Why did David Dahl change his number with the Phillies?

Athletes in professional sports can sometimes get attached to wearing certain uniform numbers. Sometimes they have symbolic meanings that go beyond the sport itself, while others have been wearing the same number all their lives from high school all the way up to the bright lights of a Major League Baseball field.

Outfielder David Dahl recently made his debut for the Philadelphia Phillies after an injury to Brandon Marsh opened up a roster spot on June 3. Following Marsh’s return from the IL last week and the recent demotion of struggling youngster Johan Rojas to Triple-A, Dahl is being given his first extended MLB job since April 2023.

As a veteran of seven MLB seasons, the Phillies assigned Dahl the number 35, a common practice for established players. Rookies and long-time minor league journeymen are often assigned much higher numbers when they crack the 26-man roster, so Dahl’s number 35 was obviously a sign of respect given to him as a veteran ball player.

But Dahl announced that he is switching numbers, and there is an honorable reason why.

Why did David Dahl change his number with the Phillies?

Friday’s game promises to be a special one at Citizens Bank Park as former 2008 World Series Champion and Series MVP Cole Hamels will officially retire from the game of baseball as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies. The 40-year-old franchise icon will sign a one-day contract with the Phillies and officially call it a career in a pre-game ceremony on the field before tonight’s game.

To honor Hamels, who wore the number 35 during his time with the organization, Dahl will switch his number from 35 to 31 in tribute to the left-handed ace who won 114 games with the Phillies from 2006 to 2015.

But the respect between Dahl and Hamels doesn’t stop there, according to Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Dahl got to know Hamels personally while the two players spent time rehabbing from injuries as members of the San Diego Padres organization last season.

While tonight’s game will be shown exclusively on Apple TV+ at 6:40 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Philadelphia will broadcast Cole Hamels’ retirement ceremony live before game time. It should be an emotional night at Citizens Bank Park, as fans and former teammates honor one of the best pitchers in Phillies team history.