Tampa Bay Rays are distinct from most other clubs in baseball, especially when contrasted to the teams in the Retired Numbers Series, which includes the New York Yankees.
The Tampa Bay Rays do not have a set of requirements for retiring a player’s jersey number. For the sake of completeness, let it be said that a Rays team player who has made an exceptional contribution to the team deserves to have his or her number retired.
In the history of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, just two players’ jersey numbers have been retired.
WADE BOGGS NUMBER 12
On April 7, 2000, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays retired their number 12 Jersey. It is the only Rays number that has only been used once. On May 26, 2016, the Boston Red Sox retired Boggs’ jersey number at a pre-game ceremony. Known for his superstition, Boggs had a reputation.
DON ZIMMER NUMBER 66
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The Rays are the only team to “retire” Zimmer’s number 66, which he wore in his final season as an adviser, his 66th season in professional baseball, the year before he died.
In honor of long-time club adviser Don Zimmer, the Tampa Bay Rays retired his No. 66, the year he died, prior to the Opening Day game of the 2015 season.
It seemed only fitting that Evan Longoria, a close friend of the Zimmers and frequent card player in the clubhouse, led the ceremony.
When the club presented the widower Soot Zimmer with a No. 66 jersey with the “ZIM” patch from 2014, his family was present on the pitch.
JACKIE ROBINSON NUMBER 42
The Major Leagues have decided to retire his number “in eternity” as a mark of respect for his contributions.
The uniform was therefore off-limits to any potential future MLB players.
