What Are The Tampa Bay Rays Retired Numbers?
The Tampa Bay Rays started in Major League Baseball in 1998. Originally called the “Devil Rays,” the expansion team opened at home 25 years ago today (March 31, 1998), taking…
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – MARCH 30: A general view during a game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Detroit Tigers on Opening Day at Tropicana Field on March 30, 2023 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Mike Ehrmann/Getty ImagesThe Tampa Bay Rays started in Major League Baseball in 1998. Originally called the "Devil Rays," the expansion team opened at home 25 years ago today (March 31, 1998), taking on the Detroit Tigers at Tropicana Field. Coincidentally, the Rays opened their season yesterday at home, beating the Detroit Tigers at Tropicana Field. Though the club has had numerous all-star players over the years, the Tampa Bay Rays retired numbers are slim. The group contains only one person who was a player on the team.
Over the years, Tampa has been a breeding ground of great baseball players. Rays legends such as Fred McGriff and Tino Martinez are from Tampa, as is the team's current manager, Kevin Cash.
The retired numbers are displayed inside the park on a wall that is to the left of the center field scoreboard. One of these numbers represents a manager who ended his career as an advisor with the Rays and was a Tampa, FL resident. The other two numbers reflect players, but again, only one of them actually played for the Rays. He too, called Tampa home.
The Rays will sport numerous uniform options this season. They will pay tribute to their anniversary with the throwback Devil Rays look on Friday home games (in addition to opening day). Over the course of the season, they will call up various players from their minor league system. These players, like the current roster and coaching staff, will immediately have three numbers unavailable to them regardless of the colorful uniform combination.
Here are the official Tampa Bay Rays retired numbers.
#12 Wade Boggs
Rick Stewart /Allsport/Getty ImagesBoggs also has his #26 retired with the Boston Red Sox. The Rays honored Boggs as their first player to have his jersey number retired on April 7, 2000. #12 is It is the only number to have been issued only once by the Rays. Boggs ended his career in Tampa and hit the first home run in the franchise's history - 25 years ago today, on opening day vs. the Tigers.
#42 Jackie Robinson
Elsa/Getty ImagesAll MLB players wear #42 on the annual Jackie Robinson Day of each season. Every MLB team has the number retired in Robinson's honor.
#66 Dom Zimmer
Elsa/Getty ImagesZim's #66 was retired on April 6, 2015. He also finished his career with the Tampa Bay Rays serving as a Senior Advisor from 2004-2014. Each season with the Ray, Zimmer increased his jersey number by one to reflect how many years he had been in Major League Baseball. During his final season, he wore #66, in tribute of 66 years! Third base coach Tom Foley wore #66 with Zimmer's name on the back the year after his retirement.
