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Got Your Number: The Greatest Sports Legends and the Numbers They Own
ESPN personality ( Get Up and #Greeny ) and New York Times bestselling author Mike Greenberg partners with mega-producer Hembo to settle once and for all which legends flat-out own which numbers. In short essays certain to provoke debate between and amongst all generations, Greeny uses his lifetime of sports knowledge to spin yarns of the legends among the legends and tell you why some have claimed their spot in the top 100 of all time.
Sports and numbers go hand in hand.
Sports and loud, assertive debate? Even better.
Cheering on, agonizing over, and being in plain awe of your favorite players has left you with a deep and intricate memory of their greatness, not to mention well-honed arguments as to why your favorites are really the best. In arenas, in front of your TV, and in bars, you’ve debated friends and strangers alike. You’ve joyfully mocked your friends’ (sometimes laughable) favorites. You’ve spouted accomplishments, Yours won six titles, batted .350 in the clutch, or generated 82% of their team’s scoring.
But not all numbers are created equal. Some are accomplishments. Others are identity.
Looming large over any image you have of an the number on their jersey. Numbers often provide the most visceral parts of any sports legend’s identity. They are what people remember—worldwide. Jordan, Jeter, Brady—to fans, they are as much their number as they are anything else.
Sure, 1 through 100 might seem like a large range, but fierce competition across the ages has blessed only a lucky few to claim one of these as their own. For some, the victors may not be so obvious. That’s why Greeny’s here to help.
Ascend into discussion, fans of all stripes. Come away enlightened. Or maybe a little enraged. Either way, you are sure to be occasionally surprised—and endlessly entertained. Whatever your sport, welcome to the place where all the arguments are finally decided, once and for all.
Sports and numbers go hand in hand.
Sports and loud, assertive debate? Even better.
Cheering on, agonizing over, and being in plain awe of your favorite players has left you with a deep and intricate memory of their greatness, not to mention well-honed arguments as to why your favorites are really the best. In arenas, in front of your TV, and in bars, you’ve debated friends and strangers alike. You’ve joyfully mocked your friends’ (sometimes laughable) favorites. You’ve spouted accomplishments, Yours won six titles, batted .350 in the clutch, or generated 82% of their team’s scoring.
But not all numbers are created equal. Some are accomplishments. Others are identity.
Looming large over any image you have of an the number on their jersey. Numbers often provide the most visceral parts of any sports legend’s identity. They are what people remember—worldwide. Jordan, Jeter, Brady—to fans, they are as much their number as they are anything else.
Sure, 1 through 100 might seem like a large range, but fierce competition across the ages has blessed only a lucky few to claim one of these as their own. For some, the victors may not be so obvious. That’s why Greeny’s here to help.
Ascend into discussion, fans of all stripes. Come away enlightened. Or maybe a little enraged. Either way, you are sure to be occasionally surprised—and endlessly entertained. Whatever your sport, welcome to the place where all the arguments are finally decided, once and for all.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published April 4, 2023
105 people are currently reading
3622 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews
July 15, 2023
"[Since 1929 in the U.S.], uniform numbers have become an essential part of sports currency. Many fans will as frequently remember a player's uniform number as their first name. Coaches regularly refers to players by their number, as do teammates, opponents, and commentators. Worn correctly, the numbers themselves often become an essential piece of a player's identity." -- on page 7
It's a slice of American athletic history mixed with a healthy dose of opinion, sports fans! ESPN personality Greenberg offers up a roster of 100 notable competitors and/or their statistics (in a format recalling those occasional 'list' docu-series specials that were so prevalent in the early 21st century on cable networks like VH-1, Bravo, and the History Channel) in his latest Got Your Number. It was a quick, pleasant and lightweight read, with expected luminaries - such as Jackie Robinson's #42, Johnny Unitas' #19, Richard Petty's #43, and Wayne Gretzky's #99 - alongside some fresh or unique angles like #94 and #97 (denoting the calendar years that Nancy Kerrigan and Tiger Woods, respectively, first made an impact in their fields) or #88 (indicating legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden's winning streak of games from 1971 to 1974, a feat likely never to be broken).
