Paul Goldschmidt was officially introduced as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday, and the star first baseman is already winning fans over with his rationale for choosing a new jersey number.
After he wore No. 44 for many years with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Goldschmidt will be switching to No. 46 in St. Louis. As Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch notes, Goldschmidt chose that number simply because it was the closest one to 44 that was available. No. 45 is retired for former Cy Young winner Bob Gibson, and No. 44 is currently worn by pitcher Luke Gregerson, who threw 12.2 innings for the Cards last year and posted a 7.11 ERA.
Goldschmidt said he would never ask another player for a jersey number, which is uncommon for a veteran player in any professional sports league. He also noted that he only wore No. 44 with the Diamondbacks because it was hanging in his locker when he got there.
Goldschmidt has serious power and has belted 33 or more home runs in three of his last four seasons, but that isn’t the only thing that made him a fan favorite in Arizona. His lack of concern over what jersey number he’ll wear with his new team in an era where some guys pay massive amounts of money to keep theirs is a great example of how humble he is.
