New MLB Labor Deal restricts changes in Uni Numbers

by kaseyi on Dec 14, 2011 11:07 AM CST

As someone with at least a passing interest in Uniform numbers (see Cubs By The Numbers by Al Yellon, Kasey Ignarski and Matthew Silverman) I found this little note in the story on the new labor agreement.

Quick uniform number switches will be a thing of the past. Players must tell the commissioner's office by July 31 of the preceding year if they want a new jersey. That is, unless "the player (or someone on his behalf) purchases the existing finished goods inventory of apparel containing the player's jersey number." As in, every replica jersey, jacket, T-shirt, mug and anything else with a number that's anywhere in stock.

I guess this would put an end to the deals that a new player to a team would make with an existing player to get his old uni number back (unless the new player wants to pay for all the old existing stock of the old players merchandise). I would think it would also make the 3 uni number in a year people (see Ryan Theriot in 2006 & Roberto Pena in 1965) a definite thing of the past.

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This seems...

Where to start? It would be nearly impossible for a player or his rep to locate, let alone purchase, all of that old merch still on shelves across the country.

I believe in the karma associated with a number. I’m surprised this made it into the agreement.

What’s wrong with change and old jerseys?

by Tat14 on Dec 14, 2011 11:14 AM CST reply actions

Well, thank God

I can sleep now

"It's all in the game, yo"

by Worf on Dec 14, 2011 11:24 AM CST reply actions 1 recs

I sure hope something real

happens soon. I’m not dissing you, kaseyi, I just want baseball back.

Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.

by drewishdrewid on Dec 14, 2011 11:38 AM CST reply actions

I know...I know

I have a ton of old games I have recorded on DVD and for the last few weeks, I have been randomly picking out games and watching them just to watch some baseball. I watched Chuck Rainey’s 1983 near no hitter last Monday. That was fun.

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by kaseyi on Dec 14, 2011 2:28 PM CST up reply actions

No...

… a player traded to a team can change uniform numbers — that’s the sole exception to this rule. So those “deals” can still exist. This is all for merchandising.

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by Al Yellon on Dec 14, 2011 11:40 AM CST reply actions

The issue isn't the traded player changing numbers - it's the guy on the player's new team who has the coveted number.

For instance, Joe Slugger (#5) gets traded from the A’s to the Rangers. #5 is already taken on the Rangers, by Jimmy Utilityplayer.

Joe has always been #5, and he offers Jimmy $20K and a sweet watch for the number. Jimmy changes to #12, and Joe gets to be the Rangers’ new #5.

If I’m reading this correctly, that would not be allowed anymore – unless Joe tracks down and buys all unsold stock of Jimmy’s jersey and merchandise. (To the extent that stuff actually exists.)

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by D98 on Dec 14, 2011 11:49 AM CST up reply actions

Hmmm.

As noted below, something they haven’t thought of. I’m guessing this will come up sometime soon, maybe as soon as the trading deadline this year.

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by Al Yellon on Dec 14, 2011 11:58 AM CST up reply actions

I can not read further without knowing what the A's got for Joe Slugger.

And with Theriot out there, is it possible Jimmy Utilityplayer’s days are numbered (no pun intended) with Texas?

by the nth on Dec 14, 2011 2:58 PM CST up reply actions

"Lefty" Specialist,, and Tim and Tom Prospect.

Phil Playertobenamedlater was Named later.

MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown

by D98 on Dec 14, 2011 3:35 PM CST up reply actions

He got his own bobblehead!

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by Al Yellon on Dec 14, 2011 4:12 PM CST up reply actions

Ha!

That’s awesome.

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by Brett Taylor on Dec 16, 2011 6:49 AM CST up reply actions

But

The person who would currently have the number the traded player wants will not be able to change his number according to how I read this

See the Cubs 2012 schedule at http://cubsbythenumbers.com/sched2012.html
Also see what old Cubs Scorecards looked like at http://cubsbythenumbers.com/scorecards.html

by kaseyi on Dec 14, 2011 11:49 AM CST via mobile up reply actions

Well, that's a conundrum they haven't thought of, isn't it.

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by Al Yellon on Dec 14, 2011 11:58 AM CST up reply actions

No more selling your number

to the new teammate unless they’re willing to cover the cost of buying up all the old merchandise.

by Josh Timmers on Dec 14, 2011 12:20 PM CST up reply actions

I should add

for a player like say, Blake DeWitt, that might not be much money. How much Blake DeWitt Cubs #9 stuff is out there in warehouses?

So it might still happen sometimes.

by Josh Timmers on Dec 14, 2011 12:26 PM CST up reply actions

Right.

For non-big-name players, it probably would not cost very much. In the scenario D98 posits above, not likely very much at all.

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by Al Yellon on Dec 14, 2011 1:20 PM CST up reply actions

It's such a weirdly specific thing to put in the CBA. I wonder who had the bug up their @ss about it.

Was some team recently stuck with warehouses full of t-shirts and jerseys they couldn’t move b/c a player changed his number?

The only time I can even theorize this happening is MJ’s brief dalliance with #45, and Kobe’s change from 8 to 24 – but Kobe gave 8 months notice before his number change.

Maybe they just saw that the NBA (and presumably the NFL) had similar rules, and wanted to put something similar in there. But it just seems so unnecessary, unless there was some instance of this happening before at some point.

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by D98 on Dec 14, 2011 2:09 PM CST up reply actions

It's probably imitating the NBA and NFL.

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by Al Yellon on Dec 14, 2011 2:24 PM CST up reply actions

well, they all do a pretty good job of imitating each other at the commissioner level...

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Dec 15, 2011 10:14 AM CST up reply actions

These days, Stern is making Selig look like a genius.