It's a slice of American athletic history mixed with a healthy dose of opinion, sports fans! ESPN personality Greenberg offers up a roster of 100 notable competitors and/or their statistics (in a format recalling those occasional 'list' docu-series specials that were so prevalent in the early 21st century on cable networks like VH-1, Bravo, and the History Channel) in his latest Got Your Number. It was a quick, pleasant and lightweight read, with expected luminaries - such as Jackie Robinson's #42, Johnny Unitas' #19, Richard Petty's #43, and Wayne Gretzky's #99 - alongside some fresh or unique angles like #94 and #97 (denoting the calendar years that Nancy Kerrigan and Tiger Woods, respectively, first made an impact in their fields) or #88 (indicating legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden's winning streak of games from 1971 to 1974, a feat likely never to be broken).
July 17, 2023
As any sports fan knows, numbers are an integral part of sports, no matter what game. Whether it is the number on a player’s jersey, the statistics, the team or individual championships or just some part of the sport that involves a number, they are a source of debate among sports fans. That is case with this book by well-known ESPN personality Mike Greenburg and co-author Paul “Hembo” Hembekides as they bring a different perspective on numbers in sports.
Greenburg takes each number between 1 and 100 and assigns it to an athlete, team or other sports figure that will illustrate why the chosen figure is one of the very best in their sport. Most, but not all, of these that are given to athletes are for the number on the jersey they wore and for the most part, this reader agrees with the reason. It should be noted that in the introduction of the book, Greenburg states that the opinion he states about the number or sports figure is the correct one, but later does allow for debate. That follows suit with his on-air personality and frankly, sounds just like all fans who engage in this type of debate.
Without sending too many spoilers, here are examples of how an athlete, coach or other figure who doesn’t wear numbers are honored in this book. A legendary golfer, Jack Nicklaus, has the number of major tournaments he won as his number. One of the best college basketball coaches, man or woman, is honored by the number of winning seasons she had at Tennessee. That is Pat Summit, of course. Finally, the horse who is considered the greatest Triple Crown winner ever, Secretariat, is honored by the number of lengths by which he won the Belmont Stakes in 1973 – a record that will likely never be broken.
The book is broken down into snippets on each honoree of about two or three pages and in each of them, the authors explain why (sometimes with other numbers) they chose that athlete or team. Of course, there will be differences of opinion between the author and each reader (in my case, I agreed with most of them but I was very disappointed with a few, starting with #29) but that’s to be expected in any book that describes or lists the best of anything. One final note – this is not limited to Greenburg’s lifetime or those sports performers he has seen. There are several older honorees that make this book one that truly covers a long time frame and gives it even more credence to how good it is. If you are a sports fan, you want to pick up this book.
Greenburg takes each number between 1 and 100 and assigns it to an athlete, team or other sports figure that will illustrate why the chosen figure is one of the very best in their sport. Most, but not all, of these that are given to athletes are for the number on the jersey they wore and for the most part, this reader agrees with the reason. It should be noted that in the introduction of the book, Greenburg states that the opinion he states about the number or sports figure is the correct one, but later does allow for debate. That follows suit with his on-air personality and frankly, sounds just like all fans who engage in this type of debate.
Without sending too many spoilers, here are examples of how an athlete, coach or other figure who doesn’t wear numbers are honored in this book. A legendary golfer, Jack Nicklaus, has the number of major tournaments he won as his number. One of the best college basketball coaches, man or woman, is honored by the number of winning seasons she had at Tennessee. That is Pat Summit, of course. Finally, the horse who is considered the greatest Triple Crown winner ever, Secretariat, is honored by the number of lengths by which he won the Belmont Stakes in 1973 – a record that will likely never be broken.
The book is broken down into snippets on each honoree of about two or three pages and in each of them, the authors explain why (sometimes with other numbers) they chose that athlete or team. Of course, there will be differences of opinion between the author and each reader (in my case, I agreed with most of them but I was very disappointed with a few, starting with #29) but that’s to be expected in any book that describes or lists the best of anything. One final note – this is not limited to Greenburg’s lifetime or those sports performers he has seen. There are several older honorees that make this book one that truly covers a long time frame and gives it even more credence to how good it is. If you are a sports fan, you want to pick up this book.
August 5, 2023
Quick, easy chapters with interesting blurbs about different athletes and sporting events. Would have liked it more if it stayed true to jersey numbers instead of using years like 97 for tiger woods since he won the master’s for the first time that year.
June 7, 2023
I think he did a good job with the low numbers, but not impressed with most of the assigned numbers between 70 and 98. Most of them were the last two digits of years in which some major sports record was achieved.
Greenberg's introduction was enjoyable.
