What is the greatest/most memorable Red Sox Non-Retired Number?

21, though it's a non-retired retired number, since I don't think it's been issued since 1996.

Lose Remerswaal said:

I was at Fenway this weekend and saw lots of folks wearing #24 jerseys. I wanted to ask them if they were wearing them for Manny, Dewey, Takashi Saito, or someone else (Price?) but you know me, I'm shy, so I didn't ask.

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As soon as I read the thread title I came here to put 24. I have a #24 jersey i bought when Manny was first signed because it was a ten year contract so figured it would be relevant for a while, and had the backup effect of being Dewey’s number so mine is definitely an amalgam of those two.

It's 24 and 21 and a big gulf after that IMO. Probably 15 and 50 are next in the rankings, then maybe 25 for the Tony C fans but we're getting close to two generations of fans who really don't have any idea who he was. Whereas those same fans can look at 24 and 21 and identify the Sox great (or greats) who memorably wore it.

7 comes to mind. Rick Burleson. Esasky. Trot and then JD Drew.

tims4wins said:

7 comes to mind. Rick Burleson. Esasky. Trot and then JD Drew.

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Reggie Smith

nnnnn nineteen. 19. Fred Lynn will always be favorite Red Sox player. Plus Beckett (odd years only) and Koji.

I'd echo many already listed and add 5. His greatness ended too quickly but man was he awesome

What do Rico Petrocelli, Todd Benzinger, John Leister, Lee Tinsley, Rick Aguilera, Grady Sizemore, Heath Hembree, and Doug Fister have in common?


Given the bloody sock and the branding surrounding the number, I was surprised to see 38 reassigned so quickly -- to Matt Thornton immediately and then Rusney Castillo.

Man, my top 4
5 Nomar and George Scott,
21 Rocket
33 Tek
43 Eck - my winner

33 and 49 will never be retired, but it'll be weird to see them on some other player's back.

18 is an interesting one - Sort of a who's who of some of my favorite grinders of the past 30 years or so: Moreland, Victorino, Damon, Reggie Jefferson, Glenn Hoffman, Carlos Quintana. And then there's Dice-K.

5 will always be Nomar to me.

24, 21, and 5

Lose Remerswaal said:

Surprised no one has said 23.

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El Tiante. Interesting that he wore it for 7 seasons (71-78), same number of seasons as Oil Can (82-89). Daubach had it for 5 I think.

24 for me. Evans AND Manny....

steveluck7 said:

I'd echo many already listed and add 5. His greatness ended too quickly but man was he awesome

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What do you mean? Tzu-Wei’s greatness is only just beginning!

Or were you talking Allen Craig?

uk_sox_fan said:

Or were you talking Allen Craig?

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Jeff Frye, actually

No love for #83?

Kind of off topic, but is Mookie going to wear #50 forever? Usually, when a guy comes up, he gets a high number, but when it becomes obvious he’s going to be a very special player, he gets a single digit number. Does he love 50?

The Allented Mr Ripley said:

33 and 49 will never be retired, but it'll be weird to see them on some other player's back.

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This is what I came here to post.

I’m in the camp that would rather see Varitek’s #33 retired than Fisk’s #27.

Fisk was a better player, a legit Hall of Famer, and from New England. His stats with the Sox were better:
Fisk: .284/.356/.481, 162 HRs, 126 OPS+
Tek: 256/.341/.435, 193 HRs, 99 OPS+

But Tek played 500 more games with the Sox. He won 2 World Series. He wore the ‘C’ on his uniform. He slammed his glove into ARod’s face. And while Fisk played the majority of his career for a team whose socks were a different color, Varitek played every single game of his major league career for the Boston Red Sox.

Yeah, but try telling that to my 8-year old self whose favourite player was Pudge when he fell hard for the Sox back in 77

dynomite said:

He slammed his glove into ARod’s face.

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I don't think Fisk would have had any qualms whatsoever about slamming his glove into ARod's face. We're talking about a guy who threw roundhouses at Thurman Munson.

Yeah 25. And 5. These were probably, at their respective peaks, the two most popular players on the Red Sox from 1965 until the Pedro/Papi ascendancy and the Title Era. Nomar at his peak was something new, a step behind Orr and Bird but nearly in that category. 8 and 23 were close. Conigliaro and Tiant of course had off the charts charisma

Al Zarilla said:

Kind of off topic, but is Mookie going to wear #50 forever? Usually, when a guy comes up, he gets a high number, but when it becomes obvious he’s going to be a very special player, he gets a single digit number. Does he love 50?

