So did Diego Maradona. His on-base percentage: .482, the best ever. 85 with a 0.45 WAR is good enough to beat out Che-Hsuan Lin. 00 Jim Otto to No. 22 currently, but he isn't the only one sporting that number. 61 at times but not with the Red Sox. 84 for two seasons with the Rangers. Sure, Bourque wore seven until it was retired for Phil Esposito. He also ended his time in the NFL with a ring with the Steelers, though by that point he was no longer a Pro Bowl-caliber back. 23 Greatest Athletes to Wear No. 23 Quiz Stats - By schredder - Sporcle Jim Reineking. 1 all-time. Derek Jeters #2 jerseys are still being sold to MLB fans years after his retirement,which shows just how much a number can mean to a player and how much a number can become synonymous with a player. Hes remembered wearing Nos. 1 of 100 0 - Russell Westbrook Troy Taormina/USA TODAY Sports For this number, we're including guys. The Hall of Famer was perhaps the best tackle of the 80s, which is something Cincinnati can take credit for. In a few years this choice is going to be even more obvious. Josh Beckett wore No. 56 is even close. However, as great as Pistol and Ice Man were at basketball, Hammerin Hank was even better at baseball. Allen Iverson was a dynamic NBA player. Can you imagine a 6-foot-7 linebacker? 18 in 14 of his 18 seasons, including the 2004 season when he helped the Red Sox win the World Series and end the Curse of the Bambino, and 2009, when he helped the Yankees to a World Series title. Why he's here: Hershisher's legendary 1988 performance gives him the edge over comtemporary Kevin Appier. Join our linker program. Hes done so many incredible things already, and hes not quite done yet. He won 266 games and threw three no-hitters in his 18-year career with the Indians, and that total would have undoubtedly been higher had he not missed three-and-a-half seasons (when he was 23 to 26 years old) serving in the military during World War II. Hockey? When you have a nickname like that, youve earned the right to be considered the greatest athlete to wear the No. In the News: Aaron Rodgers, Trey Lance, Jordan Love, Brock Purdy, Lamar Jackson, Allen Robinson. Iconic NFL players with number 20 jerseys include Barry Sanders, Ed Reed, and Brian Dawkins, all Hall of Fame-level players whose career highlights are among the greatest moments in football history . Williams set out to be the greatest hitter that ever lived, and it's hard to argue he wasn't. Thats good enough for us. 5. Here are seven amazing athletes besides LeBron James to wear that number. Orlando Magic ( 20, 21) Greg Anthony. Disagree with our picks? MLB History: Top Five Players to Wear Number 42 However, he retired in 1955, and thats just a different era of football. This was one of the easiest choices we made. Of course, Jagr ended up playing for a bunch of teams in his career as he held on to add to his incredible goal total. He gets the nod. Best all-time MLB players at each jersey number, 1-99 Honorable mentions: Mel Ott, Paul Molitor, Duke Snider. Parish earned those rings by taking on three of the league's legendary big men in the NBA Finals: Moses Malone in '81, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in '84 and Hakeem Olajuwon in '86. Names that come to mind are Michael Jordan, Ryne Sandberg, Troy Vincent, David Beckham, Bob Gainey, and Ron Lancaster. Since the other choices at 14 werent incredibly obvious, Bob Cousy, Pete Rose, et al, we decided to honor Cruyff here. Though he often battled injuries, Larkin was an All-Star 12 times, won the 1995 NL MVP and hit .338 in his 17 career postseason games for Cincinnati. His .651 winning percentage is 24th all time. 8 with the Indians and White Sox, but it wasn't available in Baltimore due to a certain future Hall of Famer. 