LeBron James was recently in the news promoting his campaign to retire the #23 in the NBA in honor of the great Michael Jordan. “His Airness,” LeBron and my favorite Movember supporter Don Mattingly aren’t the only great players who have shared the same number. In fact, #23 is (arguably) not even the greatest number in sports, just take a look at these.

#3: Babe Ruth, Alex Rodriguez, Harmon Killebrew

Babe Ruth is probably the greatest player to ever play the game. Alex Rodriguez wore #3 until he came to the New York Yankees, will in all likelihood end up as the all-time home run leader, and is currently tenth on the all-time home run list.

#8: Cal Ripken Jr., Yogi Bera, Carl Yastrzemski, Joe Morgan, Troy Aikman, Steve Young and Kobe Bryant

Ripken is a two-time MVP, 19 time all-star, two-time gold glover, and first ballot Hall of Famer who played 2,632 games straight. Berra is a 13-time World Series champion, three-time MVP, and 15-time All Star. Yaz is a former MVP, seven-time Gold Glove winner, and 18-time All-Star. Morgan is a back-to-back MVP, two-time World Series Champ, and 10-time All-Star. Quarterbacks Troy Aikman and Steve Young and shooting guard Kobe Bryant also wore #8.

#12- Terry Bradshaw, Tom Brady, Joe Namath

Bradshaw is a four-time Super Bowl champion and former MVP. Brady is three-time Super Bowl Champion, former MVP, and holds the record for most touchdowns in a single season with 50. Namath is a Super Bowl Champion, former two-time AFL MVP, and four-time AFL All-Star with one Pro Bowl selection.

#24: Willie Mays, Rickey Henderson, Manny Ramirez, Ken Griffey Jr.

Mays is also arguably the best player who ever lived, a two-time MVP, World Series champ, 12-time Gold Glover, and 20-time All-Star. Rickey Henderson is the all-time stolen base and runs leader (he also led off more games with a home run than anyone) and a two-time World Series champ, MVP, and ten-time All-Star. Manny is a two-time World Series champion, 12-time All Star, and is currently 15th on the All-Time home run list. Griffey is a former MVP, 13-time All-Star, 10-time Gold Glover and is currently fifth on the All-Time home run list with 630.

#34: Walter Payton, Earl Campbell

Payton is the 2nd leading rusher in NFL history with nearly 17,000 yards and fourth all-time in rushing touchdowns. Campbell doesn’t have the career numbers that Payton had because he peaked early and played only nine years but his first three years in the league were as good as anyone’s. He’s also a five-time Pro Bowler and a Hall of Famer. Nolan Ryan also wore #34 and used his old man strength to beat the crap out of Robin Ventura – oh, he also struck out 5,714 batters, threw 7 no-hitters and an astonishing 12 one-hitters.

#42 Jackie Robinson, Mariano Rivera

This number is forever retired in Major League Baseball because it was worn by Jackie Robinson and until Mariano Riviera retires and goes down at the greatest closer of all-time he will run out of the bullpen with “Enter Sandman” blaring wearing #42.

Follow the author, Igor Derysh, on Twitter @IgorDerysh

In a recent Sirius XM radio interview, Boston Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon admitted that he will sign “not only the Bronx, but anywhere, I think anywhere is a possibility,” in 2011 if the Sox choose not to retain him over the long haul. While hearing this may send shivers down the spine of Red Sox Nation, don’t be too quick to dismiss these words unleashed by the talented fireballer.

Wade Boggs was a legendary member of Boston baseball, until he was seen riding a horse at the end of the 1996 World Series celebration in New York. One of the greatest pitchers of all time made his name (and nickname) in Boston, but then Roger “Rocket” Clemens was getting fitted for a World Series ring in the Bronx. And worst of all, no one ever thought that team catalyst and primary spark for the 2004 Curse-killing Sox would ever don the pinstripes, but look where Mr. Johnny Damon is now. It’s gotten to the point where everyone almost expected Manny Ramirez to head back east and join the Yanks. (more…)

With the Alex Rodriguezs, Ken Griffey Jrs, and Manny Ramirezs of the league getting up in age, it is now time for COED to preview the top five future superstar hitters that are still 25 years old or younger. These are the guys sure to make headlines for years to come. Now, if we can just keep them off the juice…

(Note: any player who turns 26 before the 2009 All Star Break will not be included in this list. Sorry Mets fans!) (more…)

On Wednesday, Los Angeles Dodgers’ star Manny Ramirez was notified of a 50 game suspension after testing positive for a banned substance. With that in mind, COED takes a look at the best performance-enhanced players at each position in baseball history (well…that we know of at least).

