Athletes will agree that Jersey Numbers are not just numbers. They are legacies that players leave when they retire. This makes those inanimate numbers something more than what they are initially meant to be. And when it comes to baseball, jersey number 18 managed to be just that in Japan. It is often designated to the pitcher who is designated to be one of the top players of a team.
And New York Yankees are looking to use this to their advantage. Sources suggested that the Yankees have been eyeing the Japanese Ace, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, for a while now. As a result, the team has collectively decided to reserve the revered #18 in order to court Yamamoto.
Reverence Or Gimmick?
This is the newest kind of marketing gimmick on the Yankee’s part, as they have clearly reserved the #18 not merely as a gesture but as something more as well. As per sources, this is a strategic move by the Yankees that is banking on the cultural aspect of the #18 to attract Yamamoto’s attention.
In fact, if you follow the drafting of last season, you will see that the Yankees deliberately did not give jersey #18 to any player. The team has already agreed that it was scouting Yamamoto back in Japan. Therefore this deliberate vacancy suggests that the team is hell-bent on acquiring this wiz of a pitcher. Back in the 2022 season, when Andrew Benintendi wore the jersey, the #18 was purposefully left off. This shows the team’s dedication to acquiring Yamamoto.
The #18 started way back with Japanese ace Hiroki Kuroda. Kuroda was one of the best and finest players to ever grace the fields. The former Nippon Professional Baseball wore #18 when he joined the Yankees, and the rest is history.
Keep following our page for more sports-related content and stories.
READ MORE:
