By The Numbers: 13

In a new type of post, I want to take a uniform number and follow it through Pirate history to see the men who wore the number and what they did with it. I figure that there is no better number to start with than Unlucky Number 13.

In 1942, Luke "Hot Potato" Hamlin was the first to wear #13. A right handed pitcher, Hamlin would go 4-4 in that 1942 season. It would not be until 1947 until another man dared to wear #13, and that was Kirby Higbe, another right handed pitcher, acquired in a trade with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Higbe would go 19-26 in parts of 3 seasons with the club, until he was dealt to the New York Giants in 1949.

Bill Pierro, a Bucco farmhand would, wear 13 in 1950. He would appear in 12 games, compiling a 0-2 record in his only professional season in the majors. Also in the 1950 season, Merv Rickert would wear #13, as he appeared in 17 games, collecting 3 hits as a Pirate.

In early 1953, the Bucs would select Eddie Pellagrini off waivers and he would be next in line to wear 13. Pellagrini, an infielder, would be a Pirate through the 1954 season, his last pro season. In those two years, he would bat .237 coming off the bench.

In 1955 the next player to wear 13 is a man that no one would ever, and I mean never, associate with wearing that number. To most fans when they hear his name they think, 21, not 13, but as a rookie, Roberto Clemente wore that number. He would bat .255 that season, but would play much better once he got the number 21 on his back.

Twenty two years go by before anyone else wears the number 13. It is 1977 and Fernando Gonzalez, a utility player, would wear the number. He would collect 54 hits in this stint as a Bucco, with 50 of them coming in 1977. In the winter of 1984, the Bucs sent Dale Berra, Alfonso Pulido, and Jay Buhner to the Yankees to get Tim Foli and the next wearer of 13, Steve Kemp. Kemp would only wear it in '85, as he would hit .250.

In 1986 Trench Davis would wear the number for part of the season, as he batted .130 in 15 games, and Rich Renteria would wear it as well, as he hit .250 in 10 games.

Number 13 would become synonymous with the second base position as Jose Lind would wear the number from 1987 through 1992, the pennant winning years. Lind would win a Gold Glove in 1992. After Chico left town, Carlos Garcia, his replacement, took up the number. Garcia would be the first to wear the number in the All-Star game, as he did in the 1994 mid summer classic.

In 1997 forever center fielder of future, Adrian Brown would wear the number, as he batted .261 over 6 seasons with the Bucs and in number 13. In 2003 the number would get a break from wear by a player, as John Russell, then the thrid base coach, wore the number until 2005. In 2007, for a brief period, Cesar Izturis would wear the number, though he would switch to number 3, which was worn by Nate McLouth, the next holder of 13.

McLouth would wear 13 in his break out season, that saw him go to the All-Star game in 2008 and win the Gold Glove. After McLouth was dealt to Atlanta in 2009, the number was claimed again, by it current wearer, shortstop Ronny Cedeno.