Texas Rangers infielder Jake Burger is set to have his No. 21 retired by the Hub City Spartanburgers, the High-A affiliate of the Rangers.
The Spartanburgers are making Burger's No. 21 the first number retired in franchise history despite the fact that Burger never played for the team, which just began play this year.
The decision is a bit of a fun one in that Hub City is a Rangers affiliate and Burger has the perfect name for the franchise. However, there's a deeper meaning behind the honor, which will highlight and bring awareness to the Burger Family Foundation, as well as Burger's daughter Penelope. She was born with Down Syndrome and the No. 21 is very important in the Down Syndrome community.
According to the CDC, here is why No. 21 is significant:
Down syndrome is a condition in which a person has an extra copy of chromosome 21. Chromosomes are small "packages" of genes in the body's cells, which determine how the body forms and functions.
You can see Burger's emotional reaction to the news below:
This is a reminder that Baseball is for Everyone ⚾️
— Hub City Spartanburgers (@Spartanburgers_) May 21, 2025
Join us on Tuesday, July 29th for Baseball is for Everyone Night presented by the Carolina Miracle League. On this night, we will be retiring current @Rangers infielder Jake Burger’s No. 21 jersey, who adopted the number in… pic.twitter.com/lduh4f5gOx
Now 29, Burger is a five-year veteran of the Chicago White Sox, Miami Marlins and Rangers. Texas acquired him in a trade this season from Miami.
He's struggled thus far, hitting just .227 with six homers and 18 RBIs. He even did a stint in Triple-A to help address those struggles. He hit a career-high 34 homers in 2023.
However Burger performs on the field, we can all agree that his impact off it will be felt for years to come.
More must-reads:
With the trade for Ryan McMahon now complete, it would seem New York Yankees’ general manager Brian Cashman has fulfilled one of his three priorities. He can now cross third base off the list, which leaves the rotation and bullpen as his remaining priorities. However, according to one Yankees writer, Cashman might not be done with the infield. Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reported this after the McMahon trade: “The Yankees may not be done adding to their infield. A team source said the Yankees are interested in adding a right-handed hitter who could play the infield.” Kirschner adds that the Yankees have had interest in Willi Castro and Amed Rosario. But the question now is, how would another player fit into the Yankees’ infield? Needless to say, Paul Goldschmidt and Jazz Chisholm Jr. aren’t going anywhere, and McMahon is just getting there. That leaves the low-hanging fruit. Anthony Volpe has been at the center of controversy all this season. His 13 errors, many of which had come at make-or-break moments, amount to the second-highest total in the game. In addition, his bat has not been able to compensate, hitting .217/.288/.408 with 14 home runs. There was always a lot to like about Volpe. He won a Gold Glove in his rookie year, his power has always been promising and his speed is nothing to scoff at. Unfortunately, his glove has become a liability, and his speed has also produced very few results. Volpe has swiped just 10 bags in 17 attempts. His power is the one thing that still has some upside, but it hasn’t been enough to justify a spot in the lineup. Both Castro and Rosario have been far more productive at the plate this season than Volpe. Kirschner doesn’t clarify how serious the Yankees are in their pursuit of another infielder, but that most likely isn’t available information. Having just turned 24, Volpe could still become the type of player that was expected from him as a top prospect. However, his recent performance has weighed heavily on his team’s efforts, and it may be buying him a ticket out of the Bronx — or at least a spot on the bench.