Greenberg's introduction was enjoyable.
August 4, 2023
The premise of the book is supposed to be about players and how we associate their jersey numbers with them, moreso than even their stats. Greeny does a good job with this premise for the first half of the book but abandons it too often, especially from 62-79.which was disappointing.
For example, I don't associate 68 with Bob Gibson's 1968 season or 70 with the 1970 fight between Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier. LeBron 84 because there when he was born?? When I think of 84, I think of Randy Moss. When I think of LeBron I think of 6 or 23.
76 and John Madden I thought was a terrible choice that just made me want to give up on the book. It was such a stretch and I am dubious that anyone associates that number with him. Certainly not to the level you associate 12 with Brady or 23 with Jordan.
Wish he would have written the book the introduction promised.
For example, I don't associate 68 with Bob Gibson's 1968 season or 70 with the 1970 fight between Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier. LeBron 84 because there when he was born?? When I think of 84, I think of Randy Moss. When I think of LeBron I think of 6 or 23.
76 and John Madden I thought was a terrible choice that just made me want to give up on the book. It was such a stretch and I am dubious that anyone associates that number with him. Certainly not to the level you associate 12 with Brady or 23 with Jordan.
Wish he would have written the book the introduction promised.
January 14, 2025
Greeny is THAT GUY! For a quick sports history lesson and fascinating one at that, this is the book. Number by number, you’ll learn about the most iconic moments in sports history.
August 18, 2023
A fun read with lots of cool stats. Sometimes I wish the stories were slightly more detailed with more information but overall I enjoyed it.
April 25, 2023
I listen to Mike Greenberg and Paul "Hembo" Hembekides and the others Greeny has on ESPN radio in the morning, so I was looking forward to this book and it does not disappoint. Readers may not agree on all of his choices, and I was arguing with him a few times, but this is a fun read and will lead to discussions with your sport friends. It also brings back fond memories of sports heroes and heroines for a sweet Sunday morning read.
August 4, 2023
I had high expectations for this book based on two interviews I heard. Instead this book fell way short.
I understand the author decides and makes this top 100 list. But he based the list on his favorite teams and teams and sports directly related to his job and profession. He comes across as condescending and choose to use words that he never uses in his day to day job at ESPN. It seemed like someone gave him a thesaurus. In addition, he made some terrible selections and left out some major athletes and or teams.
I understand the author decides and makes this top 100 list. But he based the list on his favorite teams and teams and sports directly related to his job and profession. He comes across as condescending and choose to use words that he never uses in his day to day job at ESPN. It seemed like someone gave him a thesaurus. In addition, he made some terrible selections and left out some major athletes and or teams.
May 8, 2025
He starts with the great question, “who owns each number in sports?” But as the book goes on we realize he crumpled up this question and threw it aside, instead asking, “let me think of the top 100 athletes in sports and try to shoehorn each of them a number.” He then tries to cram his 100 favorite athletes into a number 1 through 100. So now Jordan doesn’t own the #23 and Peyton Manning doesn’t own the number #18. Pure foolishness
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2024
The sheer amount of research that went into this book is astonishing. Wow. Good conversations from this book. And, ofc it’s well-written b:c … Mike Greenberg. Highly recommend!
June 6, 2024
The premise of this book is very simple: take a number in sports and then think about what player or team reminds you of that number. It's a simple concept but also one that would easily evoke debate. And I think that's what Greenberg was going for with this book, to get us talking and thinking about his selections for each number.
There is a slight inconsistency in its delivery though as he states in the prologue about the importance of jersey numbers to forming associations in sports stories but at certain points some numbers just don't have great players associated with them. So Greenberg defaults to a year or statistical number. This especially works well for when he highlights Olympians, golfers, and tennis players.
Overall this book is a very easy read, with each number only spanning a page or two as a quick reminder of the greatness that was witnessed with the sports figure in question. I learned a lot from these stories, especially those on sports that I don't follow as much or players that were before my time.
Read this book if you're a sports fan that's curious about history or want some debate material with your friends. This book achieves it's goal and I think it's a good one to pick up if you're as into sports as I am.
There is a slight inconsistency in its delivery though as he states in the prologue about the importance of jersey numbers to forming associations in sports stories but at certain points some numbers just don't have great players associated with them. So Greenberg defaults to a year or statistical number. This especially works well for when he highlights Olympians, golfers, and tennis players.
