Both the NBA and NFL have rules in place and players can be subjected to fines should they decide willy-nilly to change their uniform number.
Now, I’m not sure if such a penalty is in place in Major League Baseball, but I’m pretty sure Carlos Martinez would pay it. You see, the St. Louis Cardinals pitcher recently announced he would be switching from number 44 to 18 to honor his fallen teammate Oscar Taveras.
“He was a friend, a brother,” the 23-year-old said of Taveras, who died in an October car accident. “I’m taking it bit by bit. This tragedy, of course, affected me.”
In addition to Martinez tribute (he says he’ll wear number 18 for the rest of his career), the Cardinals will wear patches on their uniforms as a tribute to Taveras. They’ll also honor the former outfielder with a decal inside Busch Stadium.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!