Willie Mays: Should MLB Retire #24? A Number Many Legends Have Worn

The Hall-of-Famer behind "The Catch" has passed away at the age of 93-years-old. MLB legend Willie Mays was certainly famous for his incredible play on the field, but he also became synonymous with the number on his back. In fact, on ESPN's morning show Get Up, this morning, the topic came up of whether or not Major League Baseball should retire Mays' number 24.

Don't get your hopes up. While it would certainly be a respectful nod honoring Mays in this way, other professional sports associates have traditionally not taken this route in recent years. For example, although it has been debated often, the NBA has not retired Michael Jordan's #23, but the NHL did retire Wayne Gretzky's #99. The difference is that this was very close after Gretzky's retirement.

In addition to being a World Series champion, Mays was also a 24-time all-star. His signature #24 was retired by the San Francisco Giants in 1972. This speedy outfielder ended his career with the Mets from 1972-1973. New York retired #24 just two years ago in 2022.

Over the past 40 years of baseball history, many iconic players have sported #24. If the number had been retired, these stars would have had to select something else. Actually, one of them did. Let's explain.

Willie Mays was the Godfather to Barry Bonds. In Pittsburgh, where Bonds started his career, Bonds opted to honor his Godfather, sporting 24 on his back. However, this obviously had to change when Bonds then played for Mays' team, the Giants, starting in 1993. Bonds switched to #25.

Staying in the outfield, Ken Griffey Jr. rocked #24 with the Seattle Mariners. To this day, the Mariners blue jersey with 24 prominently placed on the back, and the backwards M's cap is one of the best baseball poster images around.

Though he eventually switched to #99, Manny Ramirez was #24 with the Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox. Over his 14 years wearing that number, Ramirez won two World Series titles.

Rickey Henderson who also had an incredible combination of power, speed, and defense also wore #24. Behind only Mays, many consider Henderson to be the second best baserunner in MLB history. Henderson played 25 seasons. He played for nine different teams, but after four different runs with the Oakland A's his number 24 was retired by the franchise in 2009.

More recently, Miguel Cabrera wore #24. Current players who are playing in the major leagues who sport Mays' number on their back include Alex Verdugo of the New York Yankees and David Peralta of the San Diego Padres. Both are also outfielders.

As we continue to pay tribute to Mays the debate remains open on whether or not #24 should be retired forever. Would you have preferred all of the players mentioned above selected a different uniform number honoring Mays in this way?

We've officially made it to Major League Baseball's opening day. And we've got four bold predictions for the 2024 MLB season.

Last year felt like a nice setup for this season to really hit one out of the park, so to speak. 2023 saw the new MLB rules take hold. This was notable with the pitch clock and the attempt to speed up the game. The looming question of what's next for Shohei Ohtani was lingering all year. Obviously the uncommon pitcher/hitter superstar chose to stay in southern California, but headed to move over to the Dodgers.

A consistent, no-frills style of baseball led the Texas Rangers to defeat a young and scrappy Arizona Diamondbacks in the World Series. Both have similar rosters this year, but will either team be as good?

We are already off to a unique start with the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers splitting the Seoul Series in Korea. We are certainly teed up for an exciting seven months of baseball.

Some factors came close to finding their way into my four bold predictions, but were not strong enough to grab a spot in the lineup. However, they do remain open questions for baseball fans to look out for as the season unfolds.

In New York, will the Yankees adding the fierce bat of Juan Soto to the team bounce them back from a disappointing season? Soto may have to make up for the lack of depth at pitching now the Cy Young winner, Gerrit Cole is starting the season injured.

In Atlanta, the Braves are so talented across the board, it's hard to pick against them in all of the National League. However, I do expect some epic NL East clashes throughout the year between division rivals, the Braves and Philadelphia Phillies.

We shall see about all of the above. In the meantime, let's hit some 2024 MLB bold predictions to get the ball rolling.

It may be a news subject that fades away, but Shohei Ohtani's name being involved in a potential gambling scandal is not a great way to kick off the season. This general topic is one that all pro sports are taking very seriously and could hang over the organization's head for much of the season. The Dodgers are certainly loaded with stars, but as the Yankees have proven in years past, a monster payroll does not guarantee wins. In fact, too many superstars in one clubhouse can be detrimental to team unity.

MLB has been faced with the challenge of making the games more exciting and engaging. There's only so much you can do to change the rules of the sport without stepping on the integrity of the game. The adjustments to speed things up certainly helped. So did the arrival of flashy alternate uniforms. Nine new teams will have a creative new jersey thrown into their mix. They will be unveiled soon. However, rocking a special edition jersey that is a nod to your home city should make this gear a top-seller in the shops. We've already seen teams like the Diamondbacks add accents of teal and fluorescents into their color schemes. This City Connect theme has been a very successful model in the NBA.

Speaking of uniforms, the Padres adding a sand tone to their away threads is an all-time classic look. The beach and baseball are synonymous. That has nothing to do with why SD will finish ahead of the bigger names like the Dodgers or San Francisco Giants. Fernando Tatis Jr is fully back, and the cornerstone to a team that is full of both speed and strength. The Padres did a great job of giving fans an inside glimpse of their spring training this year, and it certainly appeared as if the club was already having a blast. Their team unity and chemistry will carry them far.

Seattle, and the great state of Washington was so close to starting the year off with a championship parade thanks to the Huskies making the college football finals. They may end the year with one instead, and it will be well worth the wait. Julio Rodríguez is one of the most well-rounded players in the game. He's also just 23 years old. The X factor for the M's, though, will be how solid their pitching is, with the bulk of the rotation remaining healthy all year. The lineup then institutes small-ball baseball beautifully throughout the year, where the team seems to always know how to close out the close games. Ultimately, I'm taking the Mariners over the Braves in the 2024 World Series, which I can foresee being one of the most thrilling finals we've seen in a long time.