9781422286760

Lou Gehrig’s number 4 was the first jersey ever retired. Babe Ruth (3) and Joe DiMag- gio (5) followed, the first of the Yankees’

Clemente wore number 21. In 2013, when the Pirates made the playoffs, manager Clint Hurdle knew that one of the driving forces for the team that year was to end their play- off drought at 20 years. Before the season began, he told the Clemente family that he didn’t want the team to have 21 straight los- ing seasons because it might affect the legend of Clemente’s 21. Legendary players often have their num- bers retired; that is, no one from that team can ever wear it again. The New York Yan- kees have retired 17 numbers, the most of any baseball team. In the NBA, the Boston Celtics have put 21 numbers out of commis-

MLB-record 17 retired jeseys.

stem in sports: math

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