Overall this book is a very easy read, with each number only spanning a page or two as a quick reminder of the greatness that was witnessed with the sports figure in question. I learned a lot from these stories, especially those on sports that I don't follow as much or players that were before my time.
Read this book if you're a sports fan that's curious about history or want some debate material with your friends. This book achieves it's goal and I think it's a good one to pick up if you're as into sports as I am.
May 2, 2025
Very interesting read! Greeny is one of my favorite sport personalities to listen to as he’s been around for most of my adult life. I started listening to him every morning along with Mike Golic on my rides into work. His endless dramatic takes were very prevalent on the pages of this one. A few seemed to be hyperbolic (is that a real word?) lol but overall I really enjoyed getting a refresher on sports history and even learned a lot of new things from this one. I look forward to reading more of his books. Would recommend for any sports fan that loves the history of the sports world’s most dynamic players and teams.
February 14, 2024
If you are a sports fan - you will love this book. It tries to associate numbers 1-100 with the best sports legend for each number. Sometimes it is a jersey number but sometimes it is a number associated with a record (especially for sports like golf where the player's don't where numbers). I don't agree with all his picks, but I think overall he did a great job. It was a very interesting read for me
April 14, 2023
Easy, informative, and fun read
If you love sports, you will like (or love) this book. It is as simple as that. Now, you will disagree with parts or plenty of it, but that is kind of the point.
There are no brainers: 3, 23, 99.
There are toss ups: 4, 7, 8, 43.
But, every entry is well conceived with a balance of objectivity and subjectivity.
I highly recommend it for any fan of sports, or more specifically, sports history.
If you love sports, you will like (or love) this book. It is as simple as that. Now, you will disagree with parts or plenty of it, but that is kind of the point.
There are no brainers: 3, 23, 99.
There are toss ups: 4, 7, 8, 43.
But, every entry is well conceived with a balance of objectivity and subjectivity.
I highly recommend it for any fan of sports, or more specifically, sports history.
February 23, 2024
A sports nerd's dream book. I soaked it up like a sponge.
January 19, 2026
A quick, easy trip down memory lane to reminisce on some of the greatest players and moments across the history of sports. A couple quibbles with some selections, but that’s part of the fun.
April 7, 2023
Reviewer's preface: I am a decades-long fan of the authors.
The wonderful thing about books which are collections of essays is that one jets thru them in nothing flat. The horrible thing about books which are collections of essays is that one jets thru them in nothing flat; the opportunity to savor a passage, linger on a paragraph, and marvel over a phrase don't present themselves typically. That is my only quarrel with this book as it is otherwise a delightful read (for sports history nerds) and accomplishes its goal of starting debates, arguments, and food fights over the trivial. My father is going to explode when he sees that Tim Tebow has been awarded #15 and not Patrick Mahomes...as did I.
The wonderful thing about books which are collections of essays is that one jets thru them in nothing flat. The horrible thing about books which are collections of essays is that one jets thru them in nothing flat; the opportunity to savor a passage, linger on a paragraph, and marvel over a phrase don't present themselves typically. That is my only quarrel with this book as it is otherwise a delightful read (for sports history nerds) and accomplishes its goal of starting debates, arguments, and food fights over the trivial. My father is going to explode when he sees that Tim Tebow has been awarded #15 and not Patrick Mahomes...as did I.
July 18, 2023
The perfect gift for the sports fan in your life! I really, really enjoyed this book. I'd argue #15 needs to be updated to Nikola Jokic, and it would have been nice to see a few more women represented in the top 100. But Greenberg readily admitted we could argue with him all day long and he'd still be right. Oh, Mike.
July 16, 2023
Brilliant writing. Hats off to a task that isn't have been "repetitive " (greatest of all...Yada Yada), but it never sounded like it was rote or monotonous...and I'm not even that big of a sports fan. Loved the quotes, tidbits and stories, like Lasorda wishing Seaver a good dental career. A fun read (aka listen)...a good in-between type read when your other book subjects ate weighty.
June 4, 2023
I really enjoy books with lists and short chapters like this. It’s more entertaining and enjoyable versus the long form look at an athlete. I don’t need a 30 for 30 in my book. I need a blurb. Greenberg makes it an enjoyable read with some surprising picks. A novel concept.
October 26, 2023
Name a number. What sports legend do you associate with that number?
That's the game that sportscaster Mike Greenberg, aka "Greeny," plays in this book.
