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. And yet Crosby has done it. Jeters place among Yankees legends is secure, which is no small accomplishment for that franchise. Several of the greats share the same number (Looking at you, No. And while his two Super Bowl wins came with great supporting casts, he provided the signature moment of those wins. Why he's here: The other choices are Ryan Madson and Justin Masterson. Hes spent his entire career with the Eagles, and hes been named an All-Pro for each of the last three seasons. Hes second in career whiffs behind only Nolan Ryan, who played forever. His 71 interceptions are third all time in NFL history, and the league wasnt super pass happy for his whole career. Enough said. Playing alongside Ruth, Gehrig still won two MVPs and was on six title-winning Yankees teams. Roberto Clemente almost made the cut as well. As smooth and regal a player who ever wore a Celtics . When he was only 23 years old he scored a staggering 76 goals in a season. Michael Jordan. Carew made the All-Star team in 18 of his 19 seasons in the majors and was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot (1991). Thirteen may be an unlucky number to some but not to a few all-time greats. This was really just a battle between soccer legends. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Why he's here: The Hall of Famer wore No. Then again, he played only nine seasons. He's sixth in career hits and has a career batting average of .310. Why he's here: The Dodger closer has worn No. He twice led the NFL in sacks, including a 22-sack season that almost broke the record. Quiz Source Roger Federer (born 8 August 1981) is a Swiss professional tennis player. 15 for the Chiefs, after all. 20 4 - Adrian Dantley. For three straight years, he led the American League in strikeouts and FIP, and in two of those seasons he won the Cy Young as well. We dont worship the rings, but we do admire true dominance. Even though he wore 45 for a bit, LeBron also wore No. Emailed daily. Gehrig finished with 493 homers and a .340 career batting average, and he was even better in the World Series the Iron Horse hit .361 and popped 10 homers in 34 games as his Yankees claimed the title six times in seven tries. Not that it was necessary to do that. We all know Aaron was the lon-time home run king, and still ranks second. 22 currently, but he isn't the only one sporting that number. No. It has been a popular jersey number for decades with success of athletes across the board. Do you have a sports website? This was one of the easiest choices we made. That doesnt mean being the all-time NFL leader in rushing yards isnt amazing. He gets the nod. 24, which he wore in Pittsburgh, was retired for Mays, after all. P.K. Why he's here: The pitcher wore No. But he didnt wear that number anywhere else. 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 . Andy Pettitte was a good pitcher on some great teams, but nobody ever considered him one of the best at his job. Allen was known for his massive arms and incredible strength, which helped him become an elite offensive lineman. Were no fan of Schilling as a person, but this is about his skill on the mound. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. No NBA player has ever wore No. 61 for more than a few seasons, and Hernandez is the best of the bunch. Why he's here: The 1978 AL Cy Young winner led the AL in wins twice and ERA twice and had his number retired by the Yankees. This was not an easy one. Parish stood tall against some of the all-time greats in his sport. Why hes here: Mantle won three AL MVP awards and smashed 536 home runs during his legendary run with the Yankees, but hes still one of baseballs greatest what if? stories because of the injuries that plagued his 18-year career. The linebacker was a vital part of the Steel Curtain, and there wasnt much of a challenge to him here. 00 Jim Otto to No. #1 of 217. He was all over the field for the Bears and actually had 41.5 sacks in his career as well. Moses Malone was a great player who wore two, but he wore a few other numbers as well. He also started the trend of NBA teams taking risks on European players, which gave us Pau Gasol but also Darko Milicic. Troy Polamalu, who wore 43, was a great safety, but hes not The King.. The longtime Devil picked up four Vezinas to go with three Stanley Cups. The Hall of Fame second baseman hit arguably the most famous home run in the sport's history: the walk-off shot in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series. 