31 is also often worn by goalies, but none was going to overthrow the Mad Dog. Allen was known for his massive arms and incredible strength, which helped him become an elite offensive lineman. Honorable mentions: Charlie Gehringer, Nellie Fox, Red Schoendienst. Allen currently ranks 12th in career sacks. The Cincinnati Bengals dont have a storied franchise history, but they do have one of the greatest offensive tackles ever to their name. Mike Singletary was a formidable linebacker patrolling the field in the NFL. Despite only pitching those five full seasons, Dean still was elected to the Hall of Fame. Soccer player of the century? (Photo Credit: Rocky Widner/Getty Images . Some may call this heresy. The Best Athletes Who Wore #20 - Ranker Simpson, NFL; Sandy Koufax, MLB; Bill Walton, NBA; Marcus Allen, NFL; Steve Carlton, MLB, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, NBA; Larry Bird, NBA; Patrick Roy, NHL; Tony Dorsett, NFL; Jose Canseco, MLB; Harry Gant, NASCAR; Honus Wagner, MLB; Patrick Ewing, NBA; Scottie Pippen, NBA, Walter Payton, NFL; Shaquille O'Neal, NBA; Bryce Harper, MLB; Hakeem Olajuwon, NBA; Kirby Puckett, MLB; Thurman Thomas, NFL, Kevin Durant, NBA; Rickey Henderson, MLB; Frank Thomas, MLB; Phil Neikro, MLB; Mike Cuellar, MLB, Jerome Bettis, NFL; Robin Roberts, MLB; Gaylord Perry, MLB; Don Newcombe, MLB, Doak Walker, NFL; Dave Stieb, MLB; Lester Hayes, NFL; Casey Stengel, MLB; Bill "Spaceman" Lee, MLB, Curt Schilling, MLB; George Rogers, NFL;Pavol Demitra, NHL, Larry Csonka, NFL; Dominik Hasek, NHL;Roy Campanella, MLB, Gale Sayers, NFL; Shawn Kemp, NBA; Rick Sutcliffe, MLB, Dirk Nowitzki, NBA; Wes Unseld, NBA; Tom Seaver, MLB; Charlie Waters, NFL; Eddie Matthews, MLB, Jackie Robinson, MLB; Ronnie Lott, NFL; James Worthy, NBA; Mariano Rivera, MLB, Richard Petty, NASCAR; Dennis Eckersley, MLB; Troy Polamalu, NFL, Hank Aaron, MLB; Jerry West, NBA; Pete Maravich, NBA; George Gervin, NBA; John Riggins, NFL; Reggie Jackson, MLB; Willie McCovey, MLB, Bob Gibson, MLB; A.C. Green, NBA; Pedro Martinez, MLB; Kyle Petty, NASCAR, Lee Smith, MLB; Todd Christensen, NFL; Andy Pettitte, MLB, Jack Morris, MLB; Mel Blount, NFL; Tom Glavine, MLB; Jerry Lucas, NBA, Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR; Torii Hunter, MLB; Scott Young, NHL, Hoyt Wilhelm, MLB; Ron Guidry, MLB; Bobby Mitchell, NFL; Brian Savage, NHL, David Robinson, NBA; Mike Singletary, NFL; Dave Dalby, NFL, Jamie Moyer, MLB, Dick Butkus, NFL;Ichiro Suzuki, MLB; Randy Cross, NFL; Randy Johnson, MLB; Jim Ringo, NFL, Ray Lewis, NFL; Dave Edwards, NFL; Jamaal Wilkes, NBA; Mike Webster, NFL, Don Drysdale, MLB; Harry Carson, NFL; Randy Gradishar, NFL; Artis Gilmore, NBA, Randy White, NFL; Rich Gossage, MLB; Brian Urlacher, NFL; Chuck Howley, NFL, Orel Hershiser, MLB; Junior Seau, NFL; Lee Roy Jordan, NFL; Otis Wilson, NFL, Lawrence Taylor, NFL; Shawne Merriman, NFL; Martin Truex Jr., NASCAR, Francisco Rodriguez, MLB; Tom Jackson, NFL; Dwight Stephenson, NFL, Jack Lambert, NFL; Derrick Thomas, NFL; Carl Banks, NFL; Wilber Marshall, NFL, Jack Ham, NFL; "Tiger" Tom Pistone, NASCAR; Seth Joyner, NFL, Chuck Bednarik, NFL; Otto Graham, NFL;Tommy Nobis, NFL; Otis Sistrunk, NFL, Curley Culp, NFL; Bill George, NFL; Josh Beckett, MLB, Jim Langer, NFL;Curtis "Crawfish" Crider, NASCAR, Gene Upshaw, NFL; Willie Lanier, NFL; Lee Roy Selmon, NFL; Ernie Holmes, NFL, Jerry Kramer, NFL; Elmo Langley, NASCAR; Randall McDaniel, NFL, Elvin Bethea, NFL; Tom Mack, NFL; Gary Zimmerman, NFL, Mario Lemieux, NHL; Ray Nitschke, NFL; Conrad Dobler, NFL, Reggie McKenzie, NFL; BobKuechenberg, NFL; Les Richter, NFL, Jaromir Jagr, NHL; L.C. White was the most feared pass rusher of his era, racking up sacks with gusto. Nowitzki changed the NBA. Dirk is the best player from Europe in NBA history. