The retiring of a number to honor a player likely began with the New York Yankees. The Yankees were not the first team to experiment with numbers on uniforms to identify players, but they were the first to wear numbers permanently and retired Lou Gehrig's number 4 in 1939. This book covers retired numbers in baseball's major and minor leagues. In the major league section of the book, a player's name is followed by his retired number, the name of the team that retired it, the year that it was retired, the player's primary position, and the teams he was affiliated with during his playing career. The author then presents a brief summary of the player's career and lists any major awards or honors he won. Retiring numbers in the minor leagues is a bit different; a player who excels in the minors isn't usually with a team for long because he is promoted to the majors. In the minor league section, a player's name is followed by a brief summary of his significance. After both the major and minor league sections, readers will find team-by-team and numerical lists of honored players.

1, 2, 6, 9 are the first four of the ten numbers permanently retired by the St. Louis Cardinals. 1, 2, 6, 9& Rogers is the first book dedicated solely to these outstanding players (and one owner), some of the all-time greats of the game.Rogers Hornsby The first great Cardinal who played before they wore numbers1-Ozzie Smith The greatest shortstop ever and the favorite of a generation2-Red Schoendienst 50 years of service as a player, coach, and manager6-Stan Musial The Man says it all, simply the best ever9-Enos Slaughter He epitomized all-out hustle all the time14-Kenny Boyer The Captain, a true leader on and off the field17-Dizzy Dean One its wildest characters of the Gashouse Gang20-Lou Brock The teams all-time base stealer and 15-year leadoff batter45-Bob Gibson By far the greatest Cardinal pitcher85-Gussie Busch Beloved owner of the team for 37 years42-Jackie Robinson Every team retired the #42 of the man who broke the color barrier1, 2, 6, 9 offers in-depth profiles of these baseball immortals, including little-known information about their pre- and post-Cardinal experiences. Each chapter if full of anecdotes, quotes, and statistics that show just how great these men were. Just as these players are in every Cardinal fans heart, this book should be on every Cardinal fans shelf.

This story is so much more than just numbers, it has everything a diehard Indian's fan needs to know! This book gives in depth detail of the players Hall of Fame careers and the path that got them into the league. Where they grew up, their life before baseball and how they got started with the Tribe. - Vince McKee, CEO & Founder KEE On Sports Generations of Cleveland baseball fans, when entering the home of the Indians gaze at upper deck corner of right field and see the names and numbers of immortalized Cleveland Indians greats: Feller 19; Boudreau 5; Averill 3; Lemon 21; Thome 25; Doby 14; Robinson 20; Harder 18; and The Fans 455. This book gives an overview of the stories behind the names and jersey numbers immortalized in Cleveland Indians history; their accomplishments on and off the field and the facts that tell the narrative of their inspiring play. In addition to those who played on the field for the Indians, there are two numbers of enduring fame also displayed for all fans to see. Get the facts about the legends of the game of Cleveland Indian's Baseball.

Unlike other baseball statistics books that reveal only information about the numbers players put on the board, this unique take on America's favorite pastime reveals the little-known facts and nuances behind the numbers players wear on their backs. In Now Batting, Number...baseball historian Jack Looney delves into every aspect of baseball uniform numbers. Here are topics including "Boyhood Idols" (players who chose numbers to honor heroes, fathers, grandfathers, and friends), "Birthday Babes" (players who have worn the same number as their day, month, or year of birth), "Caretakers" (inside stories on how numbers are distributed and the bartering of numbers among players), and "Early Innings" (the history of numbering in Major League baseball). At the center of Now Batting, Number...is a substantial section listing the complete rosters of all thirty Major League teams including each player's number and position. Other lists include every retired number listed by league and team, every retired number listed by position, and famous players' numbers and every other player who ever honored them by wearing that number (listed by number). In a controversial chapter called "Dream Teams," player from various eras, who wore the same number durin their careers, are selected to play together on the same Dream Team. Statistics for fifty teams are included. Also included are dozens of some of the toughest, number-related trivia questions that will have even the most knowledgeable fan scratching his or her head.

Epstein takes readers on a funky ride through baseball and America in the swinging '70s in this wild pop-culture history of baseball's most colorful and controversial decade. Includes 8-page photo insert.