The podcast about uniform numbers breaks down the greatest athletes ever to wear uniform number 10. Baseball great Ron Cey joins Tom and Rudy to talk about how he got #10 with the Dodgers, what it was like to wear #11 in stops in Chicago and Oakland, the nickname, \u201cThe Penguin\u201d and how it feels to have another Dodger third baseman wearing the number he made famous. We also have our Contenders, Heat Check, Screen Stars, the Hall of Shame, a non-soccer Hall of Fame and more!
Today\u2019s Guest
Ron Cey played third base for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1971 to 1987. He was a key member of the powerhouse Dodger teams of the 1970s that won four National League pennants and won the 1981 World Series in which Cey was named MVP.\xa0 He was a six-time All-Star and is still the highest-rated Dodger infielder of all-time by WAR. He finished his career playing for the Chicago Cubs and Oakland A\u2019s while wearing #11.
Show Notes
00:39 \u2013 \u201cA very special number indeed for me\u201d Rudy kicks things off with a heartwarming story of how a youngster growing up in Florida wore #10 in honor of Dodgers third baseman, Ron Cey and his super-cool nickname, \u201cThe Penguin\u201d.
2:45 \u2013 \u201cNumber 10 in soccer is . . . it\u2019s everything\u201d Rudy explains the special meaning the #10 uniform has for soccer players at all levels, from Pele and Messi to Carli Lloyd and Michelle Akers. He likens #10 in soccer to #23 in the NBA.\xa0
3:48 \u2013 \u201cHe\u2019s bald as a billiard ball in Britain. He comes over here to America to play in the MLS and he\u2019s got a full head of hair.\u201d Tom wonders exactly what the deal is with Wayne Rooney\u2019s hair.
5:13 \u2013 \u201cRon, thanks so much for being here . . .\u201d Ron Cey joins the podcast to talk about his time wearing the number 10!
14:14 \u2013 \u201cI love Chipper Jones.\u201d Rudy and Tom discuss the Contenders for the all-time list of top #10s. The conversation includes Lefty Grove,\xa0 Sir Francis Tarkenton (and whether or not he\u2019s the predecessor of Lamar Jackson),\xa0 Eli Manning (and whether or not he\u2019s a modern-day Henry Winkler),\xa0 Walt Frazier (of Southern Illinois University fame),\xa0 whether or not Dennis Rodman belongs on the list of Contenders, Bob Love, why BJ Armstrong still looks like a child and Guy LaFleur.\xa0 Sentimental picks include Ron Cey, Brad Van Pelt, Manute Bol (and his run-in with Tim Hardaway), Bol Bol, Pavel Bure, Candace Cameron Bure, Mookie Blaylock (and the story of the early days of Pearl Jam) and Nancy Lieberman.
27:22 \u2013 \u201cSo now it\u2019s time for Heat Check.\u201d Tom and Rudy discuss current players wearing #10 who may be Contenders for the all-time list down the road.\xa0
31:00 \u2013 \u201cYou can disagree with me, but you\u2019ll be wrong.\u201d Tom lays out the top 5 actors to wear the #10 in the first edition of Screen Stars.\xa0
33:29 \u2013 \u201cI\u2019m gonna combo platter Heat Check and Hall of Shame . . .\u201d The Hall of Shame, bad players or bad moments with players wearing #10 debuts. with discussions of Mitch Trubisky, Leon Durham, Art Schlichter, Rusty Staub having his number retired by the Expos after only 3 \xbd seasons in Montreal, RG III and Vince Young.
38:14 \u2013 \u201cWhich brings us to the Hall of Fame . . .\u201d Here\u2019s the list (minus soccer players):
1.\xa0 \xa0 \xa0Fran Tarkenton
2.\xa0 \xa0 \xa0Chipper Jones
3.\xa0 \xa0 \xa0Walt Frazier & Nancy Lieberman
4.\xa0 \xa0 \xa0Eli Manning
5.\xa0 \xa0 \xa0Guy LaFleur
Hit us up on our website and find us on Twitter, Instagram & Facebook. Hat tip to Friend of PUN Jorge Martin for hooking up the Ron Cey Interview. Check out his podcast HERE.