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Mets by the Numbers
Since 1999, the Mets website that counts
44
Our Bullpen is Insane!
Sun, 08/03/2008 - 12:23pm — mbtn01
Yesterday it was Dan Murphy, indeed subing for injured Marlon Anderson and slipping in the No. 28 jersey that just came out of Brandon Knight's wash. Now today, following a shameful performance from Billy Wagner, it's Class AA reliever Eddie Kunz set to make his Mets debut.
Kunz, according to the roster posted at Mets.com, will wear No. 44 and take the roster slot of John Maine, who, not surprisingly, has been placed on the disabled list (in Mets Medicalese, "strain" means "tear," "slight" means "life-threatening" and "day-to-day" means "Hospital for Special Surgery.") Word is Wagner in the meantime is to have an MRI to explore the left arm that's been killing the season. This all could mean "Crazy Eddie" (I just made up that nickname but for a 6-foot-5, 265-pound closer-to-be in New York, it's poifict) is the closer for today, I don't know. In accordance with the post below, looks like Jon Niese is next.
* * *
Thanks to Dave at Crooked Number, the archives are now accessible from the menu at left and on their own page here. Dave also helped improve the look of the player pages, with normal First name Last Name displays mong other improvements. In other words, he's a genius and you should give all your web business to him.
Toe, Knee, Arm, Ass
Tue, 07/01/2008 - 8:15pm — mbtn01
After a solid half-season rehabbing his career in AAA, the Mets rewarded Tony Armas with his first big-league appearance of the year. Tonight's start in St. Louis (off to a shaky start as I write) is designed to provide a bit of rest for a stretched-out rotation, after which it is expected Armas will stay with the club filling the long-relief role previously filled by Claudio Vargas, Nelson Figueroa and Jorge Sosa. Armas appears tonight in No. 44 -- the same jersey he wore this spring that was later issued to Brady Clark when Clark when the trip north and Armas did not.
Leave it Greg Prince of Faith & Fear in Flushing to point out the last time No. 44 appeared on the back of a Mets pitcher it was the Mercury Mets and Jason Isringhausen -- who made his last appearance for the Mets wearing that jersey in July of 1999. That and a lot more.
Meantime, MBTN reader Paul C., aka King Of All Screen Capturers, delivers the above image of Isringhausen's unique Mercury Mets look -- condensed fonts don't exist in the future, doncha know.
To make room for Armas the Mets designated infielder Andy Phillips for assignment -- easy come, easy go -- and are gambling a short bench won't bite them in the butt before Moises Alou makes a return. Yes, they're counting on that again. Yes, the Met offense is collapsing under the anticipation of his return once again.
Talkin' baseball: Join me in Flushing this coming Monday, July 7, as I appear along with Greg Spira, co-editor of Meet the Mets, in a discussion about the Mets, baseball, books and anything else. We will have books for sale and/or signature (including Matt Silverman's Mets Essential and 100 Things), and afterward, I'll be happy to join you for a beer to watch the Mets-Phillies game.
Details: 6 p.m., Monday July 7 at the Queens Library -- Flushing , 41-17 Main Street, (718) 661-1200.
44 Caliber Killers
Thu, 11/29/2007 - 11:20pm — mbtn01(November 30, 2007 )
Ladies and gentlemen, Flushing is burning.
Reluctant to rest upon a history of historically stupid dealmaking, the Mets have reportedly coughed up Lastings Milledge 44 in a trade for Washington Nationals players Ryan Church and Brian Schnieder. Wow. Schneider, who wears No. 23 with Washington, at one time was a pretty heads-up defensive player but has never been a good hitter and in fact is quite a bad one, appears to spell an early end to the Metly career of erstwhile backstop Johnny Estrada. Church, a lefthanded hitting insect type who’s actually better than I would have guessed though only about as good as Milledge is right now, was seen most recently wearing No. 19. Both guys could conceiveably retain their digits in 2008 but it would mean a third career uni number for Marlon Anderson.
Now, I’m not one of those guys vulnerable to misplacing my faith in every young kid who tears up the Florida State League; nor do I believe that Milledge’s various acts of youthful idiocy ought not to be a cause for concern. What I worry about are the Mets seemingly never learning not to let their guys go so easily.
More harrowing news to follow at the Winter Meetings.
Franco Released
Thu, 07/12/2007 - 10:58pm — mbtn01The expected recall of Lastings Milledge for tonight’s second half opener accompanied the unexpected release of Julio Franco 23, the Mets’ elderly pinch hitter. It’s not like Franco had earned his slot this season, it’s just that, as with the pending Henderson story, the Mets tend to have more tolerance for struggles with track-record holding veterans and figureheads as they’ve shown recently. I guess this is life in the Omar Era. Milledge by the way returned wearing No. 44 and in possession of the same nice swing he first impressed with a year ago during Spring Training. This phrase has been uttered an aweful lot this season but perhaps that’s just the spark we need.
