Mets by the Numbers

All Sevens: The Matsuituation (Updated Dec. 10)
Kazuo Matsui met the press this afternoon and tried on his jersey -- in a surprise, No. 25. That shirt was most recently worn by coach Don Baylor, who took it from Scott Strickland over last offseason.

Dec. 7: Rumors persist that Kazuo Matsui will take Jose Reyes' position on the field. Will he also take the shirt off his back? Matsui, the Seibu Lions shortstop who this offseason became the object of Fred Wilpon's questionable intrigue, has said in interviews that he'd prefer to sign with a team on which he could wear his customary No. 7 jersey. That number, of course, was issued to Reyes way back in spring training of 2002 and was reserved until his big-league arrival last summer.

Considering the bend-over-backwardsness and drama with which the Mets have pursued Matsui thus far, the guess here is that the Japanese free agent winds up not only with Reyes' hard-won position but his digit as well. But here's a suggestion for the marketing department: Leave Reyes in 7, and give Matsui 77. The Made-For-Photo-Ops middle-infield would be complete.

Switchblade (Nov. 17):  Researching 1975, we recently came across the Met debut of lefty reliever Tom Hall. "The Blade" was acquired from the Reds in an early-season trade and joined the Mets in St. Louis on April 16 where he pitched two innings of scoreless relief while wearing road uniform No. 42 (Ron Hodges, for whom the Mets had likely been carrying the 42 jersey, was doing a minor-league tour then). When the Mets returned home two days later, Hall was issued No. 19, which he wore for the rest of his year-plus Met tenure.

Hot Stove is Lit (Nov. 11): After officially naming Jim Duquette the team's GM the Duke's first order of new business was to name Rick Peterson, late of the Athletics, as the Mets new pitching coach. Peterson wrore No. 46 last year in Oakland, but that's no guarantee of his digits here.

Talks begin this week on players the Mets may acquire. Among those romantically linked to the Mets thus far include centerfielder Mike Cameron (No. 44 on your Mariners' scorecard); closers Billy Koch of the White Sox (44) and Keith Foulke of Oakland (29); and from Japan, infielders Kazuo Matsui and Tadahito Iguchi (both of whom wear No. 7). Stay tuned (or logged in, or whatever) throughout the Hot Stove season: More updates as they come!