Pirates Number Change Signals Potential Jersey Retirement
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have had many legendary players don the black and gold and represent the team as some of the best athletes the sports has ever seen.
The Pirates, despite recent years of struggle, have won nine National League Pennants and five World Series as a franchise, with great periods of success in the beginning of the 20th century and two Championships in the 1970s.
Pittsburgh last won a World Series in 1979 and Dave Parker was a big part of that and the team's success over his decade with the ball club.
A recent roster change gives way to Parker to finally get that chance to eventually have the franchise retire that number.
Nick Gonzales Changes Jersey Number
The Pirates transactions log showed that infielder Nick Gonzales changed his number from No. 39 to No. 3 on Dec. 17.
He takes over the No. 3 jersey from Ji Hwan Bae, who is now on the New York Mets and wore the number the past three seasons.
Parker wore the No. 39 jersey during his 11 seasons with Pittsburgh and Gonzales giving up the number makes it available for the Pirates to move forward with his jersey retirement.
The Pirates honored Parker following his death on June 28 after a long battle with Parkinson's disease this year, putting a "Cobra" patch on the jersey for the remainder of the 2025 campaign, his nickname during his playing days.
Gonzales noted following Parker's death that he felt honored wearing the number and that he thought the Pirates should retire the number.
“Personally, I think it should be retired," Gonzales said. "I think I should get a new number, honestly. So, I think that might happen at some point when some numbers open up and I think that number should be retired, for sure. He’s in the Hall of Fame and God bless his family and all of that."
Nicky G on wearing Dave Parker's #39 ⬇️
— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) June 29, 2025
"I think it should be retired and I should get a new number, honestly... it's an honor just to wear it on my back." pic.twitter.com/gZlOfbKXPh
Pirates' History of Jersey Retirement
The Pirates have nine retired jersey numbers, honoring the greatest players over their illustrious history.
Jersey Number | Player/Manager | Years Played/Managed |
|---|---|---|
No. 1 | Billy Meyer | (1948-52) |
No. 4 | Ralph Kiner | (1946-53) |
No. 8 | Willie Stargell | (1962-82) |
No. 9 | Bill Mazeroski | (1956-72) |
No. 11 | Paul Waner | (1926-40) |
No. 20 | Pie Traynor | (1920-39) |
No. 21 | Roberto Clemente | (1955-72) |
No. 33 | Honus Wagner | (1900-17) |
No. 40 | Danny Murtaugh | (1948-51), (1957-64, 1967, 1970-71, 1973-76) |
There is also the No. 42 of Jackie Robinson, which is retired MLB-wide, which would make this the 11th retired number for the Pirates, if they choose to do so for Parker.
All of the nine players that have had their jerseys retired as a member of the Pirates are in the Hall of Fame.
Dave Parker's Legacy with the Pirates
Parker played in 1,301 games for the Pirates, with 1,479 hits, 296 doubles, 62 triples, 166 home runs, 758 RBI, 123 stolen bases and 346 walks. He ranks sixth in franchise history in home runs, eighth in both doubles and 524 extra-base hits and ninth in slugging percentage, .494.
His best season came in 1978, where he hit .334/.394/.585, with 194 hits in 581 at-bats, 32 doubles, 12 triples, 30 home runs, 117 RBI, 20 stolen bases and 57 walks. He won the National League batting title, a Gold Glove Award and NL MVP.
Parker also won the NL Batting Title in 1977, at .338, his career-high batting average, the Gold Glove Award in 1977 and 1979, plus earned an NL All-Star four times in 1977 and 1979-81, with the Pirates.
"The Cobra" excelled in the 1979 World Series, which the Pirates won in seven games for their fifth and last championship in franchise history, as he hit .341 and drove in six RBI.
He served as a posthumous inductee into the Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in the Class of 2025, wearing the Pirates cap on his plaque.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.