Speaking of sparks, Jose Valentin 22 was wearing a cast on his pinky and couldn’t play tonight, allowing Ruben Gotay 6 to further his case as the best option at the keystone. Mets officials say the injury came as the result of intervening in “an altercation” while The Internet appears to believe he broke it in a punching a wall. Let’s call it a Wall-tercation and perhaps, a karmic comeuppance for Valentin who a year ago was the guy the stealing the starting second base job from an underperforming and injured incumbent.
Damaged Cargo
Thu, 07/05/2007 - 11:18pm — mbtn01As you probably heard by now, overmatched rookie outfielder Carlos Gomez 27 injured a bone in his hand in Denver and underwent surgery that will likely sideline him until September. In his place for the time being is utilityman David Newhan 17, recalled from New Orleans last night. Though his inexperience was exposed at times, CarGo on balance acquitted himself well while pressed into duty. He leaves behind the impression of a ballplayer who’s going to be good — someday.
Ironically, speculation is that Gomez’ injury will give another shot to Lastings Milledge, who like Gomez, showed flashes of potential and moments of inexperience during emergency service last season. Milledge might have gotten a shot sooner this season but has been rehabbing injuries of his own in the minor leagues. Just a guess here but No. 44 will be in left field when the Mets return from the All-Star break Thursday. I mean, were you expecting Moises Alou?
Roster Shaping Up
Thu, 03/29/2007 - 11:50am — mbtn01The Mets following a rare spring training victory today said Aaron Sele and ‘Bazooka’ Joe Smith would be added to the big-league roster, a development that threw the Metly future of Chan Ho Park 61 into question. As things shake out it’s come down to Park, Ambiorix Burgos 40 and optionless/hapless acquiree Jon Adkins 39 for the seventh and final bullpen slot; The Mets will go with four starters the first few times around before recalling Mike Pelfrey 34 to become the 5th starter. That may prove to reward precocious prospect Lastings Milledge 44 for a strong showing this spring seeing as outfielder Ben Johnson 4 was cut today (along with lesser hopefuls Mike Carp 64, Lino Urdaneta 68, Anderson Hernandez 1, Ruben Gotay 6, Mike DiFelice 30 and Sandy Alomar Jr. 90).
Spring leaders of the Ring-Bell for Adkins-Johnson trade are the Padres, who’ve gotten a 0.90 ERA out of Heath Bell thus far.
August 2006
Fri, 09/01/2006 - 2:00am — mbtn01July 2006
Tue, 08/01/2006 - 2:00am — mbtn01Deadline Terror (July 31): As opposed to say, 2004, the Mets at least didn't mean to get worse at the deadline this year, though it was certainly bad news on the doorstep to learn that rubbery reliever Duaner Sanchez 50 would miss the rest of the year as the result of injuries sustained in an automobile accident in Miami; increasing any exisiting pressure they felt to do something about the bullpen, while dialing back any temptation to make Aaron Heilman a part of a bigger deal for a pitcher, left-handed pinch-hitter or anything else that might help come October. So instead the Mets swapped fungible outfielder Xavier Nady 22 to the Pirates for Proven Veteran Setup Guy Roberto Hernandez, along with Oliver Perez, who not too long ago, ranked among the most promising young left arms in the game.
May 2006
Thu, 06/01/2006 - 2:00am — mbtn01
At
Lastings (May 30) Sobering word that outfielder
Xavier
Nady 22 is shelved with an appendectomy is accompanied today by the
exciting news that prospect Lastings Milledge is in Flushing to
take over while he's gone (and maybe longer). Word is Milledge will dress
in the reserved-for-African-American-sluggers No. 44 (and not
6, which is what we might have rooted for to bridge the homegrown
power alley between Wright 5 and Reyes 7). We wish Nady the best for
a speedy recovery and that young Mr. Milledge (we won't ever get used to
referring to him as Lastings, we don't think) doesn't wind up overwhelmed
by the "can't miss prospect" pressures felt by previous Met inhabitants
of his uni -- Jay Payton and Ryan Thompson.
November 2005
Thu, 12/01/2005 - 3:00am — mbtn01
Delgado
takes 21 (Nov. 28): In meeting the press
and Willie Randolph today, newly acquired first baseman Carlos Delgado
said goodbye to jersey No. 25, and his beard, both of which he can
no longer wear. Taking No. 21 instead, Delgado explained that 25
belongs to Kaz Matsui, though MBTN suggests you don't spend all
your Christmas money on a new Delgado jersey pending Matsui's survival
of this winter's hot stove.
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