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Congratulations to Matt Harvey, the Mets' first pick and seventh overall, in this year's amateur draft. Photos from his University of North Carolina career show Harvey wearing No. 43.

It will be some time before Harvey arrives, but hopefully not as much as Jesus Feliciano has waited. The Buffalo outfielder, who just turned 31 and has logged some 1,300 minor league games and nearly 5,000 plate appearances, was recalled to take the slot temporarily occupied by Omir Santos. No word yet on his uni number, although reader Dave Mackey points out Feliciano was wearing 23 in Buffalo (currently Chris Carter's uni here). Dave points out that 27 is free but I wouldn't be surprised if the Mets briskly re-issue the 19 last belonging to Gary Matthews Jr. as a means of instant palate-cleansing. We will update!

The accompanying photo is a wire photo of Jack Fisher, beneficiary of the 19 runs the Mets scored in May of 1964 to beat the Cubs, referred to below in the first Meet the Dicks post. A copy was sent along by reader Paul C. The caption, difficult to read in this shrunken size reads as follows:

CHICAGO -- With the New York Mets hitting like champions here 5/26 against the Cubs, and setting a new team record for hits and runs, Jack Fisher, shown here in dressing room, coasted and finished the game for the first time in 17 starts, eight of them this year, with his second win against three defeats. The last place Mets blasted 23 hits off six Cub hurlers for a 19-1 triumph.

Quick update before I head out to the park tonight (meet me at McFaddens! I'll be wearing No. 70):

Gary Matthews Jr. has been designated for assignment, at long last -- only to be replaced on the roster by ... surprise! ... Omir Santos, our old friend from last season who unfortunately is hitting Class AA pitching about as well as Sarge Jr. hit in the majors this year. This development was sparked by reports indicating Henry Blanco has been hurting. Omir you might recall wore No. 9 last time we saw him. 

Also returning to the squad, and reportedly in tonight's lineup, is infielder Ruben Tejada, who was recalled when Luis Castillo finally went onto the disabled list with achy breaky feet. Tejada wore No. 11 last time through.

What an unsatisfying week of Mets baseball this turned out to be. It'd be nice to get a few walkoff victories without first blowing leads, because the alternative is what we wound up with today. The continued ineffectiveness of both Gary Matthews Jr. and Frank Catalanotto has got to be pressuring the front office to do something by now, although Matthews looks like he'll be hard to move if only because he plays center field and most potential replacements do not. Chris Carter ought to be in Catalanotto's job by now but it wouldn't surprise me to see the Mets give Daniel Murphy the first shot, and allow his imminent return to light the fire.

Believe me, the bench is hardly the only thing wrong with this group. Jerry Manuel is still managing too passively and twisting himself in knots in pursuit of a "shutdown bullpen" that simply doesn't exist, and the starting pitching still has issues, chief among them Oliver Perez. The Nationals visit this week and we're not careful they could put us further behind them than we already are. Ack!

Amazin' Tuesday Update: Although we're saddened by the unfortunate closing of Two Boots Tavern on the Lower East Side, we're pleased to be back next week at Two Boots Grand Central. Join me, Greg Prince of Faith & Fear in Flushing; Taryn Cooper of My Summer Family and Josh Wilker, author the outstanding CARDBOARD GODS website and book, as we talk Mets, eat good pizza and watch the Mets-Braves game from Atlanta. As always your first beer is free in exchange for a Mets baseball card. Two Boots is located in the lower dining concourse at Grand Central Station. Hope to see you there!

Help me help my sister fight Lou Gehrig's Disease: Join me the in the Walk to Defeat ALS May 15 or sponsor my team. Thanks!

Words that rhyme with "Cory."

Outfielder Cory Sullivan has been recalled from AAA Buffalo in place of Fernando Nieve, the latest Met to suffer a debilitating injury.

Sullivan wore No. 12 in spring training but that number went to the newly acquired Jeff Francoeur ; so instead the Mets offered Sullivan the No. 19 jersey most recently belonging to Ryan Church.

