Cal Ripkin Jr. 'Thrilled' That Jackson Holliday Is Wearing Iconic No. 7 Orioles Jersey

Tom Dierberger | Apr 10, 2024

Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Baltimore Orioles top prospect Jackson Holliday is making his highly anticipated MLB debut on Wednesday against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

Holliday, batting ninth and playing second base, will be wearing the coveted No. 7 Orioles jersey when he takes the field.

The No. 7 has a special place in the Holliday household, as Jackson's father Matt Holliday wore the number from 2010 to '16 with the St. Louis Cardinals and again in 2018 with the Colorado Rockies.

But it means even more in Baltimore. The No. 7 has been unofficially retired by the Orioles in honor of Cal Ripken Sr., who spent 36 years in the organization as a manager and coach building up "The Oriole Way."

Ripken sported No. 7 when he managed the Orioles from 1987 to '88. After he was fired early in the 1988 season, his son Billy wore the No. 7 jersey for the rest of the season. No Orioles player or coach has donned the No. 7 since then.

Cal Ripken Jr., the son of Cal Sr. who spent all 21 seasons of his Hall of Fame career in Baltimore, is happy to see the 20-year-old Holliday bring No. 7 back to the field.

"Our family is thrilled that [Holliday] will be wearing dad's No. 7," Ripken posted on social media. "Excited to watch him play!"

Our family is thrilled that @J_Holliday7 will be wearing dad's #7 ... Excited to watch him play!

— Cal Ripken, Jr. (@CalRipkenJr) April 10, 2024

“It’s really cool for me to be able to wear that and to be able to share that with their family," Holliday told reporters Wednesday (via MASN reporter Roch Kubatko). "To be able to represent them and wear that number, it’s really special to me.”

The first pitch for Wednesday's game between Baltimore and Boston is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET.