No, the Yankees won't unretire Babe Ruth's No. 3 for Alex Rodriguez. Instead, the Yankees' new arrival will challenge superstition and go with No. 13, according to a source familiar with the situation.

A-Rod has worn 3 for his entire big-league career. As soon as he agreed to become the Yankees' third baseman, he knew he would be switching numbers as well as positions. He opted against 33, which had become popularized in recent years by David Wells and, in between Wells' Yankees tours of duty, Alfonso Soriano, whom the Yankees traded for Rodriguez.

In choosing 13, Rodriguez gets to establish a legacy with a number that has produced minimal excitement in Joe Torre's reign. Among the players to wear 13 in the last eight seasons are Charlie Hayes, Willie Banks, Jeff Manto, Jim Leyritz, Jose Vizcaino and Antonio Osuna, as well as coach Lee Mazzilli.

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[b]"I'd like the thank the good lord for making me a Yankee"[/b] - Joe DiMaggio