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Why hes here: A-Rod wore No. Few players were as reliable while also being incredible on the court Hes the greatest Spur of all time and a 15-time All-NBA team member. Its not a beloved number, apparently. Honorable mentions: Vladimir Guerrero, Scott Rolen, Kevin Brown, Why hes here: Blyleven made his big-league debut in 1970, a couple months after his 19th birthday, and made his last pitch in the majors at 41 years old. Honorable mentions: Todd Helton, Lance Berkman, Mark Grace. Full Site Menu. Why he's here: Fielder has worn No. As most baseball fans know, April 15, 1947 is a special day in MLB history. Why hes here: Only Babe Ruth could have possibility overshadowed one of the greatest sluggers of all time. For this number, were including guys who wore 00, like Robert Parish. After checking out the photo gallery, readthe list of top athletes at every number. Kelce, and his massive beard, was also key in the Eagles winning their first-ever Super Bowl. He was such a star that when he came out of retirement in '75 to play for the New York Cosmos of the upstart North American Soccer League, he instantly raised the profile of a sport that had been largely ignored by U.S. audiences. By the time he was finished, Robinson had a pair of MVP awards for Cincinnati in 1961 and for Baltimore in 1966and he had collected 586 career home runs. Bonds didnt wear 25 until he joined the Giants. Every number tells a story in Sports Illustrated 's newly published ANY GIVEN NUMBER . Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history, Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball, Basketball-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREE. Upshaw spent 15 seasons as an offensive guard, playing well enough to make it into the Hall of Fame with the Raiders. Now that we are in the 80s, the decisions get a little bit trickier although, this was still an obvious choice. He was able to just beat out the wide receiver Steve Smith. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Return to Top; Players. 99, because it was a source of derision to don the number that Gretzky had made iconic. His slugging percentage: .634, second best. Keep the linebackers coming! Why hes here: Only one player in baseball history (Jeff Kent) ever hit more home runs as a second baseman than Sandbergs 277 career dingers at the position, and in 1990 he became the second NL second baseman since the legendary Rogers Hornsby to ever hit at least 40 home runs in a season. However, we have to go with the man known as The Captain in Detroit. Orr hurt his knee, while Gehrig tragically developed ALS, known colloquially to this day as Lou Gehrigs disease. Since Earnhardt drove the 3 car, and Babe Ruth wore No. There was no fixed numbering until the 90s. Probably before his iconic Coca-Cola ad. Goose Gossage had a fine career in baseball, but as a relief pitcher, and well go with a starting linebacker over a reliever any day of the week. Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey might be the most famous NFL athlete wearing No. Tweet us @USATODAYSports and let us know. Why he's here: The 2015 AL Cy Young winner is the easy choice after just four MLB seasons. Why hes here: When you start to look through MLB records for switch-hitters, you begin to put Beltrans stellar career in perspective. Honorable mentions: Jimmie Foxx, Alex Rodriguez, Harmon Killebrew. Mays hit 660 home runs, stole 338 bases and finished in the top six of the NL MVP voting 12 times in a 13-year stretch (he won the award in 1954 and 1965). Why he's here: The recently retired Hunter earned five All-Star selections and nine Gold Gloves over his 19-year career. 