A new beginning, so to speak. With Rafael Devers coming aboard with the San Francisco Giants this week, we can say goodbye to the No. 11 jersey he wore in New England for nearly a decade. Devers will be wearing the No. 16 jersey for the Giants after being the rightful owner of the No. 11 for nine seasons when he was with the Boston Red Sox. So, why is he not going to be wearing the same number?
Well, that is because No. 11 is retired by the Giants. It has been retired longer than most of us have been alive: The No. 11 jersey belonged to Hall of Fame pitcher Carl Hubbell, who starred for the then-New York Giants from 1928 to 1943. As one of the greatest left-handed pitchers in baseball history, he amassed 253 wins, nine All-Star appearances, two NL MVPs and a World Series ring.
Hubbell was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1947 as one of the game's all-time greats. While he never played in San Francisco, as the franchise did not move until 1958, Hubbell remains one of the greatest players in baseball history. Given that he passed away well before Devers was born, there could have been a case to let him wear the jersey. Instead, the newest Giant is opting to go with No. 16.
Unless a player is already iconic and gets his blessing from a retired player's family, get a new number.
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Should Rafael Devers have tried to wear the No. 11 jersey with Giants?
No, no way. Not even close: Devers may have been beloved in New England, but he is still so far from being a Hall of Fame-level player at this stage of his career. If he plays for the Giants, or anyone, like he did the last nine years in Boston, he may end up in Cooperstown one day. To me, I think his greatness has been largely overstated. I have seen better players star in Boston recently.
That being said, he has the power to change the narrative surrounding him. If he puts his head down and gets to work in San Francisco, he can overcome the stubborn reputation he has cultivated with he was with the Red Sox. His departure from Boston was all sorts of controversial, but he now has a fantastic opportunity ahead of him to be a real difference-maker for a Giants team that needs one.
Great players change jersey numbers all the time when they switch teams. Being respectful is one of the ways you can best ingratiate yourself to a new fan base. The ending of Devers' time in Boston was combustible. Perhaps he can be the spark that ignites the fire that has long been inside of the Giants? Buster Posey made a huge move to get him, but he has to earn his keep on his new team.
San Francisco is hoping that the second half of Devers' career could be a strong as his first half was.