LOS ANGELES — When star outfielder Kyle Tucker was introduced as a Dodger on Wednesday afternoon, many of the jersey number enthusiasts out there were waiting to see which number would be stitched in red on his new uniform. It was No. 23, rather than the No. 30 that he had worn for most of his big league career.
More often than not, star players receive their preferred number when joining a new team. Technically, No. 30 wasn’t unavailable, like when Edwin Díaz switched to No. 3 earlier this offseason because No. 39 is retired for Roy Campanella. But it’s very possible that no other Dodger will wear No. 30 again after manager Dave Roberts’ tenure at the helm.
A three-time World Series champion manager with the best managerial winning percentage (.621) in franchise history (min. 500 games), Roberts is on a Hall of Fame track and may very well have his number retired by the team one day. But beyond his credentials, No. 30 has meaning to Roberts, who wears it as a tribute to the late, great Maury Wills.
“Maury and I just had such a great relationship,” Roberts said. “And one of the things that he was like, ‘Gosh, when I die, I hope that no one else wears that number.’ It’s really near and dear to me.”
When Tucker signed with L.A., he figured he’d take a shot in the dark and ask Roberts whether he might be willing to change numbers. But the outfielder wasn’t expecting it to happen. So he wound up taking a similar approach to Roberts by choosing the number of his former mentor with the Astros: Michael Brantley.
Brantley signed with Houston ahead of the 2019 season, when Tucker was still getting his feet wet in the big leagues. The veteran was a formative figure while Tucker emerged as a rising star for the Astros.
“[He’s] a guy I hung out with a lot coming up in Houston,” Tucker said. “He’s a phenomenal ballplayer and one of my close friends. That played a big part in my choice, going with that.”
The most recent Dodger to wear No. 23 was Michael Conforto, whose one-year deal did not prove fruitful. By committing $240 million for up to four years of Tucker, they’re confident that their next No. 23 will make an impact in their three-peat bid and beyond.
