Roy Selmon, NFL; Ernie Holmes, NFL, Jerry Kramer, NFL; Elmo Langley, NASCAR; Randall McDaniel, NFL, Elvin Bethea, NFL; Tom Mack, NFL; Gary Zimmerman, NFL, Mario Lemieux, NHL; Ray Nitschke, NFL; Conrad Dobler, NFL, Reggie McKenzie, NFL; BobKuechenberg, NFL; Les Richter, NFL, Jaromir Jagr, NHL; L.C. The following is a list of the greatest players (in my opinion) to wear each jersey number, from 1-57 (with a few extras just for fun). By geowiz85. All Rights Reserved. Before him, defensemen were just that: defenders. 81 for more than a season. NFL and NHL fans have strong associations with the number for some of the most famous names in their sports with players like Russell Wilson and Pierre Pilote. Bonds didnt wear 25 until he joined the Giants. And while his two Super Bowl wins came with great supporting casts, he provided the signature moment of those wins. 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. 99 J.J. Watt. Not that this was super easy. And yet Crosby has done it. Baseball history is marked by iconic numbers. 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. Years active: 2011-present This was still an easy choice, as Bourque is an all-time NHL great. Peterson cant compete with that. He won 266 games and threw three no-hitters in his 18-year career with the Indians, and that total would have undoubtedly been higher had he not missed three-and-a-half seasons (when he was 23 to 26 years old) serving in the military during World War II. On top of that, Guidry won five Gold Gloves. Why hes here: Because it's the Internet, and the Internet loves Bartolo. Sure, Jeter is a tad overrated because he spent his entire career playing for the Yankees and was their captain. He was able to just beat out the wide receiver Steve Smith. For three straight years, he led the American League in strikeouts and FIP, and in two of those seasons he won the Cy Young as well. It seems voters feel that since goalies have the Vezina, the Hart should go to the non-goalie MVP. He won two MVP awards and finished second four other times he won the AL triple crown in two of those second-place years and his career on-base percentage of .482 is No. Why hes here: Armed with a sweet swing and an unparalleled batting eye, Carew won seven AL batting titles and hit at least .330 in 10 different seasons. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. The heart and soul of the Yankees dynasties of the '50s, Yogi Berra won three MVP awards and had a seven-year stretch during which he never finished lower than fourth in the voting. However, he retired in 1955, and thats just a different era of football. Send a Message. Stats: 1455 games played, 20.3 points per game, 12.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.3 blocks, League: NBA Roger Clemens would have been a good choice, but he wore a couple of other numbers. Brady and the No. Why he's here: The pitcher wore No. Why he's here: He's the only player to wear No. Honorable mentions: Todd Helton, Lance Berkman, Mark Grace. Munoz played 13 seasons, and the only seasons he missed the Pro Bowl were his first and last. With his incredible length, Hendricks blocked 25 field goals in his career. He switched to No. Still, that was his number from 1980 until 1993, so he is our pick. Peppers was excellent for a long time as well, as he notched 11 sacks in 2017 as a 37 year old. On top of that, Gehrig was the first player to have his number retired. Why he's here: Gibson was an elite pitcher, and he just barely edges out fellow elite pitcher Pedro Martinez for the top spot due to a longer career. Hockey is also strongly represented with Brett Hull and Mike Bossy among others to sport the number in the NHL. For certain numbers, itis almost impossible to choose one top athlete. Pel was so much more. Honorable mentions: Ernie Banks, Ken Boyer, Jim Rice. Durant is a truly modern player, as hes a 7-footer who shoots threes with ease. Maybe for some numbers, sure, but not for 15. Some leagues wouldnt let him do it, and when that was the case he wore No. When he was only 23 years old he scored a staggering 76 goals in a season. So check out the list of athletes who wore 2 and help decide who deserves to rank the highest for wearing this iconic jersey number. Why hes here: Look at the honorable mentions list. All rights reserved. USA Today Sports compiled a list of some of the best athletes across all sports to wear each number, from 00 to 99. 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. Honorable mentions: Chan Ho Park, Bronson Arroyo. Like we said, the NFL was weird then. In Game 7 of the 1934 World Series, Dean threw nine shutout innings to help Gashouse Gang to the championship. Hes already eighth in goals in NHL history and has led the league in goals eight times. Honorable mentions: Lou Whitaker, Pee Wee Reese, Richie Ashburn, Why hes here: Jeters career was nothing short of amazing. As such, we will give shoutouts to various athletes along the way. Honorable mentions: Ivan Rodriguez, Craig Biggio, Kenny Lofton. Honorable mentions: Vladimir Guerrero, Scott Rolen, Kevin Brown, Why hes here: Blyleven made his big-league debut in 1970, a couple months after his 19th birthday, and made his last pitch in the majors at 41 years old. Why he's here: Remember Mannywood? Despite only pitching those five full seasons, Dean still was elected to the Hall of Fame. Parish earned those rings by taking on three of the league's legendary big men in the NBA Finals: Moses Malone in '81, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in '84 and Hakeem Olajuwon in '86. Christiansen isnt a big name, but he had some great years with the Raiders. The striking, photo-driven book, SI takes a comprehensive look at jersey numbers 00 to 99, across all sports and eras, to decide which elite pro athlete wore each digit best. Why hes here: Mantle won three AL MVP awards and smashed 536 home runs during his legendary run with the Yankees, but hes still one of baseballs greatest what if? stories because of the injuries that plagued his 18-year career.
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