Phils Consider Relaxing Retired Number Policy

To quote former President Ronald Reagan: “Well, there you go again.” Don’t worry, I’m not going political here, but it just fit. The Yankees are the ones “going again.” News filtered out Wednesday that they are retiring the number 52 worn by C.C. Sabathia. This runs the total of numbers retired up to 24 for the boys in the Bronx. They are coming close to lapping the St. Louis Cardinals who have retired 13 numbers. To put it in perspective, the Phillies have retired eight numbers and the “P” logo from the 1915 Phillies, which was worn by both Chuck Klein and Grover Cleveland Alexander in Alexander’s day there were no numbers, and Klein wore so many different numbers that nobody knew which one to retire.

I’ll resist getting into whether or not C.C. Sabathia is worthy of having his number retired. Here are the numbers, you decide for yourself: 19 seasons – 11 with the Yankees – six all-star appearances, one Cy Young Award. 251-161, 3.74, 560 starts, 3093 strikeouts, 1.259 WHIP. Discuss amongst yourselves or leave your thoughts in the comments below.

The Phillies don’t even consider the possibility of retiring a player’s number unless they have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. There is some talk though that the policy needs to be adjusted. What is creating the rethinking? The fact that there are a number of iconic Phillies players — Cole Hamels, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley — who played super-sized roles on great Phillies teams, including the 2008 World Champions, who will remain ineligible for the honor unless they do get into the Hall of Fame.

FURTHER READING: Analysis: The Phillies and the 2026 Hall of Fame Vote | Analysis: Jimmy Rollins and the Hall of Fame

The Phillies retired the number 24 worn by Roy Halladay in 2021, two years after his induction into the Hall of Fame. Halladay was the last player to be given the honor by the team.

There are also requirements for the Phillies Wall of Fame: four years of service time with the Phillies or Athletics and they must be retired for at least three years. The team has waived those requirements to induct Steve Carlton and Mike Schmidt shortly after they retired from the game. They also relaxed the rules slightly for Jim Thome, who played three full seasons with the team and then returned in his final season in the majors, but not for a full season. Purists said that he did not have the four full seasons of service that the policy dictated, but the decision was made to induct him.

On the hierarchy of baseball honors, having your number retired by a team is number-two. Only having your number retired by Major League Baseball would rank higher. Only one player, Jackie Robinson, has had that honor, but there is a movement for the number 21 to be retired for Roberto Clemente. Just below a team retiring your number would be a Hall of Fame induction, followed by a team induction into their equivalent of a Hall (or Wall) of Fame.

It’s difficult to decide whether the policy should have exceptions for certain players. That can become a slippery slope, but yet to have a set checklist of items also can feel somewhat cold. The problem with that 1980 team and the years surrounding it is the fact that there are so many deserving honorees. Rollins and Utley would be the front runners with Hamels needing some consideration.

What you want to avoid is a situation where the team starts retiring too many numbers — I’m looking at you, New York Yankees — and it doesn’t carry the same honor that it is meant to. In many ways that has happened to the Hall of Fame. Some believe it is more the Hall of Very Good.

For now, the numbers of Ryan Howard (6), Jimmy Rollins (11), Chase Utley (26), and Cole Hamels (35) are not retired, but are “out of rotation.” In other words, the numbers are generally just not available to players.