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From a Globe article in March 2015:
“
FORT MYERS, Fla. — As veteran players dropped off the roster via trade or free agency this winter, Red Sox home clubhouse manager Tom McLaughlin contacted Mookie Betts to ask if he wanted a better number.

Betts was assigned 50 when he was called up last season, a number worn by coaches or players just passing through in recent seasons. Aesthetically, the blocky number looks out of place on Betts, a lean outfielder.

But he thought it over and decided to stick with it.

“A lot of my friends back home got jerseys with my number. I didn’t want them to have to get new ones,” Betts said. “Nobody wants 50, I knew I would be able to keep it.”

Heating up in the bullpen said:

From a Globe article in March 2015:
“
FORT MYERS, Fla. — As veteran players dropped off the roster via trade or free agency this winter, Red Sox home clubhouse manager Tom McLaughlin contacted Mookie Betts to ask if he wanted a better number.

Betts was assigned 50 when he was called up last season, a number worn by coaches or players just passing through in recent seasons. Aesthetically, the blocky number looks out of place on Betts, a lean outfielder.

But he thought it over and decided to stick with it.

“A lot of my friends back home got jerseys with my number. I didn’t want them to have to get new ones,” Betts said. “Nobody wants 50, I knew I would be able to keep it.”

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Thanks, Heating Up. Sounds like Mookie, always thinking about other people ahead of himself.

trotsplits said:

I don't think Fisk would have had any qualms whatsoever about slamming his glove into ARod's face. We're talking about a guy who threw roundhouses at Thurman Munson.

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Oh no question Fisk was a badass and a legendary player. I just feel like Varitek’s legacy deserves to be celebrated in some lasting way.

Red(s)HawksFan said:

It's 24 and 21 and a big gulf after that IMO. Probably 15 and 50 are next in the rankings, then maybe 25 for the Tony C fans but we're getting close to two generations of fans who really don't have any idea who he was. Whereas those same fans can look at 24 and 21 and identify the Sox great (or greats) who memorably wore it.

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Thing is, with Tony C., every time Mookie or Beni or someone else accomplishes something special as a hitter by the age of 25 or something, you see a list on NESN of the other Red Sox that have done it. Invariably, the list has Ted Williams, Tony C., et al on it. So, at least they keep seeing his name. Of course, coming up at the age of 19 was a huge part of it for Tony, but he was very special. Still, all time worst disaster for a Boston player for me along with Harry Agganis.

Al Zarilla said:

Thing is, with Tony C., every time Mookie or Beni or someone else accomplishes something special as a hitter by the age of 25 or something, you see a list on NESN of the other Red Sox that have done it. Invariably, the list has Ted Williams, Tony C., et al on it. So, at least they keep seeing his name. Of course, coming up at the age of 19 was a huge part of it for Tony, but he was very special. Still, all time worst disaster for a Boston player for me along with Harry Agganis.

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Bias, Leveille, Lewis, Westmoreland...

For me, it's 25 ... I never see it on a player's back without thinking of TonyC

trotsplits said:

I don't think Fisk would have had any qualms whatsoever about slamming his glove into ARod's face. We're talking about a guy who threw roundhouses at Thurman Munson.

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We can ask Deion Sanders about Carlton Fisk.

#5--Nomah--Did not have the longevity but his divorce from the Sox was a almost as painful to me as an adult as Fisk's was when I was a middle schooler.
#24--Dewey and Manny
#21 The TX Con Man

33 and 49 are mine due to my age and others have espoused Tek's virtues already in this thread but 49 will always be Wakefield's number to me.

No other pitcher in my lifetime (non-Pedro division since he's not a mortal) had as much impact on the Sox through his years of service, flexibility and willingness to do whatever role the team needed of him - starter, closer, mop up long reliever, and eating the L in Game 3 of the 04 ALCS. Before you factor in the fact that he was unique as a Knuckleballer, Wake was iconic.

24, 21, and 5 in that order. Dewey/Manny can’t be touched IMO.

snowmanny said:

Bias, Leveille, Lewis, Westmoreland...

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True, can’t rank these things.

