The Dodger uniform numbers game
by Cary Osborne
Uniform numbers became a topic of discussion during the 2023 Dodger season — specifically because of Fernando Valenzuela.
Valenzuela has the honor of, as of 2023, being the last Dodger to ever wear the №34.
But then there was the opposite end of the spectrum — firsts.
In 2023, four Dodger players became the first in franchise history to wear their respective numbers — Emmet Sheehan (80), Michael Busch (83), Jonny Deluca (89) and Bryan Hudson (93).
With all that and being that it is Fernando Valenzuela’s 63rd birthday today, we took the opportunity to go down the wormhole of Dodger uniform number history.
Dodger greats are synonymous with their uniform numbers, so much so that seeing them in a different number causes a double take — like Clayton Kershaw, who will forever be recognized for the №22, but made his Major League debut on May 25, 2008, wearing 54.
Pinch-hitter deluxe Mark Sweeney, who was in his 14th and final Major League season and second with the Dodgers bequeathed the number to Kershaw, whose favorite player as a kid was Giants first baseman, №22 Will Clark.
Sweeney told the Los Angeles Times this about taking №21 and giving 22 to Kershaw: “ (He is) going to be in this uniform for a long, long time. It’s something important to do from an organizational standpoint.”
He was right.
Roy Campanella’s 39 is retired by the Dodgers, but when he came up with the Dodgers in 1948, he wore 33.
Gil Hodges’ №14 is retired, but he came up in 1943 wearing №4. Duke Snider took the №4 in 1947 and it was retired for the Hall of Famer in 1980.
Tommy Lasorda’s №2 is retired but he wore 52 as a Dodger third base coach from 1973–1976.
Relief pitcher Ray Lamb was issued №42 in 1969. The Dodgers recognized that the number should only be associated with Jackie Robinson, so in 1970, Lamb wore a new number with the Dodgers — 34.
He’s not the only player to wear two different numbers that would eventually be retired. Utilityman Mike Sandlock wore №1 in 1945 and №4 in 1946. The №1 was retired after Pee Wee Reese was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1984.
According to Baseball Reference, Babe Herman — one of the greatest hitters in franchise history — wore three numbers in his final season with the Dodgers in 1945–3, 4 and 32. The №32 of Sandy Koufax was retired on June 4, 1972, along with Robinson’s 42 and Campanella’s 39.
There are nine numbers that have never been issued to a Dodgers player —
69, 73, 79, 82, 86, 90, 91, 95, 96.
The number most issued by the Dodgers is 21. It has been given out to 51 different players, including its current holder Walker Buehler. Buehler began his Dodger career wearing 64, which is now worn by his teammate Caleb Ferguson.
Infielder Juan Castro wore six different numbers as a Dodger — 60, 25, 17, 14, 33, 3.
Speaking of the №25, it’s a number that just won’t stick. Since 2016, eight different players have worn it — the latest being Kolten Wong. Yet Hall of Famers Jim Thome, Rickey Henderson, Mike Piazza and Kiki Cuyler have all worn it for the Dodgers.
Last thing’s first: the Dodgers first wore uniform numbers in 1932. The №1 was worn by outfielder Johnny Frederick. That name came up often in 2023. Frederick hit 52 doubles in 1929 — a franchise record until this season when №5 Freddie Freeman established the new record of 59.
