MLB Number 14s

The journey to find the most substantial Major League Baseball players that wore the number 14 on their uniforms starts by looking at who the Baseball Hall of Fame has in their hallowed halls. Enshrined number ones of professional baseball are:

• Eddie Collins
• Ted Lyons
• Bob Feller
• Heinie Manush
• Waite Hoyt
• Chick Hafey
• High Pockets Kelly
• Ernie Banks
• Willie Mays
• Chuck Klein
• Jim Bunning
• Larry Doby
• Rickey Henderson
• Jim Rice
• Bobby Cox

Another telling clue to find the best is to see who has the MLB number 14 retired by their respective teams. This list of retired number 14s includes:

• Ernie Banks the legendary Shortstop and First Baseman had his number 14 retired by the Chicago Cubs on August 22, 1982.
• Kent Hrbek was a standount First base player forthe Minnesota Twins who put away his number 14 with honor on August 13, 1995.
• Larry Doby the pioneer Center Fielder of the Cleveland Indians had his number retired by the club on July 3, 1994.
• Ken Boyer the fantastic hitter and Third Base player was celebrated by the St Louis Cardinals on May 20, 1984.
• Gil Hodges the logtime Gold Glove First Baseman of the New York Mets had his uniform digits reerved for only his memory on June 9, 1973.
• Jim Bunning the stud Pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies had his number retired on April 16, 2001 by the club.
• Jim Rice the prolific Left Fielder and Designated Hitter of the Boston Red Sox had his number posted at Fenway on July 28, 2009.
• Paul Konerko the standout First base Player of the Chicago White Sox was honored with number retirement by the ball club on May 23, 2015.
• Pete Rose the hiitting machine of an Outfielder, IInfielder and even one-time Manager of the Cincinnati Reds saw his number be retired on June 26, 2016.

Larry Doby Baseball HOF Slugger

Lawrence Eugene Doby, "Larry" to the world, etched his name in baseball history as both a fearless trailblazer and a talented slugger. Born in 1923, Doby first starred in the Negro Leagues, leading the Newark Eagles to a championship in 1946. In 1947, he became the second African-American player in the Major Leagues, following Jackie Robinson, when he debuted for the Cleveland Indians.

He faced the brunt of racism and hostility, but Doby persevered, batting .270 with 14 home runs in his rookie season. The next year, he hit a team-high 27 home runs and helped the Indians capture the American League pennant. Doby went on to play 13 seasons in the Majors, primarily with Cleveland, showcasing his power with 253 career home runs and finishing with a solid .283 batting average.

Beyond his statistics, Doby's legacy resonates because of his courage and leadership. He paved the way for future generations of Black players, earning induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998. After his playing days, Doby served as a scout and executive, further contributing to the game he loved. Larry Doby, the quiet giant, forever stands tall as a symbol of resilience and progress in baseball history.

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Bob Feller

Born November 3, 1918, in Van Meter, Iowa, was Baseball Hall of Fame Pitcher Bob Feller. This legend was a 1948 World Series Champion, Major League Player of the Year, an MLB Triple Crown Winner, and an eight-time All-Star for the Cleveland Indians organization.

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Now it is that time where we take the information we have already gathered along and combine it with the number of wins his team garnered over the player that they replaced, the years that they wore the number and compare it with all the others that displayed the number prouudly on their MLB uniforms. The results are this:

• Willie Mays
• Rickey Henderson
• Pete Rose
• Ted Lyons
• Robinson Cano
• Ernie Banks
• Reggie Smith
• Bob Feller
• Ken Boyer
• Wes Ferrell
• Jim Bunning
• Larry Doby
• George Uhle
• Waite Hoyt
• Eddie Rommel
• Heinie Manush
• Jim Rice
• Curtis Granderson
• Chuck Klein
• Larry French
• Vida Blue
• Lonny Frey
• Troy Tulowitzki
• George Foster
• Gil Hodges
• Julio Franco
• Sad Sam Jones
• Schoolboy Rowe
• Felipe Alou
• Placido Polanco
• Curt Flood
• Dick Bartell
• David Price
• Tom Zachary
• Babe Herman
• Kent Hrbek
• Troy Glaus
• Charlie Root
• Jose Bautista
• Fritz Ostermueller
• Paul Derringer
• Freddie Fitzsimmons
• Bump Hadley
• Dan Haren
• Ken McMullen
• Mark Ellis
• Gene Woodling
• Mort Cooper
• Roy Cullenbine
• Andres Galarraga
• Chick Hafey

Okay, now it is time to put our knowledge to work and pick the greatest players that wore number 14 in MLB history based on performance stats. We do not have all of the players from some of the Negro Leagues in place yet but when we do we will certainly update the list so please excuse us on this. The criteria is simple we pulled stats from Baseball-Reference and Stat-Head on some important numbers. Is the player in the Hall of Fame? What were the Wins After Replacement or the team victories gained or lost after they entered the lineup versus the player they replaced? Where do they rank in the following categories in history: Home Runs, Runs Produced, Strike Outs, ERA. We mash this information up and see how many of the criteria rankings they have and then multiply that number (0-6) times the number of years they wore the particular uniform number we are discussing and then add it to bonus points if in the Hall of Fame and for earning any Gold Glove Awards and/or Cy Young Awards. We call that calculated number our Ranked Formula and use it as a basis of Comparison to give you the Top Ten at the uniform number. 

• Ernie Banks
• Pete Rose
• Gil Hodges
• Ken Boyer
• Jim Bunning
• Jim Rice
• Larry Doby
• Vida Blue
• Rickey Henderson
• Willie Mays

The stats may not be placing this group in order of importance but what it does do is identify the top 10

Here are our stats and findings:

The photograph in the banner above is courtesy of the Wikimedia Commons collection of public Domain pictures. It is of Photograph of Georgetown University in 1900. Its baseball field is in the foreground, while Healy Hall (left) and Old North (right) are visible in the background.

Special thanks to Baseball-Reference.com, Stathead.com and the most wonderful book by Larry Lester and Wayne Stivers, The Negro Leagues Book, Volume 2.