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In 1997, Major League Baseball honored Jackie Robinson by making his No. 42 the first uniform number to be retired across the sport.
That said, players who were wearing No. 42 at the time were grandfathered in, meaning they could choose to continue wearing it until they retired. Thus, some teams have had a player wear No. 42 more recently than others and some have never handed out that uniform to anyone.
Here s a look at the last player to wear No. 42 for each MLB team:
American League East
Blue Jays: Xavier Hernandez (1989)
Hernandez, a right-handed relief pitcher, made his debut with the Blue Jays in 1989 and appeared in seven games, covering 22 2/3 innings that season before the Astros selected him in the Rule 5 Draft. Toronto had drafted Hernandez in the fourth round in 86 and he developed as a starter, but came out of the bullpen for the majority of his 10-year Major League career.
Photo By Jamie Squire/Getty Images
Baseball is cruel to all of its children, but it’s particularly harsh on relievers. Even with the trend towards shorter appearances, it’s starters who hog the glory. They’re the ones who rack up the big numbers, most of the awards and most of the money. They’re the ones with the shots at perfect games and no-hitters. Ok, so sometimes there are
combined no-hitters, but who remembers that Kirk Saarloos threw an inning and a third of a Houston Astros no-hitter? Not even his family, I bet.
Relievers get saves and holds, but the save is so contrived that one was recorded in a game won by 27 runs, and I think everyone knows the only people who pay attention to holds are the folks who care way too much about fantasy baseball. Besides, both saves and holds are too common to be properly exciting. What’s the pinnacle of relieverism? What’s the most incredible thing a reliever could do in a single game?