Uni Watch: Can’t tell the players without a scorecard
From SABR member Paul Lukas at Uni Watch on April 23, 2012:
Did anyone realize that the Sox and Yanks would be going numberless for this game? I sure didn’t. The impetus for the idea is obvious enough (uni numbers hadn’t yet been invented in 1912), but the Sox have worn throwbacks from the numberless era before — and so have other teams — and they’ve always added numbers to the jerseys. I believe this is the first time an MLB team has worn numberless throwbacks. I think it’s also the first time any MLBer has gone numberless since Sept. 27, 1999. That was the date of the final game at Tiger Stadium, and the Tigers’ players marked the occasion by wearing the uni numbers of former Tigers greats. Gabe Kapler wore a numberless jersey to represent Ty Cobb.
I couldn’t believe — and on some level still can’t believe — the Sox had the guts to go with the numberless jerseys. I loved it, even though it totally ruined my plans to keep my brain out of Uni Watch mode for a few days. I sat there in the bar saying, “Wow, no numbers. Just look at that! That is really something.” Since the term “NNOB” is already taken, let’s refer to numberless jerseys as “N#OB” (although we probably won’t have many opportunities to use it).
Read the full article here: http://www.uni-watch.com/2012/04/23/yanks-and-red-sox-play-a-game-without-uniform-numbers/
Originally published: April 23, 2012. Last Updated: April 23, 2012.