NPB has 24 retired numbers as of 2024. Yet many players with worthy achievements never had their numbers retired. This article analyzes differences in team policies, the practice of 'quasi-retired numbers,' and political maneuvering around jersey numbers.
NPB uniforms evolved from wool to high-tech materials, from simple designs to sponsor-branded commercial designs, with special uniforms becoming a major business strategy.
The brimmed cap worn by baseball players has become the world's most ubiquitous hat shape. But why did baseball adopt this specific design? Sun protection, team identity, and fashion converge in the baseball cap's origin story.
Soccer managers wear suits. NBA coaches wear suits. NFL coaches wear team gear. But baseball managers wear the same uniform as their 20-year-old players. A 60-year-old in the same outfit as a 20-year-old is, objectively, strange. Why does only baseball do this?