Besides induction into the Hall of Fame of their respective sports, retiring uniform numbers of great athletes is the highest recognition in sports. In most cases, a plaque bearing the retired number is displayed prominently for posterity in the stadiums or arenas of the organizations. In some sports, the number is never to be worn again by any subsequent player with that organization.
In 1939, the New York Yankees base honored first baseman Lou Gehrig by retiring his No. 4. This was not the first such gesture in professional sports, but the ceremony was one of the most memorable. Retiring early due to ALS, Gehrig held a long standing record for consecutive games played. He passed away just two years after retirement. The number hangs in the new Yankee Stadium along with those of many other Yankee greats.
In professional football, numbers are frequently retired. But they are often used again due to the high number of players on football teams at one time. The honor of having one’s number retired is no less important though. The Arizona Cardinals retired Pat Tillman’s No. 40 following a short, but outstanding football career followed by his tragic death in combat in Afghanistan in 2004.
Considered by many to be the great athletes of all-time, Michael Jordan was honored by the Chicago Bulls for his excellent career while leading the team to four NBA Championships. A pennant with Jordan’s 23 hangs from the rafters of the Chicago Bulls’ United Center to recognize his many contributions.
Having a number retired by the entire professional league is truly the ultimate recognition for any athlete. Two individuals have been recognized this way and their numbers cannot be worn regularly by any subsequent players in the sport.
After his retirement, the National Hockey League chose to recognize the “Great One”, Wayne Gretzky, as a player whose scoring feats and leadership might never be duplicated. As a result, the number 99 will not be worn by any other NHL player.
Finally, No. 42 is worn only one day each year on any Major League baseball field. To honor Jackie Robinson, the first player to break baseball’s color barrier, each player wears that number during the games played on Jackie Robinson Day, April 15 of each year. The number is also displayed in every Major League ballpark. Robinson originally broke in with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.