(June 29): The Mets swapped outfielders with Norfolk on Saturday, demoting Tsuyoshi Shinjo 5 and recalling Raul Gonzalez 21. On Sunday, they called back Jaime Cerda 43 and returned Jeremy Griffiths to Norfolk, yet another casualty of the dreaded No. 46.

The Mets on Thursday welcomed 2001's top draft pick, Aaron Heilman to the Big Leagues and he made his debut in No. 48. Mike Bascik 33 was demoted to make room

The Mets today called up pitcher Dan Wheeler, late of the Devil Ray and Atlanta organizations, and dressed him in the unremarkable No. 39 (If Art Howe had a sense of humor, he'd surrender his uni number so we could have an 18 WHEELER -- thanks gf!). To make room they demoted pitcher Jason Roach 57, who was uh, smoked in his only appearance.

The Mets debuted Jason Roach unsuccessfully on Saturday in Anaheim. Roach was issued No. 57, making him the first player ever to wear that number in a regular-season game. Pointlessly acquired X-Yankee reliever Mike Stanton 32 was meanwhile scheduled to hit the operating table.

MBTN is pleased in the meantime to welcome new GM Jim Duquette to the mix, and wish his contributions to the All-Time Roster are good ones.

With Rey Sanchez 10 onto the disabled yet again, the Jose Reyes era is getting an early start. The heralded Met shortstop prospect will make his Major League debut tonight, a day before his 20th birthday, wearing No. 7. The Mets also also welcomed back Timo Perez 6 and returned Raul Gonzalez 21 to Norfork.

Mike Stanton 32 and Jay Bell 44 have returned from their respective DL assignments, relegating replacements Pat Strange 38 and Marco Scutaro 26 to Norfolk.

Tony Clark appeared in Thursday's doubleheader wearing No. 52, changing from 00, explaining the former belonged to mascot Mr. Met. "A lot of kids have expressed their opinion that there's only one double-zero in their heart," Clark said. That may be true today but a uniform number is a recent development for the largeheaded one, who represented for years without one. Clark in the meantime just keeps on making history: He was the first Met player to wear 00 and now, the first to wear 52.

Jeremy Griffiths also made his major league debut Thursday, wearing the dreaded No. 46.

Two more Met vets hit the trainer's room this weekend: Mike Stanton 32 and Pedro Astacio 34. Stanton was disabled Saturday and was replaced by lefty starter Mike Bacsik 33. That move made more sense when the Mets revealed Sunday that Astacio will hit the DL. In his place, they've recalled Jeremy Griffiths, who will be making his first big-league appearance and is listed as wearing No. 65 (but would appear in 46).

Leave it to the Mets to see a player retire -- and have him replaced by guy even older. That was the news today when 40-year-old worn-out warrior David Cone 16 called it a career and was replaced on the roster by 42-year-old rehabbed reliever John Franco 45. Good luck to David, who joins Mo Vaughn among pretty good players who seem to have spent their last days of their careers with the '03 Mets.