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.
야구 선수들이 쓰는 챙 달린 모자는 세계에서 가장 보편적인 모자 형태가 되었다. 그런데 야구는 왜 이 특정 디자인을 채택했을까? 자외선 차단, 팀 정체성, 그리고 패션이 야구 모자의 기원 이야기 속에서 하나로 만난다.
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?