96 for four seasons. And what other big-shot athletes have donned the numeral.". But Ruth is maybe the best baseball player ever. USA Today Sports compiled a list of some of the best athletes across all sports to wear each number, from 00 to 99. Like Petty and Earnhardt, he won the NASCAR season title seven times. A legend and an important historical figure, Robinson also was a heck of a player, winning Rookie of the Year and MVP honors and posting five straight seasons of 7.0 WAR or better. Sanders is perhaps the best running back ever. He was great, but hes not "the Admiral." You can be forgiven for not expecting much out of Allen when he was drafted in the fourth round out of Idaho State. 70. In his 22-year career, the right-hander with a devastating curveball won 289 games, struck out 3,701 (that total is still fifth all-time) and pitched nearly 5,000 innings in the majors (4,970, to be exact). 12 will forever be synonymous, even though hes now a Buccaneer. To purchase Any Given Number, go to SI.com/anygivennumber. However, he wore it for only two seasons as opposed to four wearing No. The seven-footer teamed with Larry Bird and Kevin McKale in the iconic frontcourt that led the Celtics to three NBA titles in the 1980s. What a slouch! For a guy who played basketball in college, Gates had quite the NFL career. The Bus rumbled his way to a career 13,662 yards in his career. Brown played tackle for the Giants from 1953 until 1965, being named an All-Pro six times en route to the Hall. For a stretch, Hutchinson was probably the best guard in the league. There wasnt much of a challenge to Bonds. Dierdorf, who you surely remember from his TV commentary work, wore 72 for the entirety of his career, which ended with him in the Hall of Fame. Honorable mentions: Ted Simmons, Luis Tiant, Don Mattingly. Mantle still wins. The Pittsburgh hero led the NL in batting average four times, led the Pirates to a World Series championship twice and won the NL MVP in 1966. Why he's here: There's a reason MLB retired No. 31 is also often worn by goalies, but none was going to overthrow the Mad Dog. Another 87 with injury issues, Rob Gronkowski, deserves a mention, and not just because he has a WWE title to his name now. The following is a list of the greatest players (in my opinion) to wear each jersey number, from 1-57 (with a few extras just for fun). The heart and soul of the Yankees dynasties of the '50s, Yogi Berra won three MVP awards and had a seven-year stretch during which he never finished lower than fourth in the voting. While he never won a Cy Young, he finished second three times and led the National League in strikeouts twice. Why he's here: Remember Mannywood? Greatest NFL players by uniform number: From No. 1 by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for 310 weeks, including a record 237 .more. 74 for his entire six-season career. Tittle, NFL, Bart Starr, NFL; ThurmanMunson, MLB;Carmelo Anthony, NBA; Hal Greer, NBA; Earl Monroe, NBA, Joe Montana, NFL; Brett Hull, NHL; George Blanda, NFL; Whitey Ford, MLB; Len Dawson, NFL; Dwight Gooden, MLB, Dizzy Dean, MLB; John Havlicek, NBA;Jari Kurri, NHL; Matt Kenseth, NASCAR; Doug Williams, NFL; Darrell Waltrip, NASCAR, Peyton Manning, NFL; Dave Cowens, NBA; Charlie Joiner, NFL; Denis Savard, NHL; Bobby Labonte, NASCAR, Johnny Unitas, NFL; Willis Reed, NBA; Steve Yzerman, NHL; Lance Alworth, NFL, Bob Feller, MLB; Robin Yount, MLB; Tony Gwynn, MLB, Barry Sanders, NFL; Lou Brock, MLB; Mike Schmidt, MLB; Frank Robinson, MLB; Tony Stewart, NASCAR; Luc Robitaille, NHL; Ed Reed, NFL;RobNiedermayer, NHL; Josh Gibson, baseball, Roberto Clemente, MLB; Tim Duncan, NBA; Warren Spahn, MLB; LaDainian Tomlinson, NFL; Sammy Sosa, MLB; David Pearson, NASCAR; Roger Clemens, MLB; Deion Sanders, NFL, Emmitt Smith, NFL; Elgin Baylor, NBA; Clyde Drexler, NBA; Bobby Lane, NFL; Jim Palmer, MLB, Michael Jordan, NBA; LeBron James, NBA; Kirk Gibson, MLB; Calvin Murphy, NBA; Ryne Sandberg, MLB, Willie Mays, MLB; Kobe Bryant, NBA; Jeff Gordon, NASCAR; Moses Malone, NBA; Ken GriffeyJr., MLB; Lenny Moore, NFL; Rick Barry, NBA, Barry Bonds, MLB; FredBiletnikoff, NFL; Mark McGwire, MLB; K.C. Thats enough to outduel Larry Bird, much to the chagrin of Celtics fans. In his 20 years with the Yankees, The Captain earned 15 All-Star nods, rapped out 3,465 hits, scored 1,923 runs and hit .310 and he was a cornerstone for five World Series-winning squads. Both had their careers cut short by their bodies giving out on them. The number suited him well. Baseball history is marked by iconic numbers. Chris Morgan is a sports and pop culture writer and the author of the booksThe Comic Galaxy of Mystery Science Theater 3000andThe Ash Heap of History. Why hes here: Ford was a stalwart in the Yankees rotation during the franchises glory years (well, one of their stretches of glory years). Why he's here: A two-time Cy Young winner who lead his league in ERA and strikeouts three times each, Santana was the clear choice here. 