Uniform Numbers

[metsfan001]

I have two questions here about uniform numbers:

1) Who wore #3 on the Yanks after Babe Ruth and #7 before Mickey Mantle?

2) Before Johnny Bench wore it, #5 had been retired by the Reds. Who wore it? Why? What brought about this situation?

[AveUguy]

Originally posted by metsfan001
I have two questions here about uniform numbers:

1) Who wore #3 on the Yanks after Bae Ruth and #7 before Mickey Mantle?



1) #3 after Babe Ruth - George Selkirk?
2) #7 before Mickey Mantle - Cliff Mapes?

[metsfan001]

I wasactually reffering to the same person. But it is one of those two.

[AveUguy]

Cliff Mapes.

[metsfan001]

Yes!

Anybody know the other?

[AveUguy]

Apparently, the last player to wear # 5 before JB was a guy named Frank Oceak in 1965. Bad news is, I can't find anything about him anywhere :umm

[Toy Cannon]

I can't put my finger on it, but it's obviously something more than just a player wearing the number 5. An owner perhaps, orpossibly something tragic...:banghead

[metsfan001]

TC is on the right track. . .

[Toy Cannon]

Willard Hershberger?

[AveUguy]

Originally posted by Toy Cannon
Willard Hershberger?

It looks like 9 guys wore #5 after Hershberger until JB's turn came.

[metsfan001]

Somehow I missed this. Hershberger is correct. He commited suicide after he did not live up to expectations of replacing Ernest Lombardi. IIRC, his number was retired, and then brought back soon after.