As Major League Baseball honors Ken Griffey Jr. by inducting him into the Hall of Fame, ThePostGame takes a look at the best of the best to ever wear No. 24. Athletes on this list have been immortalized in halls of fame found in Cooperstown, Canton, Springfield and Toronto.
Ken Griffey Jr.
No. 24: Seattle Mariners 1989-1999, 2009-2010
Griffey was unstoppable wearing No. 24. In 11 seasons with the Mariners, he made 10 consecutive All-Star Games, earned 10 straight Gold Gloves, secured seven Silver Sluggers, won one MVP Award and hit back-to-back homers with his father.
The next nine seasons with the Reds and White Sox (not wearing No. 24) were injury-plagued and prevented Jr. from becoming the best player of all-time. He returned to Seattle and No. 24 for the final two years of his career. A 2016 Hall of Fame inductee, Jr. received a record 99.3 percent affirmative votes.
Willie Mays
No. 24: New York/San Francisco Giants 1951-1972, New York Mets 1972-1973
"The Say Hey Kid" had 660 home runs, led the N.L. in WAR leader nine times, won 12 Gold Gloves and had a career batting average of .302 in 22 seasons. Also, there was the catch.
Kobe Bryant
No. 24: Los Angeles Lakers 2007-2016
Although Bryant first made a name for himself wearing No. 8, he certainly earned his spot as one of the greatest to ever put No. 24 on his back. The Black Mamba said goodbye this year after five NBA titles, two Finals MVPs, 18 All-Star appearances and four All-Star Game MVPs. A guaranteed first-ballot Hall of Famer, Bryant is the all-time leading scorer for the Lakers with 33,643 total points.
Ricky Henderson
No. 24: New York Yankees 1985-1989, Oakland Athletics 1989-1993, Toronto Blue Jays 1993, Oakland Athletics 1994-1995, San Diego Padres, 1996-1997, Anaheim Angels 1997, Oakland Athletics 1998, New York Mets 1999-2000
The "Man of Steal" is known for swiping 1,406 bags in his career, 130 of which came in one season (both MLB records). Henderson also hit 297 home runs, compiled over 1,000 RBIs, and won three Silver Sluggers. The 10-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion wore different numbers for a lot of teams, but he did his best work in No. 24.
Manny Ramirez
No. 24: Cleveland Indians 1993-2000, Boston Red Sox 2001-2008, Tampa Bay Rays 2011
Manny being Manny usually refers to these classic comedic moments. But Ramirez was arguably the game’s most dominant hitter for a decade, amassing a batting title, home run title, RBI title, two Hank Aaron Awards, seven Silver Sluggers, 10 All-Star appearances and two World Series rings from '99-'08.
Sam Jones
No. 24: Boston Celtics 1957-1969
In 12 professional seasons, Jones won 10 NBA titles, made five All-Star appearances, and averaged 17.7 PPG. Yes, the NBA only had 8 teams in the ‘60s. And yes, he had Bill Russell.
Bill Bradley
No. 24: New York Knicks 1968-1977
The storied New York Knicks have a long history, but only two championships. Bill Bradley's No. 24 hangs from the rafters of the "world's most famous arena" because he was an instrumental part of those two teams. Following Bradley’s ten-year career, which landed him in the Basketball Hall of Fame, he went on to serve in the U.S. Senate for 18 years and ran an unsuccessful campaign for President of the United States in 2000.
Rick Barry
No. 24: San Francisco Warriors 1965-1967, Oakland Oaks / Washington Capitals (ABA) 1968-1970, New York Nets (ABA) 1971-1972, Golden State Warriors 1973-1978
Known for his underhand granny-style free throws and his brash demeanor, Barry had an exceptional career in the NBA and ABA. Selected four picks after the aforementioned Bradley in the 1965 draft, Barry was a 12-time All-Star, nine-time All-League First Team player and a two-time champion. Barry and son Brent are one of four father-son duos to both have won an NBA title (sons Jon and Drew also played in the NBA, and Scooter played overseas).
