Two candidates stand out from the rest in the race toward Boston Red Sox immortality.
MLB.com’s Ian Browne last week named Dwight Evans and Roger Clemens as the players whose jersey numbers the Red Sox most likely will retire next. Clemens won the Cy Young Award three times and was Boston’s ace for most of his 13-year tenure with the team in the 1980s and 1990s. Evans was a three-time All-Star and earned eight Gold Gloves during the 19 years he spent with the Red Sox in the 1970s and 1980s.
“From a statistical standpoint, Roger Clemens is the obvious choice to be the next Red Sox player to have his number retired,” Browne wrote. “But the Rocket’s alleged association with PEDs makes it a cloudy issue for the Red Sox. Dwight Evans was an exemplary player for Boston for 19 years, making his No. 24 a candidate to get retired, as well.”
Browne also includes Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia and former pitcher Luis Tiant among other potential candidates to be the 12th number Boston retires.
The numbers of Joe Cronin (4), Ted Williams (9), Bobby Doerr (1), Carl Yastrzemski (8), Carlton Fisk (27), Johnny Pesky (6), Jim Rice (14), Wade Boggs (26), Pedro Martinez (45), David Ortiz (34) and Jackie Robinson (42) hang at Fenway Park in honor of their invaluable contributions to the Red Sox and Major League Baseball.