81 for more than a season. Pretty impressive. Fun fact: Kramer also served as the Green Bay kicker for three seasons. To purchase Any Given Number, go to SI.com/anygivennumber. Sure, Jeter is a tad overrated because he spent his entire career playing for the Yankees and was their captain. We feel comfortable saying Gonzalez is the best tight end ever. He carried the Milwaukee Bucks to their only NBA title before joining the Lakers. Why he's here: The rest of the players who have worn No. Why he's here: The Dodger closer has worn No. He was one of the first stars of NASCAR, and some still consider him the best driver ever. This was really just a battle between soccer legends. Once he led the NHL in assists with 66, unheard of for a blue liner. You can follow him on Twitter @ChrisXMorgan. Before him, defensemen were just that: defenders. Larry Murphy is a Hall of Fame NHL defenseman, and he would have been the choice if he had worn 55 his entire career. He was also a fixture in the Fall Classic: Berra won 10 World Series rings, the most of any player in baseball history. In his first five full seasons with the Cardinals, the colorful right-hander won 120 games (and saved 30), won an MVP and finished second twice, threw 1,531 innings and compiled a 3.04 ERA. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. Only Orr won it more times, and he did it during a time when there were fewer teams and a lot less competition for the award. Why hes here: The Cobra was a legitimate star in the late 1970s and early 1980s, winning an MVP, two batting titles and three Gold Gloves. 1 among numbers 1. Then again, he played only nine seasons. Do you have a sports website? Honorable mentions: Phil Niekro, Mike Mussina, Cole Hamels. More than 48,000 runners took on the race from Greenwich to The Mall - up . Sure, he benefited from the neutral-zone trap, but he also leads the NHL in career regular-season games played, wins, and shutouts. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The longtime Devil picked up four Vezinas to go with three Stanley Cups. The Czech sniper is third in career goals in NHL history, even though he took off a few seasons to go play in the KHL. He would become famous in the 1951 playoffs for surrendering Bobby Thomson's "shot heard round the world" home run, one of the most famous home runs of all-time. Emailed daily. The best player on the greatest dynasty in professional sports was Bill Russell. Mantles Yankees played in the World Series 12 times they won seven of those and The Mick hit 18 homers in 65 games, a record that will never be broken. Dallas Mavericks ( 88, 90) Al-Farouq Aminu. The tight end has 1,215 receptions in his career, which is fourth all time. Johnny Unitas wore the No. Honorable mentions: What did we just say? 8 and 24. Jeters place among Yankees legends is secure, which is no small accomplishment for that franchise. To purchase Any Given Number, go to SI.com/anygivennumber. And though he wasnt much with the bat early in his career, he did wind up with 580 career stolen bases and walked almost twice as many times as he struck out (1,072 to 589). Michael Jordan changed the NBA. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Hes second in career whiffs behind only Nolan Ryan, who played forever. This was an easy choice. While we briefly thought about Brett Favre, this really came down to Bobby Orr and Lou Gehrig. Years active: 2011-present Like Petty and Earnhardt, he won the NASCAR season title seven times. Honorable mentions: Joe Morgan, Gene Tenace, Andy Van Slyke. He twice held the record for most touchdown passes in a season, one he still holds as of this writing. Weve got two Penguins legends sandwiching a largely forgotten NFL guard. Parish stood tall against some of the all-time greats in his sport. The franchise has retired Drysdales number after he spent 14 seasons in Dodger blue.