Jeff Gordon
No. 24: Chevrolet for Hendricks Motorsports 1993-2015
Gordon drove the No. 24 car for 23 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series seasons. One of the best NASCAR drivers of all-time, Gordon won the cup series four times and is a three-time winner of the Daytona 500. Gordon ranks third in all-time cup series race wins, behind only "The King" Richard Petty and David Pearson.
Barry Bonds
No. 24: Pittsburgh Pirates 1986-1992
While wearing No. 25, Bonds dealt with controversy, cheating scandals, and perjury charges on his way to amassing several tainted records. While wearing No. 24, Bonds was a skinny, speedy outfielder in the Steel City well on his way to becoming a top-10 all-time player without (or no evidence of) any performance-enhancing drugs.
Before he went to the Bay Area, Bonds amassed two MVP Awards, two Golden Gloves, two Silver Sluggers, while producing an average 8.4 WAR, and stole 251 bases. He exploded off the charts with the Giants, but he deserves a spot on this list from his early days alone.
Willie Wood
No. 24: Green Bay Packers 1960-1971
Another guy you may not have heard of unless you’re from Titletown or a true football aficionado, Wood was a standout safety for Vince Lombardi. After not being drafted out of college, Wood sent a hand-written letter to Lombardi asking for a tryout. He went on to win five NFL Championships as well as the first two Super Bowls. He made the Pro Bowl eight times and was a five-time AP First-team All-Pro. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989.
Charles Woodson
No. 24: Oakland Raiders 1998-2005, 2013-2015
Woodson was a nine-time Pro Bowler and four-time First Team All- Pro selection. He was the NFC Defensive Player of the Year in 2009 and became a Super Bowl Champion two years later. However, Woodson's best years were with the Green Bay Packers, where he wore No. 21.
Champ Bailey
No. 24: Washington Redskins 1999-2003, Denver Broncos 2004-2013
Bailey made 12 Pro Bowls, recording 52 interceptions, seven forced fumbles, and 909 tackles in 15 seasons. In 2013, Bailey made his lone Super Bowl (XLVIII) when the Broncos were blown out by the Seahawks, 43-8.
Miguel Cabrera
No. 24: Florida Marlins 2004-2007, Detroit Tigers 2008-2016
"Miggy" has been one of the best (and most consistent) hitters in baseball since he broke into the league in 2003. He has 11 All-Star selections, two AL MVP Awards, six Silver Sluggers and in 2012, he became the first Triple Crown winner since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967. He has hit over .300 in ten of his last 11 seasons, and he hit at least 25 home runs in his first 11 full seasons in the big leagues. However, his one World Series ring was earned in his rookie year for the Marlins while wearing No. 20. He switched to No. 24 in the ensuing offseason.
Marshawn Lynch
No. 24: Seattle Seahawks 2010-2015
Lynch only wore No. 24 for five full seasons, but in that time, he was one of the league’s best backs. Double-digit touchdowns and over 1,200 yards in his first four seasons with the Seahawks helped him live up to the Beast Mode reputation he earned by doing this. Following his retirement this offseason, Lynch will be sorely missed by Seahawks fans, football fans and skittle lovers.
Dwight Evans
No. 24: Boston Red Sox 1973-1990, Baltimore Orioles 1991
"Dewey" spent 19 seasons with the Sox, picking up eight Gold Gloves in right field and two Silver Sluggers. He led the AL in home runs in 1981, and he hit 385 bombs in total. Evans was selected to the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2000 and served as their hitting coach in 2002.
Chris Chelios
No. 24: Montreal Canadians 1983-1990, Detroit Red Wings 1998-2009, Atlanta Thrashers 2009-2010
The hard-nosed defenseman played in 11 All-Star Games, won the James Norris Memorial Trophy (given to NHL’s best defenseman) three times and won three Stanley Cups. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2013.
Tino Martinez
No. 24: New York Yankees 1996-2001, Tampa Bay Devil Rays 2004, New York Yankees 2005
Tino Martinez is beloved in New York for winning four World Series titles in six seasons. Tino will always be remembered in the Bronx for this and this.
More Numbers:
-- Best Athletes To Wear No. 54
-- Best 21 Athletes To Wear No. 21
-- Best Athletes To Wear No. 3
Follow Jack Minton on Twitter @jackminton95.
