Just like the Mets to eviserate the momentum of their resounding day-game victory (and series sweep) at Yankee Stadium with a stinker against a sack of crap making what is likely to be his only effective start of the year. Tyler Clippard? Dwight Gooden? No, this time, it's Sidney Ponson. Kill me.

Thanks for hanging in during the break -- I spent an almost entirely Metless week in the wildnerness -- dim nighttime radio reception brought me bits of two horrifying losses to Seattle and pretty good reception of a Binghamton Mets game in which their manager was ejected and suspended (for what? I dunno). Reading up on the transactions and comments, I see the Mets designated Claudio Vargas for asignment and recalled reliver Carlos Muniz.

They also acquired infielder Andy Phillips via waivers and added him to the active roster while sending down pointless third catcher Robinson Cancel. Phillips was issued No. 29 -- the third time that number was issued this season.

Oh, and Willie Randolph was fired again -- this time by the NL All-Stars. Ouch.

So disregard the nonsense about Adam Bostick and Willie Collazo and Joe Smith below -- the Mets on Tuesday afternoon abruptly changed course and recalled Claudio Vargas to the big club, along with Fernando Tatis, and re-activated reliever Matt Wise while designating both Nelson Figueroa and Jorge Sosa for assignment and putting outfielder Angel Pagan onto the disabled list.

While we applaud the Mets for being brave enough to sacrifice two players whose backstory (Figueroa) and contact (Sosa) might have won them chances better performing teammates might not have been given, the real story here is how the Mets will outfit Claudio Vargas -- the lefty released by the Brewers this spring -- in the same No. 39 jersey that injured prospect Jason Vargas was issued this spring (Jason Vargas wore 43 in his brief appearance last year). The newly arriving Tatis meanwhile will become the 29th wearer of the 17 jersey. Wise was and still is No. 38.

Both Figueroa and Sosa appear to have vanished from the Mets plans following respective poor performances Monday. MLB.com reported that the Mets were trying to trade Sosa -- they had during spring training as well -- and if he goes we'll remember him as the one spot-starter not to completely destruct in 2006. Figueroa and his luxury box full of Coney Island friends and family had a few nice starts before reminding us why he'd been without a big league job for so many years. We may see one or both back eventually -- Raul Casanova, after all, cleared waivers Tuesday and he's had as good a year as either of them.

OK, so now that Johan Santana is in the fold and will presumably slip on a No. 57 jersey at a press event sometime next week, there's still the matter of the other new guys and what they'll turn up in when spring training begins later this month.

What new guys? Well, those indicated by the "--" symbol alongside their names on the mets.com 40-man roster: Pitchers Ruddy Lugo; Steven Register, Brian Stokes and Matt Wise; and outfielders Ryan Church and Angel Pagan. Catcher Brian Schneider is also indicated with a double-en-space, but we're reasonably sure he's headed for the No. 23 jersey photographed below and Marlon Anderson will change into something new.

On Jan. 18, the Mets signed former Ham Fighter and Tokyo Giant Yusaku Iriki (You're So Fine), who looks to compete for the longman job. Iriki wore No. 49 with the Ham Fighters and No. 20 with the Giants, research shows.

We overlooked the late December addition of lefty sidearmer Mike Venafro. He has a minor league contract and spring training invite.

Photos from the Mets Caravan revealed players in new unis including Julio Franco in 23, Paul LoDuca in 16 and Jose Valentin in 18. Newly arrived reliever Jorge Julio was wearing a jersey with no number on it. MBTN reader Rich reports: Chad Bradford appeared in No. 35, Duaner Sanchez in 40, and Mets.com is selling Bret Boone jerseys bearing No. 9.

Additional photos show Xavier Nady wearing No. 10 and Steve Schmoll in the dreaded No. 46.

New Year Updates (Jan. 4, 2006): Met fans were wondering again today whether Omar Minaya can be trusted at a swap meet, giving up underappreciated starter Jae Seo 26, along with lefty reliever Tim Hamulack 46, in a trade for goggle-wearing Duaner Sanchez and his sidearm-throwing teammate, Steve Schmoll, both righthanded relievers for the Dodgers. We wish the best of luck to Seo, whose frequent bobs between New York and Norfolk resulted in three uniform numbers (he also wore 38 and 40). In case you're also wondering, Sanchez wore No. 50 and Schmoll No. 40 in Chavez Latrine last season.