1B: Rafael Palmeiro: While playing from 1986-2005, Palmeiro became only the fourth player ever to reach both the career 500 home run and 3,000 hit plateaus. Palmeiro also accounted for 1.835 RBIs—over 400 more than fellow disgraced first baseman Mark McGwire. After former teammate Jose Canseco identified Palmeiro as a steroid user in his 2005 book Juiced, Palmeiro testified before congress that he had “never used steroids, period.” Nearly five months later, Palmeiro was suspended by MLB for ten days after testing positive for stanozolol.

2B: Brian Roberts: In nine seasons, the Orioles’ leadoff hitter has a career batting average of .284, including two All-Star Game appearances. But after being named in the 2006 Mitchell Report, Roberts came clean when he stated he took “one shot of steroids” back in 2003.

3B: Alex Rodriguez: Twelve-time All-Star. Three-time AL MVP. The youngest player ever to hit 500 career home runs. But this last year has brought troubled times for A-Rod. His marriage to his wife Cynthia ended in divorce. Torn cartilage in hip required surgery this offseason. And then he admitted to ESPN’s Peter Gammons that he took banned substances from 2001-2003. Even more embarrassing for Rodriguez –he allegedly had an affair with this actress from “Swept Away”.

SS. Miguel Tejada: The 2002 AL MVP certainly does not have a problem at the plate while amassing over 1100 RBIs—including 150 in the 2004 season. Tejada (if that’s really his last name) does have a problem with telling the truth. This February, Tejada pleaded guilty to charges that he lied to Congress in 2005 about his connections to Palmeiro and steroids. And just last year, ESPN obtained Tejada’s birth certificate that showed he was two years older than he claimed to be on his MLB contract, and that his surname is spelled Tejeda, rather than “Tejada.”

LF: Barry Bonds: Unlike fellow left fielder Manny Ramirez, Bonds never was punished by baseball for his alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs. The all-time MLB leader in home runs (762) and MVP awards (six) brought “the clear” and “the cream” into our vernacular, stating that he received the substance from his personal trainer for treatment of “arthritis”. Yeah, and my friends all smoke pot to um…treat their glaucoma.

RF: Gary Sheffield: The nephew of Dwight Gooden, Sheff, now a member of the New York Mets, has played on nine All-Star teams, and hit his 500thcareer home run this April. Like many on our list, Sheffield was named in the infamous Mitchell Report, and admitted to using “the cream” while working out with Barry Bonds in 2001.

CF: Gary Matthews, Jr: Like Bonds, Matthews, Jr. throughout his career has been an excellent outfielder, often robbing opponents of home runs while patrolling center. But in 2007, Matthews, Jr. was connected to an investigation of a steroid ring, in which evidence showed he purchased testosterone and steroids. While Matthews, Jr. denied using PEDs, he did admit to occasionally using crack cocaine. Professional sports: the only job you can admit to using crack and still get paid. Well, that and mayor of D.C.

DH: Jason Giambi: A five-time All-Star with 397 career home runs, Giambi has had a most successful run in the majors between his time in Oakland and in the Bronx, albeit performance enhanced. Jason and his brother Jeremy were included in the Mitchell Report, and both admitted their wrongdoings, with Jason stating “I was wrong for doing that stuff.”

C: Ivan Rodriguez: Pudge has denied using PEDs, but according to Jose Canseco’s book, Rodriguez was a beneficiary of Canseco’s habitual acquisitions of steroids, along with former teammates Rafael Palmeiro and Juan Gonzalez. The 13-time gold-glove winning catcher topped out at 35 home runs in 1999, but his rocket arm always kept runners weary on the basepaths. So with Pudge, Raffe, Juan Gone, A-Rod, and Ken Caminiti ‘roiding it up, the 2001 Texas locker room was akin to the Ozzy Osbourne/Mötley Crüe 1984 Tour bus, except none of the Rangers faced positve tests for snorting ants.

SP: Roger Clemens: A member of both the 300 career wins and 4,000 career strikeout clubs, Clemens was always known for his freakish workout routines, which perhaps were aided by the use of steroids. His name was mentioned 82 times in the Mitchell Report where he was accused of using anabolic steroids, an allegation he has repeatedly denied. For a guy who made a cameo in “Anger Management”, Clemens sure does have some anger issues. He was once called a “headhunter” by Lou Pinella for his tendencies to brush back batters. And during the 2000 World Series, well, this happened (2:27). In a totally unrelated matter, increased aggressiveness is often claimed to occur with anabolic steroid use.

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The Arizona Diamondbacks have just officially signed free agent pitcher Jon Garland.  Garland will now step into his comfortable number-three hole to balance a top-heavy staring rotation featuring Brandon Webb and Dan Haren.  Given his previous postseason success with the 2005 champion Chicago White Sox, he adds another dimension to this team aching to get back to the World Series for the first time since 2001.

