Philadelphia Phillies Jersey Numerology: Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay, and that #34 Stuck in Our Closets

Posted by Frank Klose

The two #34s: Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay

Like many other people, I purchased a Cliff Lee jersey back in July 2009 at the time of the trade that sent Lou Marson, Carlos Carrasco, Jason Knapp and Jason Donald to the Cleveland Indians.  I still have the jersey, hanging up in my closet collecting dust.  To wear it, of course, would be a violation.

Getting ready for work the other day, I stared at that jersey in my closet and thought of what could have been, should Lee have been assigned another number.   I remembered a piece by Jim Salisbury back in Spring Training of last year about #34, and how Roy Halladay quickly picked it up.   As it turns out, we can blame both Lee and Halladay.

Cliff Lee actually wore #34 in Cleveland – that is, until Kevin Millwood came to town in 2005 and wanted it, and Lee, who according to Salisbury does not care about his number, gave it to him and took jersey #31, which he wore for the rest of his Indians career.

At the time of the July 2009 trade, Rodrigo Lopez was donning #31 for the Phils.  Interestingly, Lopez’s usual uniform number is #13, but wore #31 because earlier in the offseason the Phillies signed Ozzie Chavez, who was assigned #13 already.  #13 was vacant, and Lopez probably would have taken his old familiar number without a problem.  Online dealers quick to sell Cliff Lee merchandise even had #31 Cliff Lee Phillies jerseys listed on Ebay

Like most of baseball, the Phillies’ equipment manager Frank Coppenbarger thought that the Phillies would land Roy Halladay at the July 2009 trade deadline.  The trade seemed so certain that Coppenbarger decided that Roy Halladay would wear #34, according to Salisbury’s piece, since his former #32 is retired in Philadelphia. 

Reportedly, Majestic was creating extra blank #34 jerseys in anticipation of a Halladay trade as well.  So when Ruben Amaro Jr. balked at the Blue Jays’ high asking price for Halladay and traded for Cliff Lee instead, there was a surplus of #34 jerseys around.  Lee told Coppenbarger did not care about his uniform number one way or another and was issued #34.

If only Lee had asked that he wear #31, we could have dusted off our Lee jerseys and worn them again as if he had never left. 

According to Salisbury’s piece, the Phillies would have switched Lee to #31 when Halladay was acquired anyway, ruining our Phillies wardrobe no matter what.  However, Lee was shipped to Seattle and it became a non-issue.

In a piece by Sam Donnellon, Halladay’s wife Brandy spoke of #34 when asked if it was awkward that her husband wore the number that the popular Lee did.  "No, no, no…That should have been ours in July. So technically he just kept it warm until we got here, right?"

Of course, you cannot possibly change the reigning Cy Young Award winner's jersey number. Plus, as radio host Mike Missanelli pointed out, it would be disrespectful to wear #34 Lee jerseys.

Lee wore #36 in Seattle with Felix Hernandez wearing #34, though #31 was available. In Texas, Lee was issued #33, as #31 belonged to pitching coach Mike Maddux, #34 retired for the great Nolan Ryan, and #36 currently worn by C.J. Wilson. 

So, the Phillies simply assigned him his most recent number, #33, and we are left purchasing all new items.  Hey, if the revenue made from my new jersey purchase helped to bring Lee back, it’s fine with me.