Sox By The Numbers

Allan over at The Joy of Sox listed the numbers that the new Red Sox will be wearing this year in a recent post, so here they are:

16 - Marco Scutaro
22 - Bill Hall
23 - Mike Cameron
29- Adrian Beltre
30- Boof Bonser
32- Jeremy Hermida
40- John Lackey
46- Joe Nelson
55- Brian Shouse
70- Tug Hulett

Jacoby Ellsbury is changing his number from 46 to 2, Clay Buchholz is moving from 61 to 11, and coach Dave Magadan is going from 29 to 28 (to accomodate Beltre). New first base coach Ron Johnson will be wearing 50.

Once again it's interesting that no one on the Sox will be wearing number 21. For the longest time I believed they just weren't giving the number out in the hope they could bring Roger Clemens back (and thank God that didn't happen). But I read an interview that Jonathan Papelbon gave last year and mentioned that the Red Sox had offered him number 21, but he turned it down.

I think the players that have been offered his number have turned it down more out of respect for Clemens as opposed to any other reason. (Josh Beckett wore 21 in Florida because of Clemens, and I bet he turned down the chance to wear it in Boston.) I'd still love to see some young rookie wearing that number one day. We sure won't ever see it up on the retired numbers in right field any time soon.