The Numbers Game : They Have Become More Than Just a Way to Identify the Players

To the IRS, 040-66-7755 is just waiting to be born. At the DMV, the computer shows 002348640 owes $60 on a parking ticket. At the supermarket deli, No. 67 is next to order. Please, pay attention to the electronic counter above the counter.

People say: “I am not a number. I am a human being.”

But sports are different. In sports, numbers personalize.

Picture a uniform number, and one can picture a person.

Picture No. 1, and there’s Pee Wee Reese. Or Billy Martin.

Pick a number, any number. Here’s No. 8, and there’s Carl Yastrzemski. Or Yogi Berra.

Children say: “I am not No. 23, I am Michael Jordan.”

As far as experts can tell, the American practice of wearing uniform numbers dates to 1908, when the Washington and Jefferson College football team of Washington, Pa., went digital.

The next numbers were spotted in 1913, when the University of Chicago football team used them for identification. After World War I, all major college teams wore numbers.

This spilled over to baseball. April 16, 1929, the Yankees became the first baseball team to permanently affix numbers to their uniforms. The numbers corresponded to their spots in the batting order, which is why Babe Ruth wore No. 3, Lou Gehrig No. 4.

The idea was to boost scorecard sales; hence the expression: “You can’t tell the players without a scorecard.”

In 1960, the Chicago White Sox became the first team to put names on the backs of uniforms.

Suddenly, you could tell the players without a scorecard.

But there is still power in numbers. The Howard Johnson of the New York Mets switched to No. 44 briefly, slumped, took the hint and went back to No. 20. Johnson led the National League in home runs and runs batted in last season.

Numbers still count for something. Mo Vaughn of the Red Sox so reveres Jackie Robinson he took No. 42 with him to the big leagues. Alexander Mogilny of the Buffalo Sabres wears No. 89 to let everyone know what year he defected from the Soviet Union.

Numbers still fit certain players. In fact, uniform numbers must fit certain football players.

NFL quarterbacks and kickers must wear numbers between 1 and 19. So Johnny Unitas’ No. 19 forevermore will be the last number in quarterbacks. There is justice.

NFL running backs and defensive backs must wear numbers between 20 and 49; centers and linebackers, 50-59, although a center can be between 50-79 and a linebacker between 90-99; all other linemen must be between 60-79; wide receivers and tight ends, 80-89.

The NFL instituted this code in 1972. “It was for the sake of, well, uniformity,” said Leslie Hammond, an American Football Conference publicist. A few exceptions are granted. Cleveland Brown wide receiver Michael Jackson wears No. 1 because all the 80s are taken up.

If Red Grange, “The Galloping Ghost,” were playing today, he’d surely have to hand over his No. 77.

Grange’s No. 77 is one of 10 numbers retired by the Chicago Bears, who lead the NFL in this category.

The Oakland-Los Angeles Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys honor their players by name but not by number.

Harold Baines of the Oakland Athletics is still playing, and the Chicago White Sox already have retired his No. 3. Ditto Eddie Murray of the Mets, whose Baltimore Orioles’ number (33) has been retired.

The New York Yankees lead the major leagues in retired numbers with 12, although they have yet to retire No. 12. Almost everything else under 15 is put to rest.

One Yankee has two numbers retired. Remember Cliff Mapes? He was wearing No. 3 when the Yankees decided to honor Ruth. So Mapes switched to No. 7, which Mickey Mantle later used.

Basketball great Oscar Robertson has a No. 1 retired with the Milwaukee Bucks and a No. 14 retired with the Sacramento Kings (once the Cincinnati Royals). Likewise, Julius Erving has a No. 6 retired with the Philadelphia 76ers and a No. 32 retired with the New Jersey Nets.

The best number in basketball is No. 32, which has been retired by five teams, and eventually will be retired by a sixth. This was Magic Johnson’s number. The numbers 8, 26, 28 and 29 have never been retired in basketball.

The Celtics have retired 16 numbers and a microphone, the microphone in honor of broadcaster Johnny Most. Two Celtic numbers have never been worn and have been retired nonetheless: No. 1 in honor of franchise founder Walter Brown, No. 2 in honor of Red Auerbach.

