The Last to Wear No. 42

Mo Vaughn was the last Mets player to wear No. 42 and the last African American in MLB to wear it. This was his jersey from his final season in 2003. After the number had been retired league-wide in 1997 in honor of Jackie Robinson, those who already wore the number were allowed to continue using it. When the Mets acquired Mo Vaughn in December 2001, he took the honor seriously and studied up on Robinson. “That’s when you start figuring out that he was a really special individual,” Vaughn said. “He was so talented, but it wasn’t really even about talent. It was more about mindset and what can you withstand? Branch Rickey had to take the guy that he knew could withstand the onslaught of what was going to happen to him. A very well-rounded man is the only person who could do that.”