Uniform Number Trivia

Which player "lost" his uniform #3 in 1948 when the Yankees retired Babe Ruth's number, then selected #7 and lost it to Mickey Mantle when said player was traded mid-season 1951?

And did he have good number-picking skills to get those numbers in the first place, or bad luck to lose two different numbers to two All Time Great Hall of Famers?

Andy, sent you a pm with what I believe to be the answer, but why did he have another number prior to #3?

Cliff Mapes, a lifetime .242 hitter, traded to the Browns in 1951 and ended his career with the Tigers in 1952

Andy, sent you a pm with what I believe to be the answer, but why did he have another number prior to #3?

Actually, he had #3, then switched to #13 for the rest of 1948 after Ruth's 3 was retired.