A number on a jersey can have varying levels of importance to professional athletes. Some couldn’t care less like former Philadelphia Phillie John Kruk, who once gave up his number to Mitch Williams for two cases of beer, and some care a great deal, like former Blue Jay A.J. Burnett who once set up a Pittsburgh Pirate’s teammate’s kid with a college fund so he could keep wearing the number 34.
As much as jersey numbers may or may not matter to players, they might be just as important to the fan base.