MLB Number 20s

Lou Brock circa 1977 by an unknown photographer. Courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

The number 20 is a very popular digit to display throughout all sports, and baseball is no exception. The numeral seems to breed excellence in athletic competition. Let's strart this look at for the best in MLB that wore the number by seeing who Cooperstown has invited into the Hall of Fame:

• Lou Brock
• Orlando Cepeda
• Frank Robinson
• Pie Traynor

Next stop is to see the number 20s that the organizations they worked for, honored them with number retirements:

• Luis Gonzalez    Diamondbacks    August 7, 2010
• Monte Irvin    Giants    June 26, 2010
• Lou Brock    Cardinals    September 9, 1979
• Jorge Posada    Yankees    August 22, 2015
• Frank Robinson    Orioles    March 10, 1972
• Frank Robinson    Reds    May 22, 1998
• Frank Robinson    Indians    May 27, 2017
• Pie Traynor    Pirates    April 18, 1972
• Mike Schmidt    Phillies    May 26, 1990
• Don Sutton    Dodgers    August 14, 1998
• Frank White    Royals    May 2, 1995

Pie Traynor

Born November 11, 1898, in Framington, Massachusetts, was Baseball Hall of Fame Third Baseman Pie Traynor. This legend was a two-time MLB All-Star and a member of the 1925 World Series Champion Pittsburgh Pirates. Traynor spent his entire 17-year career with the Pirates batting a respectable .320 with 58 career home runs and 1273 RBIs. Pie was the National League leading third basemen in putouts seven times, in double plays four times, and in assists three times. He even managed the Pittsburgh club for six seasons in the late 1930s.

How does one get a nickname like "Pie." For Traynor, it was because, as a child, every time he entered the local grocer with his mother, the youngster would ask for a piece of pie.

More Information

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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:

• Miguel Cabrera
• Orlando Cepeda
• Lou Brock
• Frank Robinson
• Dick Bartell
• Paul Derringer
• Rico Carty
• Don Baylor
• Johnny Allen
• Tommie Agee
• Tiny Bonham
• Joe Coleman
• Darren Daulton
• Orlando Cabrera
• Ronnie Belliard
• Jeromy Burnitz
• Bruce Bochte
• Vinny Castilla
• Jeff Burroughs
• Clay Carroll
• Bucky Dent
• Bruce Campbell
• Frank Demaree
• Ian Desmond
• Hank Borowy
• Tony Armas
• Ray Burris
• Gus Bell
• Horace Clarke
• Kevin Bass
• Ralph Branca
• Frank Catalanotto
• Mike Davis
• Ray Benge
• Ed Brinkman
• Jackie Brandt
• Don Demeter
• Bob Bruce
• Rajai Davis
• Sandy Consuegra
• C.J. Cron
• Mark Canha
• Juan Beniquez
• Pete Alonso
• Garland Braxton
• Gates Brown
• Mike Aldrete
• George Caster
• Pete Appleton
• Luis Ayala
• Wei-Yin Chen
• Miguel Cairo
• Joe Berry

Okay, now it is time to put our knowledge to work and pick the greatest players that wore number 20 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 Fifteen at the uniform number. 

1. Josh Gibson
2. Lou Brock
3. Tommie Agee
4. Orlando Cabrera
5. Orlando Cepeda
6. Jud Wilson
7. Biz Mackey
8. Ed Brinkman
9. Bob Dernier
10. Miguel Cabrera
11. Jeromy Burnitz
12. Dick Bartell
13. Ian Desmond
14. Paul Derringer
15. Tony Armas

The stats may not be placing this group in order of importance but what it does do is identify the top 25

Here are our stats and findings:

The picture in the banner above is from the Wikipedia Commons photo collection of the Public Domain of Lou Brock circa 1977 by an unknown photographer.

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.