My husband and I eagerly listened to this audiobook during last weekend's trip to and from Dallas. Riveting. Delightful.
That's the game that sportscaster Mike Greenberg, aka "Greeny," plays in this book.
My husband and I eagerly listened to this audiobook during last weekend's trip to and from Dallas. Riveting. Delightful.
November 13, 2023
Three quibbles-7 is now and forever Mickey Mantle, 13 has to be Wilt Chamberlain, 56 is enshrined as the number of games in Joe DiMaggio's hitting streak.
June 26, 2023
Like many of my generation I listened to Mike and Mike on the radio for most of their twenty year run. Fridays were always their Stone Cold Locks football picks and during thei week they debated all the hot button sports topics of the day. I’m probably one of many who believes that the Mike and Mike show should still be on the radio if the powers that be didn’t decide to split them up with tv and radio personalities a generation younger. I can respect that but these new partnerships are still not Mike and Mike in the morning. My preferences aside, the non athletic Mike in the duo has gone on to become a writer in addition to hosting talk radio. A book about sports and numbers, something the numbers nerd in me would appeal to, I knew I was game to read this.
Mike Greenberg takes the numbers 1-100 and presents his argument as to why a certain athlete or team owns it. He states in his introduction that only his opinion matters because it is right, and in the conclusion he concedes that if anyone has a compelling argument for any of the numbers, then he is open to a quality sports debate. I’m guessing that he misses the days cheerfully debating the other Mike on the radio hence his concession that is open to debating his readers because otherwise their would be no sports if generations of fans couldn’t gather by the water cooler and talk shop. I was ready to debate Mike Greenberg, writing into his show to tell him that I am right and he isn’t. Here’s the issue: for most of his numbers 1-100, he nails them. He only inserts contemporary athletes into the equation if their story is so compelling that he is left with no choice to include them here. Entries 1-100 we are pretty much in agreement, so these essays are a who’s who of sports legends condensed into two page sound bites. I’m still game to read them all.
Greenberg comes from suburban New York and I already knew from his radio show that the Jets are his favorite team. I’ll give him that. Everyone grows up with a favorite team. Thankfully that bias is not in the book unless a Jets player was the best of all time at his position, and then those Jets centric essays were written with more bias than the rest. The Jordan- LeBron debate that I have discussed as nausem, we are both on team Jordan. Number 23, no contest, although LeBron gets an essay, 84, the year he was born. He’s the only athlete still competing who gets mention here. Otherwise, each number is assigned to a player’s jersey or year where something extraordinary happened in sports. Hard to argue most of the choices besides 84- it does not belong to LeBron, it belongs to the Chicago Cubs becoming relevant again and my own fandom beginning. But this is Greenberg’s book, not mine.
Most of my favorite athletes are included and there is no room for debate on these. Some of my favorites are 12, 23, 42, 85, and 93. What I wish were changed besides 84 was 79 to the Pittsburgh Pirates we are family team and 16 to the Cubs team that did win. Otherwise, the rest of the book was like hearing Mike debate Mike and stating how he is right. Jordan’s Bulls are the only team who are included both for the athlete and team. No contest. He notes that his favorite sport is golf and there are a number of golfers included, as is Secretariat the horse, heavy weight boxers, tennis stars, and olympians. I can tell that hockey is not Greenberg’s sport as only four players get mention, and the 1980 Olympic team is not because 80 belongs to Jerry Rice. And that is what makes sports great and timeless and an escape from life, that we can debate who is best, whether it’s players, years, or accomplishments. No room for debate, that if the 85 Bears had gone undefeated, they would be considered the best team of all time. That brought more than a smile to my face.
Time moves on and perhaps in another twenty years or so Greenberg will have to revisit this book of essays as there are so many stories still being told. In the meantime, I’ll add a few of my own, that 16 belongs to the Chicago Cubs and always will, 72 belongs to the Chicago Bulls beat team, not the Miami Dolphins who sorry would not beat the 2007 Patriots or the 2003 Patriots for that matter. 71 belongs to Title IX leveling the playing field and allowing women to play and debate sports along side men. And that leaves me with the best sports year ever: 96. The year before I graduated high school, the Bulls won with their team that went 72-10, my high school won its second basketball championship, the Atlanta Olympics belonged to American women, and the Yankees won the World Series for the first time in eighteen years. Twenty seven years later, 1996 is probably the best sports year overall of my life, with 2016 an easy runner up. Maybe it’s the number 6 and maybe that’s my new lucky sports number. I’ll have to call Mike Greenberg and let him know that 6 now belongs to me. As with all these essays and sports stories, that is up for debate.