A different take: favorite player to wear a specific non-retired number:

#2: I did have irrational like for both Doug Griffin and then Jerry Remy. And a very rational like for Ellsbury. But I'm rooting for Xander to be the best wearer of this number.

#3: A black hole number since the days of Jimmy Foxx. Favorite has to be Mike Lansing...correction, make that David Ross for the 2013 playoffs.

#5: Nomahh. With an honorable mention to the Boomer.

#7: Quite a few notables since the days of Dom Dimaggio: Reggie Smith, JD Drew and brother Stephen, Nick Esasky (tragic), and, of course, Steve Lyons. But Trot was one of those that broke the Curse, so he wins.

#10: Another whole lot of suck in the number once proudly worn by Rick Lancellotti. But the pre-1986 Rich Gedman was pretty awesome until injuries derailed his career.

#11: Close call between Clay Buchholz (for both 2013 and the no-hitter) and Bill Mueller, but Mueller gets the vote for The Single in 2004.

#12: Also worn by Steve Lyons. And Will Cordero. Really, really close call between Mark Bellhorn and Mike Napoli, with the edge to Bellhorn for 2004. Honorable mention to Ellis Burks during his first go-around here.

#13: Only 3 players wore this number before Reid Nichols in 1985, and has since proven to be relatively unlikely (Hanley and Carl Crawford say hello). I'll give it to Alex Cora.

#15: Wow. We had Sparky Lyle wear this number as a rookie. Cecil Cooper before he was traded. George Scott in his encore. Mark "The Original Thanks Dad!" Sullivan. And "Batting second, #15, Craig Grebeck". This one is ultimately close, as Millar should always be known for Drawing the Walk that changed history, but still need to give the honors to Pedroia.

#16: Haywood Sullivan's old number. Since worn by the likes of Kevin Romine and Bob Zupcic. Jim Lonborg gets my vote for bringing us 1967 (a season for which I was too young to notice).

#17: Tie between Manny Delcarmen, Marty Barrett, and Cecil Cooper.

#18: Victorino and Dice-K each had important roles in the 2013 and 2007 playoffs. But Johnny Damon gets my vote.

#19: Yes, Koji threw the final pitch of 2013, but Fred Lynn in 1975 was one of those "you had to be there" moments.

I'll add more if/when I get the time.

ookami7m said:

33 and 49 are mine due to my age and others have espoused Tek's virtues already in this thread but 49 will always be Wakefield's number to me.

No other pitcher in my lifetime (non-Pedro division since he's not a mortal) had as much impact on the Sox through his years of service, flexibility and willingness to do whatever role the team needed of him - starter, closer, mop up long reliever, and eating the L in Game 3 of the 04 ALCS. Before you factor in the fact that he was unique as a Knuckleballer, Wake was iconic.

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Don’t forget they first activated him May 27,1995 on their west coast trip after their starting staff was hit by injuries. He beat the Angels throwing 7 innings of 5 hit, 1 run ball.
Went out again May 30 (!) and beat the A’s throwing 7.1 innings of 2 hit shutout ball. Followed that up with two complete game victories on normal rest. Appeared out of the blue and saved the staff in what ended up as a first place season.

lexrageorge said:

A different take: favorite player to wear a specific non-retired number:

#2: I did have irrational like for both Doug Griffin and then Jerry Remy. And a very rational like for Ellsbury. But I'm rooting for Xander to be the best wearer of this number.

#3: A black hole number since the days of Jimmy Foxx. Favorite has to be Mike Lansing...correction, make that David Ross for the 2013 playoffs.

#5: Nomahh. With an honorable mention to the Boomer.

#7: Quite a few notables since the days of Dom Dimaggio: Reggie Smith, JD Drew and brother Stephen, Nick Esasky (tragic), and, of course, Steve Lyons. But Trot was one of those that broke the Curse, so he wins.

#10: Another whole lot of suck in the number once proudly worn by Rick Lancellotti. But the pre-1986 Rich Gedman was pretty awesome until injuries derailed his career.

#11: Close call between Clay Buchholz (for both 2013 and the no-hitter) and Bill Mueller, but Mueller gets the vote for The Single in 2004.

#12: Also worn by Steve Lyons. And Will Cordero. Really, really close call between Mark Bellhorn and Mike Napoli, with the edge to Bellhorn for 2004. Honorable mention to Ellis Burks during his first go-around here.