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). Some other excellent NFL stars wore 75, including Jonathan Ogden and Deacon Jones. Owens was just recently inducted in the Hall of Fame, with plenty of highlights to fill his reel. Joe DiMaggios 56-game hitting streak might never be topped. Still, we cant deny the Minister of Defense. Athletes who wore #34 Stats Can you name the Athletes who wore #34 on their Jersey? 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. George Constanza thought Seven was a great name, Five of the most lopsided trades in NFL history, Giants banking on their prototype first-round pick, Kraken stun defending champion Avs in Game 7, Steph Curry puts on record-setting Game 7 show in win, Playoff Butler shows out in Game 1 win over Knicks, Phillies manager provides update on Harper's return, MLB implements unusual rule to avoid pitch clock violations, Former Giants wonder if Rodgers can handle NY media, Brooks fined for dodging media, has no regrets over LeBron comments, Zac Taylor on Joe Mixon: 'His future is here with the team'. To purchase Any Given Number, go to SI.com/anygivennumber. Mogilny was one of the first players to defect from the Soviet Union to play in the NHL, and he made his mark early. Classic Type in answers that appear in a list Type in . This was pretty much an impossible choice, guaranteed to please exactly nobody. He wore it when he scored 100 points in one game. Winning the Rookie of the Year award with the Buffalo Braves, Dantley his the ground running in the NBA. Honorable mentions: Luis Aparicio, Edgar Martinez, Carl Hubbell. Why hes here: Ripken started his career with a bang he won the AL rookie of the year in 1982 and the AL MVP in 1983 and spent the rest of his time with the Orioles fashioning a no-doubt Hall of Fame career. 94. The longtime Chief once led the NFL with 102 catches, and he ranks in the top 10 in career receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. If Orr isnt the best defenseman of all time, Lidstrom is. Honorable mentions: Billy Williams, Chase Utley, Amos Otis. 77 for just one season, but he's Pudge. Always free! Subban would have been a more fun player to go with, and early in his career when he was winning the Norris he seemed on pace. Bryant had some great years wearing No. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? 88, and Eric Lindros may have been the choice if not for his unfortunate concussion issues. That future Hall of Famer is Von Miller, who should be the preeminent 58 eventually. The tight end has 1,215 receptions in his career, which is fourth all time. Which got us thinking about the greatest athletes -- across all sports -- who wore each number, from 00 to 99. Peppers came out of the gates with a bang, picking up 12 sacks as a rookie for the Carolina Panthers. It seems voters feel that since goalies have the Vezina, the Hart should go to the non-goalie MVP. 2:07. Branca, a pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers, wore no. 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. The Yankee Clipper has the numbers and the accolades: three MVPs, .325 average, nine World Series rings. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Thomas, though, is underrated. Sure, Bourque wore seven until it was retired for Phil Esposito. Michael Jordan changed the NBA. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. 1 of 100 0 - Russell Westbrook Troy Taormina/USA TODAY Sports For this number, we're including guys. This was still an easy choice, as Bourque is an all-time NHL great. Orr scored 100 points in a season six times, before his knees failed him too young. The Sultan of Swat mashed 714 home runs in a time when hitting 20 in a season was impressive. Honorable mentions: Charlie Gehringer, Nellie Fox, Red Schoendienst. Honorable mentions: Ichiro Suzuki, Willie McGee, Trevor Hoffman. Why he's here: He's the only player to wear No. He played more games at first base than anyone. He has been ranked world No. Honorable mentions: Appier, Russell Martin. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Yes, Bob Gibson once had a 1.12 ERA in a season. #1 of 83. Upshaw spent 15 seasons as an offensive guard, playing well enough to make it into the Hall of Fame with the Raiders. To purchase Any Given Number, go to SI.com/anygivennumber. Lawrence Taylor, NFL; Shawne Merriman, NFL; Martin Truex Jr., NASCAR 57 Francisco Rodriguez, MLB; Tom Jackson, NFL; Dwight Stephenson, NFL 58 Jack Lambert, NFL; Derrick Thomas, NFL; Carl Banks,. He holds the world record for 100 metres, 200 metres and 4 100 metres relay and is the only sprinter to win Olympic 100 m and 200 m titles at three consecutive Olympics (2008, 2012 and 2016). Yes, Sayers played only five seasons in the NFL, more or less. Pretty impressive. McDavid is clearly going to be the kind of player who dominates the NHL for years at a time. Send a Message. In 67 career playoff games, Rose hit .321 and helped his teams to three World Series titles (1975-76 with the Reds and 1980 with the Phillies). He already has three MVPs and should have even more than that. 1 So with all due respect to hockeys Terry Sawchuk, were going with the Italian soccer legend Buffon, who is arguably the greatest goalkeeper ever, depending on how you feel about Lev Yashin, who played in a different era of the sport. 81. (Photo Credit: Rocky Widner/Getty Images . Teammates back-to-back here. While Johnson had a couple of seasons wearing other numbers, the Big Unit was the clear choice here. Pele wore the No. 1 all-time. Where would baseball be without No. 61 at times but not with the Red Sox. So did Tony Gwynn while he won eight batting titles. Shaquille ONeal wore No. Cy Youngs 511 career wins certainly never will. 13 and, as legend has it, playfully posed with black cats before the 1951 playoffs began. By the time LeBron retires, some may consider him the G.O.A.T. Rose, who hit .303 in his 24-year career, kept his number during the Philly years and his partial season with the Expos. 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. Hasek won six Vezinas, but on top of that he won the Hart twice. Why hes here: Maybe the best pure hitter of all time, Williams finished his career with 521 home runs and a.344 average despite missing all or most of five seasons (1943-45 and 1952-53) while serving in the military. In this sport, though, stats arent the only numbers that matter. In fact, the iron man offensive lineman played in every game for 14 straight seasons. The 30+ Top Athletes To Wear Jersey Number 1, Ranked By Fans COLLECTION What's Your Number? Elway's trademark was the fourth-quarter comeback and his most famous was "The Drive" in the 1986 AFC title game, when he marched his Broncos 98 yards in Cleveland to force overtime. 52: Brazile, Robert Brazile, Lewis, Ray Lewis, Gatski, Frank Gatski, Webster, Mike Webster 53: Carson, Harry Carson, Ford, Len Ford, Tingelhoff, Mick Tingelhoff, Webster, Mike Webster, Wojciechowicz, Alex Wojciechowicz 54: Ringo, Jim Ringo, Urlacher, Brian Urlacher, White, Randy White 30 with the Angels, meaning some of his most spectacular years didn't come at 34. Return to Top; Players. He captured the nations attention with his prodigious power three years after Wally Pipp led the AL with nine home runs, for example, Ruth swatted 54 for the Yankees in 1920 and engaging personality. Apparently Pittsburgh Penguins history is filled with great players who wear unusual numbers. 9 to Maya Moore at No. If 18 was an obvious choice, 19 was a brutal one. Eck was the AL MVP and Cy Young winner in 1992 and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2004. Well, he could have been the first overall pick, and he still would have had a stellar career. In a few years this choice is going to be even more obvious. This was a battle between two running backs, namely Faulk and Adrian Peterson. He actually pitched through the heart of the steroid era. Plus, there was the playoff heroics for the Diamondbacks and Red Sox. Tough choices to be made here, mostly because were already a little tired of Yankees. Bonds won five of his seven NL MVPs with the Giants and broke pretty much every home run and walks record while wearing No. However, just including his time with the Giants he had a .312/.477/.666 slash line with 586 home runs. GALLERY: Top pro athletes bynumber, from 00 to 99, Jim Otto, NFL; Robert Parish, NBA; Ken Burrough, NFL, Russell Westbrook, NBA; Al Oliver, MLB; Gilbert Arenas, NBA, Oscar Robertson, NBA; Warren Moon, NFL; Ozzie Smith, MLB; Billy Martin, MLB; Pee Wee Reese, MLB, Derek Jeter, MLB;Moses Malone, NBA; Brian Leetch, NHL; Rusty Wallace, NASCAR;Al MacInnis, NHL, Babe Ruth, MLB; Dwyane Wade, NBA; Allen Iverson, NBA; Dale Earnhardt, NASCAR;Bronko Nagurski, NFL; Harmon Killebrew, MLB; Candace Parker, WNBA;Diana Taurasi, WNBA, Lou Gehrig, MLB;Brett Favre, NFL;Bobby Orr, NHL; Mel Ott, MLB; Duke Snider, MLB, Paul Molitor, MLB, Joe DiMaggio, MLB; Johnny Bench, MLB; Hank Greenberg, MLB; Paul Hornung, NFL; Brooks Robinson, MLB; George Brett, MLB; Nicklas Lidstrom, NHL;Dawn Staley, WNBA, Bill