I mentioned how uniform numbers interest me, specifically how players compare to one another when wearing a certain number..
The first one will actually be a two-fer..
Today I'm featuring 0 and 00
0 has been worn twice in Jays history..
First in 1985 by Al Oliver.
Oliver was traded to the Jays by the Dodgers in 1985. He played 61 games in a Jays uniform and is a player to have worn both Jays and Expos colours.
He also got some action in the Post Season against the Royals.
In 1995, Candy Maldonado wore 0 for the Jays.
According to Baseball Reference, he also wore his previous number with the Jays, 23.
Maldonado signed as a Free Agent with the Jays in 1995 after going to Cleveland and Chicago in 1993 and 1994.
He played 61 games for the Jays in that tenure, though how many as number 0 are unclear.
He was traded to the Rangers partway through the season.
Now, 00.
Again, there are two players who have worn 00..
First, Cliff Johnson
Johnson played for the Jays from 1985-1986.
He previously played fro the Jays in 1983-1984, wearing 44..
He came over from the Rangers in August of 1985 and played 24 games. In 1986, he played 127 games for the Jays.
The other player?
He wore three uniforms numbers in his one season with the Jays in 1998.
33, 44, and 00,
Ed Sprague wore 33 when Canseco was first with the team, so he wore 44.. When Sprague was traded, he took 33.. I'm unsure why he had 00 though.
So this was the first look at this number project.. Hope you enjoy
I'd go with Cliff as the best of the bunch personally. Canseco as a Jay was just....not...right.
ReplyDeleteI think Cliff wins by default. There will be a couple like that I think..
DeleteOne of my earliest baseball memories was watching Johnson hit a home run at the Coliseum when I was a kid. Not 100% certain... but I'm pretty sure it was against the Blue Jays. Although don't hold me to it. I was only a kid and that was nearly 40 years ago.
ReplyDeleteWell, Johnson played for the A's in 1981 and 1982..
DeleteHe did hit a Homer off Jerry Garvin May 24, 1981 in Oakland.
I've always been fascinated with the #0...I have no idea why. Also numbers that have 0 in front of another number, like 08 or some such. I don't know if baseball allows that, I know the NBA doesn't anymore but did in the 50s.
ReplyDeleteI remember seeing it the odd time.. It's been a while though.. About as rare as a pitcher having a single digit number.
Delete