The time has almost come for pitchers and catchers to report to spring training so that means it’s time for the team to start stitching up jerseys for the new year. With that, David Price will switch up his look switching from number 24 to 10 in the new season.
LHP David Price (@DAVIDprice24) switches from number 24 to number 10. Bench coach Ron Roenicke switches from number 10 to number 30. INF Tzu-Wei Lin switches from number 30 to reclaim number 5, last worn by 2B Ian Kinsler in 2018. #RedSox (thanks to @PeteAbe) pic.twitter.com/PmDeWzRQxH
— MLB Jersey Numbers (@NumbersMLB) January 31, 2019
A new number is always notable, but especially when it comes to top players. It almost never happens. Which begs the question, why? Number 24 carries a lot of weight in Boston and an unexpected change to Price’s uni sure makes it sound like they have plans for number 24.
Whether you’re young or old in Boston, you have some type of affection for the number. For the older folks they’ll run through endless clips of Dwight Evans doing the number more than proud throughout his run with the Sox in the ’80s. Then, for my generation, there was no greater enigma than Manny Ramirez. Eye-popping missiles into the Coke bottles and years of Manny being Manny made it even more difficult to continue handing out 24 like it was just another number.
Now David Price is changing his number and considering the timing, it being Price’s fourth season with the Sox, it sure feels like 24 may have seen it’s last day on the back of any Boston player, deservedly so.
If you’re real attentive you saw that Price wasn’t the only one that needed the number change. The wake of his number change saw bench coach Ron Roenicke pick up number 30. That change forced the change of Tzu-Wei Lin from 30 back to number 5, a number that should be held in the same regards as 24.
Whether 24 brings back memories of Dwight Evans or Manny, there’s no doubt it’s sacred in Boston. If this does mean it will be hanging up in right field at Fenway sometime soon, then good. It’s about damn time.
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Feature Image via NESN