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Texas Rangers retiring Pudge Rodriguez's uniform number?

Delino DeShields is changing his number from #7 to #3, which could be setting up the Rangers retiring #7 in honor of Pudge Rodriguez

By Adam J. Morris
Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

Texas Rangers retiring Pudge Rodriguez's uniform number?  Delino DeShields says he is switching from uniform #7 to #3 this season, and says in his Instagram post that "if you really knew Texas baseball you would know why" he's making the change.

Gerry Fraley writes that the Rangers are now "set up" to retire Pudge's #7 this summer, in advance of Pudge appearing on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time in 2016.  While Pudge's on-field performance would seem to make him a no-doubt first ballot Hall of Famer, we've seen other players have their enshrinement delayed because of suspicion of steroid use, and so I don't know that it is a given that he'll make it in his first year of eligibility.

But still, Pudge will get in, and will be the first player who spent the majority of his career with the Rangers to be enshrined in Cooperstown.  And I suspect the Rangers will have retired #7 by the time the call comes.