4 stars
Mike Greenberg takes the numbers 1-100 and presents his argument as to why a certain athlete or team owns it. He states in his introduction that only his opinion matters because it is right, and in the conclusion he concedes that if anyone has a compelling argument for any of the numbers, then he is open to a quality sports debate. I’m guessing that he misses the days cheerfully debating the other Mike on the radio hence his concession that is open to debating his readers because otherwise their would be no sports if generations of fans couldn’t gather by the water cooler and talk shop. I was ready to debate Mike Greenberg, writing into his show to tell him that I am right and he isn’t. Here’s the issue: for most of his numbers 1-100, he nails them. He only inserts contemporary athletes into the equation if their story is so compelling that he is left with no choice to include them here. Entries 1-100 we are pretty much in agreement, so these essays are a who’s who of sports legends condensed into two page sound bites. I’m still game to read them all.
Greenberg comes from suburban New York and I already knew from his radio show that the Jets are his favorite team. I’ll give him that. Everyone grows up with a favorite team. Thankfully that bias is not in the book unless a Jets player was the best of all time at his position, and then those Jets centric essays were written with more bias than the rest. The Jordan- LeBron debate that I have discussed as nausem, we are both on team Jordan. Number 23, no contest, although LeBron gets an essay, 84, the year he was born. He’s the only athlete still competing who gets mention here. Otherwise, each number is assigned to a player’s jersey or year where something extraordinary happened in sports. Hard to argue most of the choices besides 84- it does not belong to LeBron, it belongs to the Chicago Cubs becoming relevant again and my own fandom beginning. But this is Greenberg’s book, not mine.
Most of my favorite athletes are included and there is no room for debate on these. Some of my favorites are 12, 23, 42, 85, and 93. What I wish were changed besides 84 was 79 to the Pittsburgh Pirates we are family team and 16 to the Cubs team that did win. Otherwise, the rest of the book was like hearing Mike debate Mike and stating how he is right. Jordan’s Bulls are the only team who are included both for the athlete and team. No contest. He notes that his favorite sport is golf and there are a number of golfers included, as is Secretariat the horse, heavy weight boxers, tennis stars, and olympians. I can tell that hockey is not Greenberg’s sport as only four players get mention, and the 1980 Olympic team is not because 80 belongs to Jerry Rice. And that is what makes sports great and timeless and an escape from life, that we can debate who is best, whether it’s players, years, or accomplishments. No room for debate, that if the 85 Bears had gone undefeated, they would be considered the best team of all time. That brought more than a smile to my face.
Time moves on and perhaps in another twenty years or so Greenberg will have to revisit this book of essays as there are so many stories still being told. In the meantime, I’ll add a few of my own, that 16 belongs to the Chicago Cubs and always will, 72 belongs to the Chicago Bulls beat team, not the Miami Dolphins who sorry would not beat the 2007 Patriots or the 2003 Patriots for that matter. 71 belongs to Title IX leveling the playing field and allowing women to play and debate sports along side men. And that leaves me with the best sports year ever: 96. The year before I graduated high school, the Bulls won with their team that went 72-10, my high school won its second basketball championship, the Atlanta Olympics belonged to American women, and the Yankees won the World Series for the first time in eighteen years. Twenty seven years later, 1996 is probably the best sports year overall of my life, with 2016 an easy runner up. Maybe it’s the number 6 and maybe that’s my new lucky sports number. I’ll have to call Mike Greenberg and let him know that 6 now belongs to me. As with all these essays and sports stories, that is up for debate.
4 stars
May 5, 2023
While I have spent years listening and watching Mike Greenberg, I've yet to read anything of his though I'd always assumed he was an astute writer given his history and length of time in the field. I was immediately intrigued when I heard him discussing his most recent book on his morning show.
Got Your Number was a quick and enjoyable, one-sided romp of a sports debate. Starting with the Number 1 and working through 100, Greenberg gives his synopsis of what athlete historically most identifies with each specific one. Some are clear cut. Some are not.
