Was Lou Gehrig the first professional player to have his uniform number retired?
Lou Gehrig was the first MLB player whose uniform number was retired. He played for the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1939 and his number 4 was retired when he left the game in 1939. The first National League player whose number was retired was Mel Ott. In 1949, the player/manager’s number 4 was retired by the New York Giants.