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by Al Yellon on Dec 15, 2011 10:25 AM CST up reply actions

in Seligs defense

none of the others have to deal with a union half as powerful as the MLBPA.

never thought there was a reason to defense Selig

Chronologically inept since 2060
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by Cubbie-Tim on Dec 15, 2011 6:57 PM CST up reply actions

I don't think they need a warehouse for Blake DeWitt stuff

maybe a milk crate? A shelf?

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by Fukudometer on Dec 14, 2011 10:13 PM CST up reply actions

Bud?

Not thinking something out? Unpossible.

10-25-2011. Theo Epstein joins the Cubs. Now, the fun begins.

by timh815 on Dec 14, 2011 4:08 PM CST up reply actions

What makes you think they haven't thought of it?

by cubzfan on Dec 15, 2011 7:56 AM CST up reply actions

Because it's MLB.

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by Al Yellon on Dec 15, 2011 8:21 AM CST up reply actions

this is similar to the NFL with name changes

they did the same thing with Chad Ochocinco and that is why he waited an additional year to change his name

by Cubbie-Tim on Dec 14, 2011 1:28 PM CST reply actions

Because of this.

There is peace in the world. News at 11.

Nothing happens unless it's first a dream

by puckishcubsfan on Dec 14, 2011 2:16 PM CST reply actions

do you mean...

Metta World Peace?

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by Fukudometer on Dec 14, 2011 10:13 PM CST up reply actions

The Cardinals can't have another 5

until all the Pujols stuff gets sold?

10-25-2011. Theo Epstein joins the Cubs. Now, the fun begins.

by timh815 on Dec 15, 2011 3:37 AM CST reply actions

Since Sir Albert is not a Cardinal anymore

it would seem logical another Cards’ player can wear #5 now. Pujols is switching teams, not numbers.

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by lookingdeadred on Dec 15, 2011 7:38 AM CST up reply actions

He does raise a valid point.

If you read MLB’s new rule literally, a player coming to the Cardinals would have had to notify MLB by July 31, 2011 if he wanted to wear #5. Of course, on that date no one knew Pujols would be leaving.

I doubt they’ll reissue #5 any time soon, in any case.

Further, I don’t think the intent of this rule is to force clubs to not reissue numbers of players or coaches that have departed. For example, if the Cubs sign Yu Darvish, I don’t think they’ll have to get rid of all the Ivan DeJesus stuff (Darvish has worn #11 in Japan). Or if they sign Prince Fielder, to dispose of Jeff Baker merchandise.

It’s not a very well thought out rule.

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by Al Yellon on Dec 15, 2011 7:51 AM CST up reply actions

So Prince will not be wearing #28, if we get him.

Stewart will not be wearing #9. And Darvish….well he can still be #11 right?

by MDavis on Dec 15, 2011 11:22 AM CST reply actions

Of course, that would be ridiculous.

Those three players will likely be wearing those three numbers, if they are all Cubs. (Stewart would have to get permission, I guess, to change to DeWitt’s #9; doesn’t seem likely there’s a lot of unsold DeWitt merchandise around.)

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by Al Yellon on Dec 15, 2011 12:11 PM CST up reply actions

very true, and i dont really see too many Baker unis around either...

but i don’t see Stewart getting #9 unless DeWitt goes to #33 (i think that was his Dodger jersey). otherwise i expect he takes #21 or #22

by MDavis on Dec 15, 2011 1:12 PM CST up reply actions

There are more changes than you think.

As of now #1, #2, #3, #8, #11, #16, #19, #20, #21, #22 all available.

will be if Reed Johnson doesn’t return.

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by Al Yellon on Dec 15, 2011 1:26 PM CST up reply actions

That didn't come out right.

Reed Johnson’s #5 will be available if he doesn’t return.

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by Al Yellon on Dec 15, 2011 1:26 PM CST up reply actions

ok crazy scenario which could happen`

Kerry Wood is a Cubs FA and signs with the Cubs, but decides he wants the number 43 since it is a new contract, can he?

Does this also mean that Andre Dawson, if hired as a coach has to wear #8 since MItchell and Ness has #* Dawson Cub jerseys?

by Cubbie-Tim on Dec 15, 2011 7:01 PM CST up reply actions

Dawson would wear #8

… because he is so strongly identified with it.

As far as your scenario about Wood is concerned, he probably could not change numbers for 2012, if staying with the team.

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by Al Yellon on Dec 16, 2011 7:08 AM CST up reply actions

which is silly

but thats MLB for you

by Cubbie-Tim on Dec 16, 2011 8:38 AM CST up reply actions

I don't think Prince will have any problem paying for the 5 Jeff Baker shirts on the market!

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by SackMan on Dec 15, 2011 2:20 PM CST up reply actions

5 shirts are popular

in STL these days.

10-25-2011. Theo Epstein joins the Cubs. Now, the fun begins.

by timh815 on Dec 15, 2011 3:06 PM CST up reply actions

well, the jerseys were

free at one store

by Cubbie-Tim on Dec 15, 2011 7:02 PM CST up reply actions

The CBA doesn't say anything about changing names on jerseys, right?

Many will long remember LeMaster for one game in 1979. The shortstop took the field wearing the phrase on his back that Giants fans often welcomed him with. In place of his last name was the word “boo”

by JOVE23 on Dec 16, 2011 8:40 PM CST reply actions

Ha!

In 1976, when Andy Messersmith signed with the Braves, Ted Turner asked him to help promote his TV station, then on channel 17 in Atlanta, by wearing the word “CHANNEL” above “17” on his jersey.

MLB made him change it after one start, but it will be forever remembered. If only Messersmith had been convinced to legally change his name to “Andy Channel”, he could have got away with it.