If you're a sports fan and are familiar with jersey numbering conventions, you know there would likely be some numbers that don't offer legendary selections. This where the book really shines, as Greenberg and his longtime statistician, Paul 'Sneaky Hembo' Hembekides use signature statistics, years and milestones to commemorate athletes that do not don jersey numbers in their profession, allowing the book to cross the threshold of all sports, not just the traditional four. The book offers each athlete a quick background, list of accomplishments and character analysis sprinkled with quotes from some of the most memorable names in sports and journalism.
I am actually surprised that this book isn't actually a large coffee table edition, complete with splash pages of the subjects amidst collages of other champion contenders for each digit. All in all, it's a solid read for almost any sports fan...
Got Your Number was a quick and enjoyable, one-sided romp of a sports debate. Starting with the Number 1 and working through 100, Greenberg gives his synopsis of what athlete historically most identifies with each specific one. Some are clear cut. Some are not.
If you're a sports fan and are familiar with jersey numbering conventions, you know there would likely be some numbers that don't offer legendary selections. This where the book really shines, as Greenberg and his longtime statistician, Paul 'Sneaky Hembo' Hembekides use signature statistics, years and milestones to commemorate athletes that do not don jersey numbers in their profession, allowing the book to cross the threshold of all sports, not just the traditional four. The book offers each athlete a quick background, list of accomplishments and character analysis sprinkled with quotes from some of the most memorable names in sports and journalism.
I am actually surprised that this book isn't actually a large coffee table edition, complete with splash pages of the subjects amidst collages of other champion contenders for each digit. All in all, it's a solid read for almost any sports fan...
July 31, 2023
If you’re a sports fan, or even a sports junkie, you HAVE to read this book. Greenberg and Hembikides assembled short essays on their 100 top professional athletes. The gimmick is jersey number, to start, but goes on to include the years of key wins and other stats. They cover athletes in NFL football, baseball, basketball, hockey, golf, swimming, auto racing, boxing, and figure skating; I may have missed a couple of sports. No coverage of volleyball—college, Olympics, or beach—so no Karch Karily or Kent Steffes; Alpine or cross-country skiing; and no softball (which is still generally limited to college sports). No matter: the essays, or vignettes if you prefer as they typically only fill two pages, are interesting because of their choices and the supporting statistics. Of course, the book could have extended to the sports an athletes they didn’t include, but all the most successful athletes are in the book. I knew all of the athletes mentioned but one, Anthony Muñoz of the Cincinnati Bengals because living the Washington, DC area during his playing years in the 1980s he wasn’t in our TV picture; wrong conference and our local DC and Baltimore teams didn’t play them (I think; at least I never saw them on TV).
April 14, 2023
When I saw this book, I wasn’t sure what it was about, but I still proceeded to read it. I guess, you can say, I was intrigued by the title and the author.
The title, Got Your Number, hits close to home as for almost 20 years, I was a high school football statistician, so numbers were my thing. Plus, I enjoyed scanning the official NBA guides which was filled with stats of all kinds.
As for Mike Greenberg, I watched him on ESPN and would often have Mike and Mike playing in the background while I got ready for work in the mornings.
So, basically, the premise for this book is he took the numbers 1 through 100 and assigned an athlete or a team to represent each number either by their jersey number or the year that that athlete or team accomplished something magnificent. It was a few pages for each number, but those pages were filled with numbers.
The majority of teams and athletes, I knew of, but some I had no clue. I did like trying to guess who the next number would be, and I was wrong most of the time.
By the time I got to 80, I was tired of reading it, but I still managed to complete it. It was just a bit much for my little brain.
The title, Got Your Number, hits close to home as for almost 20 years, I was a high school football statistician, so numbers were my thing. Plus, I enjoyed scanning the official NBA guides which was filled with stats of all kinds.
As for Mike Greenberg, I watched him on ESPN and would often have Mike and Mike playing in the background while I got ready for work in the mornings.
So, basically, the premise for this book is he took the numbers 1 through 100 and assigned an athlete or a team to represent each number either by their jersey number or the year that that athlete or team accomplished something magnificent. It was a few pages for each number, but those pages were filled with numbers.
The majority of teams and athletes, I knew of, but some I had no clue. I did like trying to guess who the next number would be, and I was wrong most of the time.
By the time I got to 80, I was tired of reading it, but I still managed to complete it. It was just a bit much for my little brain.
April 27, 2023
I grew up, and still am, a lover of all things sports. I love watching my kids play, I loved playing sports, am still active and can throw together a mean fantasy league team with secrets I shall never reveal! 😆
Thank you to @hyperionavebooks & @tlcbooktours for my new copy of GOT YOUR NUMBER by @espngreeny & @paulhembo which is out now.