The New York Rangers are adding to their forward depth ahead of their upcoming training camp. The Rangers are entering a new chapter of their organization under new head coach Mike Sullivan. After missing the postseason last year, the organization is trying to rebound and respond accordingly in 2025 and 2026. Former Stanley Cup champion forward Conor Sheary is the latest player to join the new-look Rangers. The veteran forward agreed to a professional tryout agreement (PTO) with the club and will look to earn an NHL deal with his performance in training camp and the preseason. Sheary is a veteran of 593 NHL games. Originally an undrafted free agent, he signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins after completing his collegiate career. Following a year with the Penguins' AHL affiliate, he forced his way onto the NHL squad after posting 36 points in his first 30 games of the 2015-2016 season at the AHL level. His debut NHL season went better than ever expected, and he was a key part of the Penguins' lineup that won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017. Sheary's coach at the time, both at the AHL and NHL levels, was Mike Sullivan. Now, he'll get the chance to reunite with the coach under whom he won two championships. In addition to playing for the Penguins, Sheary has played for three other NHL franchises. The Pens dealt him to the Buffalo Sabres before the 2018-2019 campaign, but he would return to Pittsburgh the following season at the trade deadline. After his second stint with the Penguins, he joined the Washington Capitals. He played three seasons in Washington, D.C. before landing with the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he spent the past two years. Over his 593 career games, he's compiled 124 goals and 143 assists for 267 points. His best NHL season came during the 2016-2017 campaign, his second in the league. He scored 23 goals and added 30 assists for 53 points in 61 regular-season games.
There are a lot of things that have to be sorted out during the Pittsburgh Steelers' 2025 training camp. Part of that includes the WR room and what exactly the team has via rookie quarterback Will Howard. Through the first weekend, we have some surprising developments on both fronts... Roman Wilson is taking lots of outside reps When the Steelers are in 11 personnel (one back and one tight end on the field) their three WRs have been relatively predictable: DK Metcalf, Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson. And on the first day, that was the order with Metcalf and Austin on the outside and Wilson in the slot. But the Steelers spent a good portion of the weekend playing Wilson outside and moving Austin inside. To this point, Robert Woods hasn't been much of a factor at all, and while Wilson is playing a lot outside, Calvin Austin III has been the one making plays from wherever he aligns. Now we obviously can't draw any firm conclusions from four days of unpadded practice, but it's clear that the Steelers are giving Roman Wilson every opportunity to prove he's the team's #2 WR, even if Calvin Austin III is the one who holds the title. Will Howard already making waves? After starting practice in Latrobe as the third team quarterback, Howard worked his way into first team reps with the Steelers in 7v7 on Sunday. He received one of the biggest pops from the crowd of anyone on Saturday, and what few reps he's been afforded, he has run with them. I fully expected Will Howard to surpass Skylar Thompson on the depth chart by the end of camp, but to see him making such a big jump after just days of practice is very encouraging for the rookie. Preseason will be huge for Howard.
Philadelphia Eagles fans can't help but feel some kind of happiness in seeing the Dallas Cowboys continuously putting themselves in laughable situations. The Cowboys gave tight end Jake Ferguson a four-year, $52 million contract extension that will keep him on the roster through the 2029 season. $30 million of the contract is guaranteed to the former 2022 fourth-round pick. Dallas' deal with Ferguson makes sense since he was entering the final year of his rookie contract and was scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent in 2026. Why should Eagles fans be happy about the deal? In typical Jerry Jones fashion, he overpaid for a player that doesn't compared to who Philly has. Dallas Goedert is unmistakable better than Ferguson in so many ways Eagles general manager Howie Roseman did it again. Roseman has a player on his roster better than the Cowboys, with Dallas making a mistake with him. First with the stats, Goedert has played fewer games than Ferguson from 2022 through 2024, but has him beaten in almost every category except for one: average contract value. The big difference between Goedert and Ferguson is durability. Ferguson has been more reliable in staying on the field than Goedert has. Goedert's 15 games missed over the last three years are a big reason why the Eagles restructured his contract in 2025 to be $10 million instead of his original $14.25 million he was scheduled to make this year. Dallas showed their desperation to keep an average tight end that they had spent a ton of money on, instead of getting a deal done with their best player, Micah Parsons. Jones will continue to make side comments about Parsons, while the Eagles fans will laugh at them for continuously making the same mistake time and time again. Roseman continues to just outsmart the NFL as he's got the better tight end for $3 million less. Never change Dallas. Never change.
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!