By R.L. Bynum
CHAPEL HILL — Boston Flannery has worn a couple of numbers in his baseball life, but none have ever meant quite as much as No. 42.
On Friday at Boshamer Stadium, the junior right-hander finally wore it again, not as a high school kid paying tribute to Jackie Robinson, but as a veteran Tar Heel who has waited for his moment to come back around.
Flannery took the ball in relief in No. 11 North Carolina’s 9–4 opening day win at Boshamer Stadium, delivering the most encouraging outing of his career. It was a performance rooted not just in mechanics but in meaning, because it came during Black History Month.
“I’ve worn 42 almost for my entire life,” said Flannery, who wore No. 17 in his first two seasons. “But the National Pitcher of the Year wore it the last two years, so I wasn’t able to have it. But it’s been my number.”
That pitcher was Jake Knapp, a program cornerstone. No. 42 only became available when Knapp’s career ended. Then, Flannery could reclaim the number he’s associated with since he first picked up a baseball, at the blessing of Coach Scott Forbes.
And when he did, it wasn’t just a personal preference stitched onto a jersey. It was a symbol.
“I have a letter from Mrs. Robinson at my house,” Flannery said, “pretty much thanking me for wearing the number. So, it’s been something that’s very special to me, and I’m really happy that Coach Forbes let me switch.”
Flannery’s connection to Jackie Robinson’s legacy goes back years. He chose 42 as a kid out of respect, then learned even more about what Robinson meant to the sport and the country. Through a family connection, Rachel Robinson herself sent him the letter expressing gratitude.
“The letter very much talks about how she has so much gratitude that I am wearing that number,” Flannery said.
Now, he wears it again — not as a tribute from afar, but as a Tar Heel who has lived through the ups and downs of college baseball.
Those downs have been real.
Flannery arrived in Chapel Hill with expectations as the No. 6 prospect in New York, playing at Clarkston South High School.
But his first two seasons didn’t unfold the way he imagined. There were outings where the command wasn’t there. He only made seven appearances in his first two seasons at Carolina, striking out two in 6⅓ innings with a 14.21 ERA. Last season, the Hackensack, N.J., native pitched one inning in a February game against Stony Brook, and that was it.
He gained motivation from reading articles that highlighted his struggles.
“I’ve read a bunch of the articles,” Flannery said. “Just reading about how I pretty much sucked the last two years. I think about that every time I’m in the weight room or anything.”
Still, he stayed. In an era where the transfer portal offers an easy exit, Flannery never took it.
“This is the place I’ve always wanted to be, and I love it here,” he said. “I’m an only child, so these guys are my brothers, and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
That loyalty hasn’t gone unnoticed by Forbes, who has watched Flannery mature from a talented freshman into a leader.
“It doesn’t matter what you’ve done here. The history doesn’t matter,” Forbes said. “He’s always had great stuff, super athletic. He’s completely bought in to UNC, and he’s gonna reap those rewards.”
On opening day, Flannery looked like a pitcher ready to do exactly that, giving up one hit in 2⅓ innings with three walks and two strikeouts. He gave up two runs on a two-out dribbler that deflected off the second-base bag.
After working to simplify his approach, Flannery leaned heavily on a sinker that produced soft contact and kept Indiana from squaring him up.
“I completely scrapped the four-seam [fastball] and went primarily to the sinker,” he said. “And I think it’s been a really big helper for me.”
The outing wasn’t about gaudy strikeout totals. It was about efficiency, confidence and growth. Forbes saw a pitcher who had waited for this moment and earned it.
“I’m really proud of Boston Flannery in every area,” Forbes said, “because he’s matured in every area. He’s doing a really good job of leading, and he’s doing a really good job in the classroom.”
Even Flannery’s path back to No. 42 carries the fingerprints of those who came before him. Knapp, whose number he now wears, offered a message that stuck after the season-ending loss to Arizona.
“I remember last year giving Jake Knapp a hug,” Flannery said. “And he said, ‘You got to go do it now.’ ”
Now Flannery is doing it, not just for himself, but for Carolina, all while remembering Jackie Robinson’s legacy.
“I’m happy that I’m here at the best university in the world,” he said. “And I’m really mentally honing in and giving it all I got.”
For a pitcher who stuck it out through the hard years, Friday was more than a season debut.
It was a reminder that sometimes the most meaningful numbers aren’t the ones on the scoreboard. They’re the ones on your back, earned through patience, pride and belief.
Photo courtesy of UNC Athletics
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