But is the Garland signing enough?  Sure, Garland is solid.  In the hitter-friendly American League, Garland has posted a career mark of 106-89 with a 4.47 ERA.  Most notable about Garland is his consistency and unflappable calm on the hill during pressure situations, as he has made at least 32 starts and pitched 191 innings in each of his last seven seasons. (more…)

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Following a disappointing season that saw the Yankees fail to reach the postseason for the first time since 1993, amidst the festivities of the final season in beloved Yankee Stadium, they realize that they must make a strong statement this off-season.  There is one main objective for revamping this underachieving roster: Add young superior talent.

They have colossal holes in four main areas: the starting rotation, no true first baseman, ancient options in left field and absolutely nothing in center field.  With roughly $90M coming off the payroll, now is the time to act.

The first priority was the shortcomings of the pitching staff.  The Yanks managed to win 89 games last season despite heavy workloads from Darrell Rasner, Sidney Ponson, Dan Giese, and other hilarious options.  This is unacceptable.  Brian Cashman and his cronies ponied up to pay a combined $43.5M per year on the young power arms of C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett.  Once Andy Pettitte decides to return as an anchor at the fifth starter slot at a discounted price, the rotation will be set.

However, Cashman has been susceptible in the past with his questionable decision making regarding position players.  Think of the off-season after the 2004 season – Yanks were coming off the collapse to the Red Sox and instead of upgrading their center field position with Carlos Beltran, they decided to blow their wad on Randy Johnson and Carl Pavano.  I think we all know how those two moves worked out and now they are twiddling their thumbs with Brett Gardner in center field.

The Yanks upgraded by sending little used utility man Wilson Betemit to the White Sox for Nick Swisher to play first base and outfield, and have entertained the notion of trading Melky Cabrera to the Brewers for center fielder Mike Cameron.

But why bring in another 36 year-old washed-up outfielder at $10M per year when you already have two others, Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui (each make roughly $13M), fighting for playing time?  Wouldn’t they be better off shelling out the $22M to Mark Teixeira and moving Nick Swisher into center field?

Teixeira is a 28 year-old gold glove first baseman.  Have the Yanks had a real first basemen who can play solid defense and hit for power and average since Tino Martinez in 2001?  No.

Cashman needs to realize that now is the time to strike, and strike effectively and intelligently.  Grab Teixeira, who will provide stability at the first base position for the first decade of the new Stadium.  He will crush the ball to the new short porch in right and is a solid player with a bull work ethic in the weight room.  Let Manny Ramirez go play in LA.  Then, save the $26M that will be shed off the payroll next summer (from Damon and Matsui’s corpse) and invest it in another young stud in the outfield, namely Matt Holliday.

The solution is simple – sign the high quality players while they are entering their prime, not after they just completed it.  Cashman took the first step by upgrading the pitching staff while lowering the average age.  Now its time to do the same for the position players.

(Image: Gothamist)

Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

New York Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina is calling it quits after a brilliant 18-year career.  Sure, the Moose very well might take his 270 career victories, 17 consecutive seasons with 11 or more wins, and 2,813 strikeouts to the Hall of Fame one day; but for Yankee fans, it is a time to consider that this could be the end of a relatively dark era in recent memory because of one pivotal decision gone wrong.

The Yanks were winners of three-straight titles, four of the past five, and entered the winter after the 2000 season with intent to go for the jugular.  With two prized free agents available, the Yanks knew they had to make the right choice to stay on top.

They then signed the number-one pitcher available over the number-one hitter available – Moose over Manny. (more…)

Ken Griffey Jr. Traded To The White Sox : Ken Griffey Jr. has the right to veto a trade to the first-place White Sox, the White Sox would be adding the slugger to a team that leads the AL in homers. If the White Sox get Griffey, Paul Konerko might be the odd man out.

Manny Ramirez/Jason Bay Three Team Blockbuster Brewing : The Red Sox, Marlins and Pirates are working on the blockbuster of the century–Florida would acquire Manny Ramirez, whose salary nearly matches their payroll and Boston may end up with Jason Bay and John Grabow or perhaps even Jack Wilson.

Sharapova To Pull Out Of Olympics? : Third-seeded Maria Sharapova withdrew from the Rogers Open after her second-round victory Wednesday because of a shoulder injury, possibly jeopardizing her participation at the Beijing Olympics.

Mike Loree Retires 62 of 63 Batters : Loree has been absolutely untouchable this season. To prove the point, he has retired 62 of the last 63 hitters faced in his last four starts.

The Cowboys Are Screwed : It didn’t take Jessica Simpson long to insinuate herself into the Dallas Cowboys’ mix this season as she visited Tony Romo at camp yesterday.

Michael Jordan at 45 : Even in his mid-40s, Michael Jordan is still talking trash.

Female Athletes To Undergo Gender Tests in Beijing : Organizers of the Beijing Olympics have set up a sex-determination laboratory to evaluate “suspect” female athletes. The lab will evaluate an athlete’s external appearance, hormones and genes. India’s Santhi Soundarajan failed a sex-verification test after the 2006 Asian Games.