Mystery Disease Kills Thousands
Gay Marriage Vote Puts Heat On Christie
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Kyle Drabek may forever be known as the pitcher the Blue Jays got in the Roy Halladay trade.And while he's not considered likely to break camp with the big-league team, if he gets to Toronto soon, he could have another claim to fame.
The Jays have issued Drabek uniform No. 4.
As far as I can figure -- including a look at the 2007 book "Now Batting, Number...: The Mystique, Superstition, and Lore of Baseball's Uniform Numbers," by Jack Looney -- no pitcher has worn Lou Gehrig's number since Mike Fornieles of the 1952 Senators.
"I got a text before spring training started," Drabek said Monday, " [asking] if it was all right if I had No. 4. I was like, 'Yeah,. absolutely.'"
The text message came from the team's communications department, who saw in photos that Drabek had worn No. 4 for the Double-A Reading (Pa.) Phillies last year.
"I didn't care," Drabek said.
The most recent single-digit major-league pitcher was another Jay, Josh Towers, who wore No. 7. The last pitcher in the majors with a number as low as No. 4 was David Wells, who wore No. 3 for part of the 2005 season with the Red Sox.
Drabek, 22, is the son of former Cy Young Award winner Doug Drabek and was Philadelphia's first-round draft pick in 2006."No pressure," he said of coming over in exchange for Toronto's biggest start. "It's still the same sport I've been playing my whole life.
"I talked to my dad a bunch and he said, 'It (changing teams) is going to happen. It's a sport but it's also a business. You've just got to kind of run with it and do what you know how to do.' "
How Long Will Santorum's Surge Last?
Washington Gay Marriage Legislation Signed Into Law By Governor Chris Gregoire
House GOP Offers Deal In Big Fight
Officials Confirm: Prescription Drugs Found In Whitney Houston's Room
Obama Budget Signals Shift From Austerity Measures To Campaign Promises
U.S. Green-Lights Google's Massive $12.5 Billion Purchase
Syrian Rebels Fight Off Attack On Key Town
Downgraded: Moody's Cuts Credit Ratings Of Italy, Portugal And Spain
WATCH: Fox News Pundit's Disturbing Comments About Rape
Pressure Mounts On Mortgage Giants To Pursue Principal Reductions
When Will The New iPad Be Announced?
Wall Street Fears Volcker Rule Will Force Testosterone Monitoring
Topless Protesters Target 'Gas Gangsters'
Afghanistan Base Named 'Aryan' Raises Objections From Soldiers
WATCH: CPAC's 'Best In Show'
WATCH: 25 Million Tons Of Japan Tsunami Debris Headed Directly Our Way
Obama's Birth Control Rule Will Hurt Homeless Veterans, Warns GOP Congressman
WATCH: Bill Maher Rips GOP Concept Of 'Elites'
GOP Candidates Out Of Step With Catholic Church On Unemployment
WATCH: Anderson Cooper's Hilarious Adventures With Adele
Supreme Court Justice Robbed
It's Only Getting Worse: Economists' Latest Dire Prediction
Huff TV: WATCH: Arianna Weighs In On Tony Bennett's Call To Legalize Drugs