#13: Only 3 players wore this number before Reid Nichols in 1985, and has since proven to be relatively unlikely (Hanley and Carl Crawford say hello). I'll give it to Alex Cora.

#15: Wow. We had Sparky Lyle wear this number as a rookie. Cecil Cooper before he was traded. George Scott in his encore. Mark "The Original Thanks Dad!" Sullivan. And "Batting second, #15, Craig Grebeck". This one is ultimately close, as Millar should always be known for Drawing the Walk that changed history, but still need to give the honors to Pedroia.

#16: Haywood Sullivan's old number. Since worn by the likes of Kevin Romine and Bob Zupcic. Jim Lonborg gets my vote for bringing us 1967 (a season for which I was too young to notice).

#17: Tie between Manny Delcarmen, Marty Barrett, and Cecil Cooper.

#18: Victorino and Dice-K each had important roles in the 2013 and 2007 playoffs. But Johnny Damon gets my vote.

#19: Yes, Koji threw the final pitch of 2013, but Fred Lynn in 1975 was one of those "you had to be there" moments.

I'll add more if/when I get the time.

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Dude. 3. Pokey!

Was (Not Wasdin) said:

nnnnn nineteen. 19. Fred Lynn will always be favorite Red Sox player. Plus Beckett (odd years only) and Koji.

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To this I would add JBJ. Not "great" in the HOF-sense, but surely memorable (like Lynn) for defense.

#34 should've been retired for El Guapo before Papi got to it.

#47 - Good to excellent pitching (Hurst, Waslewski, Beck)
Good: Varitek (pre-33)
Bad: Tom Murphy
Ugly: Robert Sprowl

lexrageorge said:

A different take: favorite player to wear a specific non-retired number:

#2: I did have irrational like for both Doug Griffin and then Jerry Remy. And a very rational like for Ellsbury. But I'm rooting for Xander to be the best wearer of this number.

#3: A black hole number since the days of Jimmy Foxx. Favorite has to be Mike Lansing...correction, make that David Ross for the 2013 playoffs.

#5: Nomahh. With an honorable mention to the Boomer.

#7: Quite a few notables since the days of Dom Dimaggio: Reggie Smith, JD Drew and brother Stephen, Nick Esasky (tragic), and, of course, Steve Lyons. But Trot was one of those that broke the Curse, so he wins.

#10: Another whole lot of suck in the number once proudly worn by Rick Lancellotti. But the pre-1986 Rich Gedman was pretty awesome until injuries derailed his career.

#11: Close call between Clay Buchholz (for both 2013 and the no-hitter) and Bill Mueller, but Mueller gets the vote for The Single in 2004.

#12: Also worn by Steve Lyons. And Will Cordero. Really, really close call between Mark Bellhorn and Mike Napoli, with the edge to Bellhorn for 2004. Honorable mention to Ellis Burks during his first go-around here.

#13: Only 3 players wore this number before Reid Nichols in 1985, and has since proven to be relatively unlikely (Hanley and Carl Crawford say hello). I'll give it to Alex Cora.

#15: Wow. We had Sparky Lyle wear this number as a rookie. Cecil Cooper before he was traded. George Scott in his encore. Mark "The Original Thanks Dad!" Sullivan. And "Batting second, #15, Craig Grebeck". This one is ultimately close, as Millar should always be known for Drawing the Walk that changed history, but still need to give the honors to Pedroia.

#16: Haywood Sullivan's old number. Since worn by the likes of Kevin Romine and Bob Zupcic. Jim Lonborg gets my vote for bringing us 1967 (a season for which I was too young to notice).

#17: Tie between Manny Delcarmen, Marty Barrett, and Cecil Cooper.

#18: Victorino and Dice-K each had important roles in the 2013 and 2007 playoffs. But Johnny Damon gets my vote.

#19: Yes, Koji threw the final pitch of 2013, but Fred Lynn in 1975 was one of those "you had to be there" moments.

I'll add more if/when I get the time.

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I was at the beach on the Cape with my brother in law and both of our families in ‘75 and he says ‘check it out, that guy looks like Fred Lynn.’ I said that guy is only 5’10 or so, our height. Fred's taller. But he did have an everyman look to him and he and Jim Rice were perfect rookie twins that year. If only Jim hadn't got the broken hand.

5 for me.