Russell, NBA; Julius Erving, NBA; Stan Musial, MLB; Al Kaline, MLB, Mickey Mantle, MLB; John Elway, NFL; David Beckham, soccer; Tiny Archibald, NBA;Phil Esposito, NHL, Cal RipkenJr., MLB; Yogi Berra, MLB; Troy Aikman, NFL; Steve Young, NFL;Carl Yastrzemski, MLB; Joe Morgan, MLB; Willie Stargell, MLB;Kobe Bryant, NBA, Ted Williams, MLB; Gordie Howe, NHL; Bob Pettit, NBA; Bill Elliott, NASCAR; Rocket Richard, NHL; Bobby Hull, NHL; Drew Brees, NFL; Roger Maris, MLB, Walt Frazier, NBA; Fran Tarkenton, NFL; Pele, soccer;Diego Maradona, soccer;Guy Lafleur, NHL; Chipper Jones, MLB; Lionel Messi, soccer, Isaiah Thomas, NBA; Mark Messier, NHL; Elvin Hayes, NBA; Yao Ming, NBA; Cale Yarborough, NASCAR;Teresa Weatherspoon, WNBA, Tom Brady, NFL; Joe Namath, NFL; Terry Bradshaw, NFL; John Stockton, NBA;Jim Kelly, NFL; Ken Stabler, NFL; Roger Staubach, NFL; Roberto Alomar, MLB, Wilt Chamberlain, NBA; Dan Marino, NFL; Alex Rodriguez, MLB; Steve Nash, NBA; James Harden, NBA, Pete Rose, MLB; Bob Cousy, NBA; A.J. He created the archetype of the modern slugger, and his exploits on and off the field made him the perfect Jazz Age superstar. Why hes here: Raines, one of the greatest leadoff batters in baseball history (career .385 OBP hitting first in the lineup), stole 808 bases in his career. Thats amazing, but that was in the era of pitching when the mounds were raised. Honorable mentions: Joe Morgan, Gene Tenace, Andy Van Slyke. Find out more. Stevie Y played his entire career in Detroit and finished career with 692 goals and 1,063 assists. Hes led the league in points per game four times, and the Hall will come calling when he retires. Why he's here: Not a lot to choose from. The Black Pearl earned that distinction by dominating South American soccer with a parade of spectacular goals -- he had a record 1,281 in his career -- and by leading Brazil to World Cup victories in 1958, '62 and '70. All rights reserved. Why he's here: No one else in MLB history has worn No. Hockey? When you have a nickname like that, youve earned the right to be considered the greatest athlete to wear the No. Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun Staff/MCT/Sipa USA, Julian H. Gonzalez/Detroit Free Press/MCT/Sipa USA, Tim Groothuis-Witters Sport/USA TODAY Sports, Photo by Malcolm W. Emmons/Sporting News via Getty Images, Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group/TNS/Sipa USA, Damian Strohmeyer / Hulton Archive / Getty Images, Yong Kim/Philadelphia Daily News/MCT/Sipa USA, Mark Cornelison/Lexington Herald-Leader/KRT, Michael Zagaris/MLB Photos via Getty Images, Susan Tripp Pollard/Contra Costa Times/MCT/Sipa USA, Mark Cornelison/Lexington Herald-Leader/MCT/Sipa USA, Nuccio DiNuzzo/Chicago Tribune/TNS/Sipa USA, Nuccio DiNuzzo/Chicago Tribune/MCT/Sipa USA, Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune/TNS/Sipa USA, Ian McVea/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/MCT/Sipa USA, Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution/MCT/Sipa USA, This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. So we apologize to two greats of their respective footballs, John Elway and Cristiano Ronaldo. Why he's here: A pitcher in the 1940 and 1950s, Voiselle wore No. He won two MVP awards and finished second four other times he won the AL triple crown in two of those second-place years and his career on-base percentage of .482 is No. 90. He was able to just beat out the wide receiver Steve Smith. Stats: .310 batting average, 260 home runs, 1,311 RBIs, League: NBA . We are on a bit of a run of terrifying defensive linemen, but thats numbers in the 90s for you. 12? Honorable mentions: Andy Benes, Bud Black. Hockey is also strongly represented with Brett Hull and Mike Bossy among others to sport the number in the NHL. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. The man known simply as The Man, Musial won three MVP awards, finished in the top 10 of the MVP voting in 11 other seasons, was an All-Star 20 times, helped the Cardinals to three World Series titles and he finished his career with 3,630 hits (still fourth all-time) and 725 doubles (third all-time). Years active: 1995-2014 A full century after his career began, he is still the Babe Ruth of sports. Sometimes Owens personality overshadowed his play. 11-99, and why, grab a copy at your nearest book store or go to SI.com/anygivennumber. In the News: Aaron Rodgers, Trey Lance, Jordan Love, Brock Purdy, Lamar Jackson, Allen Robinson. Since Earnhardt drove the 3 car, and Babe Ruth wore No. 23, we rank the best all-time WNBA players by jersey number. Nowitzki changed the NBA. 34 with the Lakers, and that was an incredible run.