Bleacher Bums Forum

Martinsburg is a dreadful place.

Martinsburg, West Virginia
Home of a Hall of Famer and Cubs great

Who the hell is heck Wilson?  I've checked several websites and there is only HACK Wilson.

Coal mining is not something you want your town's future to depend on.

Just wondering now that Lee Smith is in the Hall, should the Cubs retire his number?

There are a lot of Cubs players in the Hall of Fame.  However, a large amount played before numbers were worn on uniforms.  How many HOF members that were predominately Cubs players would be eligible to have their numbers retired by the Cubs?  I would leave out guys like Hornsby and Dean, who played most of their prime years with other teams. 

Cuyler, Hartnett and perhaps Wilson are the only ones that come to mind.

In honor of those without numbers, let's hang Davep from one of the flagpoles.

Cuyler and Hartnett wore numbers.

What about Mordecai Brown?  Frank Chance?

I believe that the Yankees were the first team to wear numbers on their uniforms, and they corresponded to their place in the batting order.  Which is the reason why Babe Ruth wore number 3, since he batted third in the order.  If they were the first, then players like Brown and Chance were definitely before the number era.