Logan Morrison wants to honor his dad with a uniform number change. The problem is, the Marlins retired that number almost two decades ago.
Logan Morrison, Retired Numbers, And A Marlins Embarrassment
Here’s what we know: the Florida Marlins retired the number 5 in honor of Carl Barger, the team’s first president until he died in 1992. Barger didn’t wear a number himself, obviously, but he was a big fan of Joe DiMaggio. Joe DiMaggio wore number 5.
This wouldn’t really matter had the Marlins first gotten permission from Barger’s family. With permission, it would be a little unusual, but otherwise fine. They didn’t get permission. Here’s the embarrassing part. Joe Capozzi:
Read Article >Hey, Logan Morrison: Retired Numbers Should Stay Retired
Logan Morrison of the Florida Marlins celebrates his two-run home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) Getty ImagesThis would be a great story, except for one thing. The Marlins retired No. 5 at the franchise’s very first game to honor team president Carl Barger. And Barger’s family isn’t happy:
The Florida Marlins retired the No. 5 before the franchise’s first game on April 5, 1993, to honor Barger, who had died of a ruptured aorta at baseball’s winter meetings four months earlier. Barger was a huge fan of Joe DiMaggio, who wore that number.
“No other Florida Marlin will ever wear No. 5,’ then-owner Wayne Huizenga said during a ceremony before that first game.
But now that the team has renamed itself the Miami Marlins as it prepares to move into a new ballpark, the organization decided it was time to grant Morrison’s request to honor his dad.
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