my retired number collection - 23

this is the 22nd post in a series that shares the cards i have in my retired number mini-collection. you can find the links to the previous posts down at the bottom of this post. if you're eager to learn more right now, you can check out the full list of retired numbers along with what this collection will entail over at my want list site.

without further ado, here are the four people for whom number 23 has been retired:

don mattingly (retired by the yankees in 1997) 1996 topps stadium club

the yankees retired number 23 for mattingly on august 31, 1997, making him the first yankee who did not appear in a world series to be so honored. his 1996 topps stadium club card is in my collection a few times - here in this one, in my final tribute collection, and in my memorials collection. it's a great card of a yankee great that shows his number, caps his career that ended with the loss in the 1995 alds, and features the black armband for mickey mantle. it wasn't entirely clear at the time whether or not the card would be a final tribute, as mattingly had left the door open to returning to the field after deliberately sitting out the 1996 season. he ultimately decided against it, announcing his retirement formally in january of 1997 at which time the team also announced that the number, which they had kept out of circulation during the 1996 season, would be retired.

mattingly's career entailed a number of awards (nine gold gloves and the 1985 mvp) and achievements (a batting title and six straight all-star nods) but his hall of fame candidacy was hurt by the same back injury that hampered his playing career. a clear hall of famer during the 1980's, mattingly's production - in particular his power - tailed off in the 1990's, even though he remained a productive player. many comparisons have been made to kirby puckett whose career was cut short by injury, but the difference (i guess) is that mattingly's injuries were ongoing while puckett's was abrupt. i would support mattingly as a hall of famer, and hope that he gets some consideration from a future eras committee.

willie horton (retired by the tigers in 2000) 1972 topps

local product and legend willie horton had his number retired by the tigers on july 15, 2000. i had a dupe of his 1972 topps high number card that is perfect for the collection due to the tigers putting numbers on the jersey sleeves. can't do that today with all the advertising patches! as a tiger, horton hit 262 home runs and is to this day fifth on the franchise's all-time leader board in that category. his biggest moment with the team came perhaps in the 1968 world series. in game 5 with the tigers down 3 games to 1, horton's outfield assist cut down lou brock at the plate to keep the game within reach. the tigers came back to win that game and the next two as well to claim the world series title for the first time since 1945. while he is not a hall of famer, horton does have a statue outside of comerica park.

when i think of the tigers and number 23, i think of kirk gibson (who also wore 23 with the dodgers). gibson was one of seven players to wear the number after horton was traded away in 1977, with hideo nomo in 2000 being the last to wear it. nomo spent the entire 2000 season with the club, so i assume he switched numbers after the retirement ceremony, but can't find any record of a different number being assigned to him for the remainder of the season.

ryne sandberg (retired by the cubs in 2005 ) 1996 topps gallery

sandberg spent all but six of the 9,282 major league games played in his career with the cubs. after being acquired from the phillies before the 1982 season, sandberg began a 12 year run as a fixture in the cubs' infield. he was the 1984 national league mvp as he led the cubs to the postseason for the first time in 39 years. he was a 10 time all-star and won nine gold gloves while being one of the greatest offensive second basemen in the history of the game.

it wasn't until his third ballot, in 2005, however, that sandberg was elected to the hall of fame. the cubs responded to his election by retiring his number on august 28, 2005 making him the second chicago athlete to have the number 23 retired by their club (the bulls retired the number for michael jordan in 1994) and the last cub to wear the number.

ted simmons (retired by the cardinals in 2022) 1980 topps

when ted simmons retired following the 1988 season, i figured he would get some hall of fame attention since there was no other player who was primarily a catcher who had more hits than simmons, and only yogi berra had more rbi. instead, he was off the ballot in just one year! in 2020, 26 years later, the eras committee voted him into the hall, and the cardinals subsequently retired his number on july 31, 2021.

simmons spent the first 13 years of his career in st. louis and was a six time all-star during that time. he won the first silver slugger award for a catcher in 1980, and received some mvp consideration while with the cardinals in various seasons. after he was traded to the brewers with rollie fingers, his number was recirculated by the club with marcell ozuna in 2019 being the last to wear it on the field. as with horton's 1972 topps card, i am thankful for sleeve numbers - especially with catchers - and think that simmons' 1980 topps card is a great one for this collection.

as for future 23s, i wonder if the royals will honor zack greinke with a retired number. he is likely headed to the hall of fame, but he wasn't a part of their resurgence in 2014 and 2015. time will tell.

i am tracking a few things as we go, even though the information is already available elsewhere.

retired numbers by team (through the 18 posts so far):

yankees - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 20, 21, 23

giants - 3, 4, 11, 20, 22

pirates - 1, 4, 8, 9, 11, 20, 21

guardians - 3, 5, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 455

red sox - 1, 4, 6, 8, 9, 14

phillies - 1, 14, 15, 20

cardinals - 1, 2, 6, 9, 10, 14, 17, 20, 23, 85

reds - 1, 5, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 18, 20

braves - 3, 6, 10, 21

astros - 5, 7

mets - 14, 16, 17, 18

orioles - 4, 5, 8, 20, 22

dodgers - 1, 2, 4, 14, 19, 20

twins - 3, 6, 7, 10, 14

white sox - 2, 3, 4, 9, 11, 14, 16, 19, 72

brewers - 1, 4, 19

tigers - 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 11, 16, 23

cubs - 10, 14, 23

royals - 5, 10, 20

padres - 6, 19

athletics - 9

angels - 11

expos - 8, 10

rangers - 7, 10

major league baseball

rays - 12, 66

diamondbacks - 20

blue jays

rockies - 17

mariners - 11

nationals - 11

marlins

retired number frequency:

1 - retired by 9 teams

2 - retired by 5 teams

3 - retired by 7 teams

4 - retired by 8 teams

5 - retired by 7 teams

6 - retired by 7 teams

7 - retired by 4 teams

8 - retired by 6 teams (retired by yankees for two players)

9 - retired by 6 teams

10 - retired by 9 teams (retired by expos for two players)

11 - retired by 8 teams

12 - retired by 1 team

13 - retired by 1 team

14 - retired by 10 teams (retired by mets and dodgers for same person)

15 - retired by 2 teams

16 - retired by 4 teams (includes mets who will formally retire the number in 2024)

17 - retired by 3 teams

18 - retired by 3 teams (includes mets who will formally retire the number in 2024) 

19 - retired by 5 teams

20 - retired by 11 teams (retired by orioles, reds, and guardians for same person)

21 - retired by 4 teams

22 - retired by 2 teams

23 - retired by 4 teams

66 - retired by 1 team

72 - retired by 1 team

85 - retired by 1 team

455 - retired by 1 team

unnumbered players - 12 players recognized by 4 teams

running total of unique hall of famers (including those without numbers): 103

running total of non-hall of famers: 38