Why numbers game is no big deal for Walker

This story was excerpted from John Denton’s Cardinals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

In Cardinals lore, numbers on the back of players’ jerseys are a big deal. They are celebrated reverently, and they are an omnipresent fixture -- listed both under the scoreboard and on the left-field wall -- for all to see at Busch Stadium.

No. 1 is, fittingly enough, for Ozzie Smith.

No. 2 was worn for 45 seasons by Red Schoendienst as a player, coach and manager, and no one else will ever wear it again.

No. 6, of course, belongs to “The Man,” and Stan Musial has a larger-than-life statue outside the stadium to prove it.

Other retired numbers, such as No. 10 (Tony La Russa), No. 20 (Lou Brock), No. 24 (Whitey Herzog), No. 42 (Bruce Sutter) and No. 45 (Bob Gibson), conjure memories of some of the greatest moments in the rich history of the franchise.

Soon enough, Nos. 4 (Yadier Molina), 5 (Albert Pujols) and 27 (new Hall of Famer Scott Rolen) will take their place among the greatest players to ever wear birds on a bat across their chests.

Budding Cardinals superstar Jordan Walker, who got to see all those retired numbers when he toured a frigid Busch Stadium back in January, isn’t so much worried about the number on his next Cardinals jersey as he is the name on the front of it.

Walker, MLB Pipeline’s No. 4-ranked prospect, is making an incredibly persuasive argument as to why he belongs in St. Louis -- and not at Triple-A Memphis -- by hitting .378 with four doubles, three home runs and nine RBIs in 14 Grapefruit League games before Sunday.

Walker has done all that while wearing No. 67 -- a number better suited for an offensive lineman than a potential superstar who will possibly be the Cardinals' Opening Day left fielder.

Granted, the 6-foot-5, 250-pound Walker has the build and broad shoulders of a lineman, but he must have a new, more fitting number if he’s promoted to the Cardinals, right?

The 20-year-old Walker -- whose makeup is a delightful cocktail of confidence, humility and overwhelming talent -- certainly isn’t about to demand a specific number. If he had his choice, it almost certainly would be No. 22, but that number isn’t available as it belongs to right-handed pitcher Jack Flaherty. A second option? Something with a “two” in it -- for a specific and incredibly cool reason.

“Through the years, I’ve had a lot of different numbers, but I don’t really have a favorite,” Walker told MLB.com. “I wore No. 22 last year [in Double-A] and I always use a lot of twos because of my birth date. I was born May 22, 2002 … in Room 202 … at 2:02 p.m.

“So [22] is kind of my number, but I’m not going to make a big deal over it,” he added. “I don’t really have a favorite number, but if I did it would be something with a two.”

Clearly, the numbers Walker is most focused on are the ones he can potentially put up this season for the Cardinals. He certainly didn’t bat an eye at being assigned No. 67 in Spring Training, wearing that number while leading the Grapefruit League in hits (17) and ranking second in batting average coming into Saturday.

He has even been signing autographs with the No. 67 under his name, but that number is serving as something of a time stamp for history, he said.

“When someone sees that [autographed] ball later, they can say, ‘Oh that’s when you were in Spring Training and wearing No. 67,’” Walker said with a laugh.

With Dylan Carlson wearing No. 3, Andrew Knizner in No. 7 and No. 9 retired for Enos Slaughter, the only single-digit number available for Walker is No. 8 -- a number that made his eyebrows perk up at the mere mention of it.

If he’s looking for something ending in a two, No. 12 (Jordan Hicks), No. 22 (Flaherty), No. 32 (Steven Matz), No. 42 (Jackie Robinson and Sutter), No. 52 (Matthew Liberatore), No. 72 (Anthony Misiewicz) and No. 92 (Genesis Cabrera) have already been claimed.

Sure, jersey numbers are revered in St. Louis, but Walker just isn’t that concerned with it for now.

“Honestly, I don’t care too much about it,” he said. “I’m totally flexible about it, for sure.”