The Knicks have retired No. 613 in honor of coach Red Holzman, who won 613 games.

These things happen when a team has “winning tradition.”

These things also happen when a team doesn’t have a “winning tradition.”

The Angels have retired No. 26 for longtime owner Gene Autry, their “26th man” on the roster.

The Sacramento Kings have retired No. 6 in honor of their fans, their “sixth man on the floor.”

The Seattle Seahawks have retired No. 12 in honor of their fans, their “12th man on the field.”

The New England Patriots have retired five numbers, as have the Cleveland Browns. The Patriots have retired 20, 57, 73, 79, and 89 for Gino Cappelletti, Steve Nelson, John Hannah, Jim Hunt and Bob Dee, respectively. The Browns have retired 14, 32, 45, 46 and 76 for Otto Graham, Jim Brown, Ernie Davis, Don Fleming and Lou Groza, respectively.

Which five would you take?

The Hartford Whalers have retired three numbers, a lot by NHL standards. New visitors to the Hartford Civic Center look up at these numbers in the rafters and say, “No. 9, that’s Gordie Howe. No. 2. Hmmm. . . . Oh yes, Rick Ley? No. 19. Hmmm . . . “

Johnny McKenzie.

“Didn’t he play for the Bruins?”

McKenzie’s was the first Whalers number officially retired by the organization, in 1980. He had 57 goals in 189 games with the Whalers from 1977-79. One might compare this to Pat Verbeek (96 goals in 190 games with the Whalers) and come to the conclusion that Verbeek’s No. 16 might be retired soon. Maybe he should have held out for that.

Hockey numbers date to 1914, the Pacific Coast Hockey League and the Montreal Wanderers of the National Hockey Assn. Back then, 1-15 were prime numbers. Numbers much higher were reserved for scrubs and goons and backup goaltenders.

The greatest number in hockey is No. 9, which was worn by the likes of Bobby Hull, Maurice Richard, John Bucyk and Howe.

Gretzky idolized Howe. When Gretzky began his junior career, he wanted No. 9. But some other kid had it, so Gretzky took No. 99 and has worn it since.

Brian Lawton, the first-round draft choice (first overall) of the Minnesota North Stars in 1983, began his career with No. 98. He was billed as “one short of Gretzky.” Lawton scored 10 goals his first season, five his second season. He soon switched to No. 8, which, of course, is 91 short of Gretzky.

Only the best hockey players can double up big numbers.

Pittsburgh’s Mario Lemieux can turn Gretzky’s No. 99 upside down.

Raymond Bourque wore No. 7 until the night the Bruins retired the number in honor of Phil Esposito. During the ceremony, Bourque ripped off his No. 7 and revealed his new sweater--with No. 77.

But when Carlton Fisk changed Sox in 1981, he had to change numbers. He wore No. 27 in Boston. In Chicago, Fisk did a reverse and took No. 72 because “that was the year my son Casey was born, it was my rookie year in the majors and it represents a turnaround (in) my career.”

When Rick Barry got to Houston, the last team he played for in his 15-year pro basketball career, Moses Malone was wearing Barry’s favorite, No. 24. Moses did not wish to give up No. 24. One does not argue with him. Barry wore No. 2 at home and No. 4 on the road.

Sometimes, numbers aren’t even numbers. Baseball players Oddibe McDowell and Al Oliver, among others, wore No. 0 and called it an “O”--as in after “N” and before “P.” Hall of Fame center Jim Otto of the Raiders wore No. 00, and probably would have put a couple of Ts in between if he could have gotten away with it.

Eddie Gaedel, the midget who once batted for the St. Louis Browns, wore No. 1/8. His shirt is in the Hall of Fame.

Almost every number has a story, even weird numbers. Jim Bouton wore No. 56 because that was the number the Yankees assigned him. Bouton wanted to remember where he came from.

Yes, there is meaning behind numbers in sports. Hot high school basketball players request No. 23 nowadays. They want to be like Mike. Football running backs want Nos. 32 or 29 or 22 or 44. Baseball players love No. 7, which seems to ensure stardom.

Do football officials strive to be No. 115?

That question is moot. If you are a player, you have a number. And if you are a real player, you have a number to remember.