So June is here, meaning 2015 is very much flying by. Soon July will arrive, and in the baseball world, that primarily means the All-Star break and the non-waiver trading deadline. But in addition to those important occasions, also of note is Hall of Fame weekend, taking place in Cooperstown, New York from July 24 through 27. This time around, hurlers Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, and John Smoltz, alongside 3000-hit club member Craig Biggio, will be on hand to see their plaques hung up in the Hall of Fame's Gallery. Truly there is no greater honor baseball has to offer. 

But that's not the only way players can be recognized for their greatness in the game. Another way? To have their number retired by one (or in some cases, more than one) Major League Baseball organization. This usually signifies that the contributions by the player were so grand, they're placed on a special pedestal by the organization. There are exceptions to this reasoning of course, but by and large the player's performance between the lines is the principal reason their number has been retired. Jim Looney's book Now Batting, Number...: The Mystique, Superstition, and Lore of Baseball's Uniform Numbers takes a look at not only at baseball's retired numbers, but also at the history of baseball uniform numbers in general (they weren't always in existence!). Here are just a couple of the oddities you'll find inside Looney's fun book!

Highest number to be retired: That number is actually 455. No no, it was not worn by a player. It's actually the number of sold out ballgames the Cleveland Indians had at Progressive Field from 1995-2001 (then known as "The Jake", Jacobs Field). The 455 is to honor "The Fans" with the two words accompanying the retired number. So in all technicalities, this number is the largest one to be "retired." Next to that? That would be the number 85, however that number doesn't belong to a player either. This retired number belongs to August "Gussie" Busch Jr., who was the longtime president and owner of the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cards retired #85, which was how old Busch was when he received the honor in 1984. The next highest number? Well, we finally get to an actual baseball player, #72 for the Chicago White Sox catcher, Carlton Fisk.

First number to be retired: The first baseball player to be honored via retired number was the "Iron Horse" Lou Gehrig. The Yankees were the first franchise to issue numbers to the backs of the their players' jerseys in 1929. Their rationale behind their starting lineup's number distribution was simple: assign them the number of the spot they hit in the batting order. Occupying the cleanup spot, Gehrig was assigned the number 4 for which he's become iconic for. After retiring early in 1939 due to his bout with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the Yankees honored the Iron Horse on July 4th by retiring the number 4 forever. It was also this day that Gehrig gave his famous "Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth" speech for the Yankee faithful. 

Players who have their numbers retired by two (or more) franchises: It's special enough when your number is retired by one franchise. Imagine how incredible it must be to feel so appreciated by two  franchises. Very few people have that distinction. Their names? Hank Aaron (Braves & Brewers), Sparky Anderson (as a manager for both the Reds and Tigers), Rod Carew (Angels & Twins), Rollie Fingers (Brewers & Athletics), Carlton Fisk (Red Sox & White Sox), Reggie Jackson (Athletics & Yankees), Greg Maddux (Braves & Cubs), Frank Robinson (Indians & Orioles) & Casey Stengel (as manager of the Mets and Yankees). Now while Jackie Robinson's #42 has been retired by all 30 clubs, only one other player has had his number retired by more than 2 teams. That man is Nolan Ryan, whose number has been retired by 3 teams (#30 in Anaheim, #34 in Texas and Houston).

Looking for more fun surrounding the history of baseball uniform numbers? Definitely be sure to check out Looney's book, Now Batting, Number...: The Mystique, Superstition, and Lore of Baseball's Uniform Numbers!