They’ve artfully arranged each chapter as a short story to correspond with a player’s number, including little known facts about the number and player. For example, the first chapter I went to right away was 23 (no shocker there!) and even though I grew up watching game after game of Michael Jordan giving it his all on the basketball court. While I may have known he was a defensive master as much as an unstoppable offensive machine, I had forgotten the magnitude of his defense and truly how great he was at both.
The book is FULL of these lesser known, semi-forgotten facts about amazing athletes across a multitude of sports. From basketball and baseball, to football and soccer, all the way to Nascar racing and beyond, this is truly a sports lover's read. I am flying through the stories of players from my past, the present, and some that I’ve never heard of before!
This would make a great gift, if you or someone you know is
🏀 a sports fanatic
⚽️ loves trivia
🏈 wants a leg-up at trivia night
⚾️ enjoys non-fiction
Thank you to @hyperionavebooks & @tlcbooktours for my new copy of GOT YOUR NUMBER by @espngreeny & @paulhembo which is out now.
They’ve artfully arranged each chapter as a short story to correspond with a player’s number, including little known facts about the number and player. For example, the first chapter I went to right away was 23 (no shocker there!) and even though I grew up watching game after game of Michael Jordan giving it his all on the basketball court. While I may have known he was a defensive master as much as an unstoppable offensive machine, I had forgotten the magnitude of his defense and truly how great he was at both.
The book is FULL of these lesser known, semi-forgotten facts about amazing athletes across a multitude of sports. From basketball and baseball, to football and soccer, all the way to Nascar racing and beyond, this is truly a sports lover's read. I am flying through the stories of players from my past, the present, and some that I’ve never heard of before!
This would make a great gift, if you or someone you know is
🏀 a sports fanatic
⚽️ loves trivia
🏈 wants a leg-up at trivia night
⚾️ enjoys non-fiction
July 25, 2023
Only sports fans will appreciate this one, but it's a great conversation starter. The premise of the book is, "Who 'owns' every number from 1 to 100 in sports history?" It may be a uniform number (for example, number 42 belongs to Jackie Robinson--no surprise there), or it may be another number that is associated with a particular event or accomplishment in sports history. Some of the choices are a stretch, but my favorite parts of the book are the statistics that are included for the athletes selected. Obviously, you can make statistics say what you want them to say, but in this case, it's enlightening to see how an athlete's numbers compare with those of his or her contemporaries as well as with the great historical figures of whatever sport the athlete competed in. My guess is that those statistics come from Mike Greenberg's collaborator, Paul Hembikides. But, in any case, the numbers are eye-popping. Again, you probably won't want to read this one if you're not into sports. But if you are, it's a fast and enjoyable read, and you'll be pestering your friends with "Did you know?" trivia for days after reading it.
May 25, 2025
“Among my favorites stories about Tom Seaver is the day he did not become a Dodger. Seaver was studying dentistry at USC when he was drafted by the Dodgers in 1965. The legendary Tom Lasorda offered Tom Seaver a signing bonus of two thousand dollars. Seaver responded by asking for fifty thousand. “Good luck in your dental career,” Lasorda is said to have replied, and thus was history blissfully rewritten for the fans in New York.”
“Got Your Number,” is my first book by Mike Greenberg with Paul Hembekides. The book is a thoroughly enjoyable read for fans of sporting history. The author paints a vivid picture of both legendary figures and unsung heroes in basketball, football, baseball, and beyond. Greenberg’s narrative will help you to appreciate the profound significance behind the numbers that have come to symbolize greatness, resilience, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. If nothing else, you will be prepared with enough information to win any bet at any Sports bar.
“Got Your Number,” is a fast and easy must-read. You will not be disappointed and so it gets a 5-star rating.
“Got Your Number,” is my first book by Mike Greenberg with Paul Hembekides. The book is a thoroughly enjoyable read for fans of sporting history. The author paints a vivid picture of both legendary figures and unsung heroes in basketball, football, baseball, and beyond. Greenberg’s narrative will help you to appreciate the profound significance behind the numbers that have come to symbolize greatness, resilience, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. If nothing else, you will be prepared with enough information to win any bet at any Sports bar.
“Got Your Number,” is a fast and easy must-read. You will not be disappointed and so it gets a 5-star rating.
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