The Mets also invited veteran second baseman Bret Boone to camp with a minor league deal. Boone was released twice last year but according to Omar "knows how to win," and will challenge incumbent Kaz Matsui for a job. Boone most often has worn No. 29.

Catching up with more winter moves, the Mets on Dec. 28 agreed to a one-year deal for freaky underhanded relief pitcher Chad Bradford, a hero of Moneyball and most recently, a patient with the Red Sox team doctors. He wore No. 53 for both teams.

On Dec. 23, former Met outfield prospect Endy Chavez was signed to a one-year deal. Chavez wore No. 19 with Expo-Nationals and 47 when he was traded to Philadelphia late last year.

The Mets also released maddening lefthander Kaz Ishii 23, and invited journeymen Darren Oliver, Jose Parra and Pedro Feliciano to camp. We last saw Parra and Feliciano in Met uniforms 46 and 55, respectively, in 2004 (unless we vacationed in Japan in 2005).

Trach is Back (Aug. 23): The Mets today welcomed back Steve Trachsel 29, and slotted him in the rotation on Friday. The drama as to who would be sacrificed to make room for him was satisfactorily resolved when washed-up mop-up man Danny Graves 32 was designated for assignment. On Monday, beefy reliever Heath Bell 19 was recalled from Norfolk while Dae Sung Koo 17 was demoted. On Sunday, reserve catcher Mike DeFelice 33 returned to the active roster when the Mets got around to disabling catcher Mike Piazza 31. Meanwhile, a massive three-run homer in his debut turn at bat Sunday appears to have saved a job for Mike Jacobs 27, who's now your starting first baseman.

MBTN reader Mike from Tennessee points out that Jacobs became the fourth Met to hit a home run in his first Major League at-bat -- and that each of them had ascending uni numbers: Benny Ayala 18; Mike Fitzgerald 20; Kaz Matsui 25; and Jacobs 27. This is the kind of useless history MBTN was designed to capture.

Castro Converts (March 26): The trade of Jason Phillips vaulted Ramon Castro into a likely role as Met backup catcher and his uni number went flying too. Castro's status seems solidified by a switch from the non-rosterly 72 to the backup catcherly 11. With a week to go until the bell rings, notable recent cuts include Jae Seo 26, Scott Strickland 28, Jeff Keppinger 6, and Scott Stewart 32.

Cliff-Hanger: (Dec. 23) The Mets today introduced Cliff Floyd to the press and presented him with the seldomly issued No. 30 jersey. Floyd becomes just the 12th man in team history to be issued No. 30; the number owes its unpopularity not to any longtime wearers but a to 10-year gap between Mike Torrez in 1984 and Doug Linton in 1994. Jorge Luis Toca was the most recent occupant.

On Friday 12/20, came word that third baseman Norihiro Nakamura isn't coming after all. No word on how many NAKAMURA 5 jerseys went into the incinerator.

Welcome, Yankee Refuse: (Dec. 16) The Mets today signed ex-Yankee and ex-Brave Mike Stanton to a frighteningly long 3-year contract. Stanton is familiar to New Yorkers as the lefty who wore No. 29 for Satan's Minions. His arrival seems to portend a conflict with the current 29, Met starter Steve Trachsel. Dec. 18 Update: Stanton posed for photographs today wearing a No. 32 jersey.

Fonzie to the Rescue: (Aug. 24) Totally without coincidence, the Mets managed to break their embarrassing 12-game losing streak with the return of Edgardo Alfonzo 13 to the active roster. Ty Wigginton 9 was returned to Norfolk where he'll presumably work on his fielding. Alfonzo missed 20 games overall -- the Mets won only three of them.

Player To Be Named Now: (Aug. 21) The Mets today received outfielder Raul Gonzalez from Cincinnati as the first of the two players to be named in the Shawn Estes deal. The Mets dressed Gonzalez in No. 21, making 21 the first number issued to three players in one season since No. 10 get used three times in 1997 (Thurman, Morgan, Petagine). The 21 hot-potato went from Bobby Jones to Mark Little to Gonzalez in a span of three weeks.