Hojo Returns, Bannister Traded (Dec. 9): For the second winter in a row, the Mets traded a soft-tossing starter who wore No. 40 for a hard-throwing young reliever who wears No. 50. While last year it was Jae Seo to Los Angeles for Duaner Sanchez, this time it's Brian Bannister  to Kansas City in exchange for Ambiorix Burgos. (Yes, we know Seo's turn in No. 40 was a few changes ago, but we couldn't resist all the spooky parallels). We'll wish good luck to Bannister, who showed a lot of heart in an unexpected rookie campaign with the Mets, and hope that Burgos can cut down on those home runs allowed and wild pitches.

The Winter Meetings also brought word that ex-Met Howard Johnson would serve as the first-base coach next season, with Sandy Alomar crossing the diamond to third base to take the place of the departed Manny Acta. We'll be watching to see which jersey Hojo turns up in, noting that his former No. 20 belongs today to outfielder Shawn Green.

More Numbers Confirmed (Dec. 9): Thanks again to Gordon, who mailed along a scan of a scorecard from the opening series of the 1977 season including the listing of Ray Sadecki wearing No. 33. While this number wasn't especially difficult to remember (that Sadecki wore 33 is in fact about the only thing we can recall of the guy) finding independent confirmation was a bit ornery and so we're thankful to have it. 

Fewer than 10 mysteries remain on our list of unconfirmed numbers -- if you come across old scorecards, dated photos, videos, etc. you think might be of use, please send it in!
 

Bob L. Miller Returns (Yet Again) (Dec. 2): Thanks to eBay fiends Gordon, Pete and Jason who all shot us a copy of a Cubs scorecard up for bid on E-bay from the final series of the 1973 season, confirming long-held suspicions that Bob L. Miller wore No. 30 in his second go-round with the Mets. Miller was an original 1962 Met and the team's first wearer of the No. 24 jersey but was cashiered after a 1-12 season for what one writer cracked was "half an infield" -- Tim Harkness and Larry Burright -- only to go on to a pretty fair career as a reliever for eight more teams and 11 more years before returning to the Mets in a waiver deal for the final two weeks of the 1973 season. By then, his No. 24 belonged to Willie Mays. 

Comings and Goings (Dec. 2): As the Winter Meetings begin and the possibility of seing the Mets' first-ever No. 75 are high, the Mets welcomed back Tom Glavine 47 and bid farewell to free agent Chris Woodward 4, Cliff Floyd 30, Steve Trachsel 29, Chad Bradford 53 and Roberto Hernandez 39. Of these men, we'll obviously miss Floyd most of all, whom we wouldn't have guessed would grow so Metly when he arrived in the Winter Meetings four years ago. The Mets are also expected to name a third-base coach shortly, seeing as Manny Acta 3 a few weeks back was named manager of the Washington Nationals. The Mets reportedly are considering Howard Johnson and Gary Carter, among others, to take Acta's role.