P.S. -- Thanks for the tip, Metsgrrl. 

The debate over what number Jeff Francoeur ought to wear started in the post below long before I even knew we'd traded Ryan Church for him in a deal begging to be debated long after the Mets and Braves realize it hadn't helped them. Francoeur of course wore No. 7 with the Braves and won't with the Mets as long as Jose Reyes (remember him?) is employed. Let's look at the candidates:

No. 4: I like this one: Single-digit, tossed around amongst a bunch of bums ever since Robin Ventura left town eight years ago.

No. 6: Nick Evans was just demoted -- Angel Pagan returned from the DL -- and the addition of Francoeur does Evans' future no favors. But I like 6 as a scrubeenie signifier and would hate to see it wasted on a guy we'll come to remember -- good or bad -- as much as Francoeur. Didya know he's under team control for one more than Chuch? Oh yes. He's our right fielder through 2011 if we want him, and maybe if we don't Gulp.

No. 8: Still sitting there.

No. 12: Still unissued since Willie Randolph's departure but more of an infielder's number.

No. 19: If there's something to admire about this deal off-the-bat is how brazen a challenge trade it really is: Both right fielders, both considered disappointments, both teams in the same division, both more or less fighting for the same goal. Why not make it a true Del Unser Deal and change up the jerseys as well?

No. 27: Available even though we'll probably need Nelson Figueroa again. This, 47, and 77 are the easiest to imagine emerging from the 7 family if Francoeur prefer to stay with it.

Nos. 30, 32, 35 and 40 are open as well.

As for the trade, I fear it: It seems that if Church only played a little better he'd not have been traded to begin with but it takes more ignorance of on-base percentage than I'll ever have to think we haven't just made a bad offense even worse. That said, Francoeur is right-handed and young and may still become something; while Church, for whatever reason, has fallen out of favor with two clubs already.

Let the challenge begin.

In other troubling news they brought back Argenis Reyes when overmatched youngster Fernando Martinez went on the disabled list. And before I ever had a chance to enjoy his demotion.

Welcome back, Ryan Church. The brain-damaged Mets right fielder returned Friday after a lengthy absense while superfluous catcher Robinson Cancel was sent back down to AAA. A more difficult, Obama-picks-a-running-mate type question faces the Mets on Saturday, when unpopular second baseman Luis Castillo is expected to return from an extended break during which he was barely missed.

To be honest the solution ought to be clear if painful -- Argenis Reyes for all his good press isn't the kind of hitter you couldn't do without for a few days and to my knowledge only plays second base, so Castillo is probably an upgrade. Castillo in fact makes fewer outs than either Reyes or Damion Easley, and if actually and finally healthy, then he's the player they probably ought to have out there. A strong offensive showing out of the gate is essential though.

If Reyes won't go down you wonder how seriously they're ready to consider Duaner Sanchez who clearly isn't the same as he once was, while Luis Ayala is (what he was once but wasn't recently).

Met-Lovin' Big Shot George Thorogood is a guest on this week's episode of Mets Weekly on SNY, airing at 12:30 p.m. Saturday. The SNY people pursued Lonesome George as a profile subject after seeing the interview published here.

So the Mets along with introducing Johan Santana to the press today updated their 40-man roster so as to provide uni numbers for several players for the first time. From the bottom, it's

9 Marlon Anderson (switching from 23 for Brian Schneider)

16 Angel Pagan

19 Ryan Church

38 Matt Wise (Carlos Muniz is now listed in 32)

39 Jason Vargas (Vargas was 43 last season, we may see a flip with Stokes, below)

43 Brian Stokes

49 Ruddy Lugo (Phillip Humber, we barely miss ye)

61 Steven Register(likely to be the lowest of the high-numbered invitees)

Also worth noting is pitcher Adam Bostick in 72, giving him the highest number among the 40 men invited to camp. Among non-roster invitees, the deck is clear for Jose Valentin to take 22 and Ricardo Rincon to assume his usual 73.

Our post below guessed a few of these correctly at least. Keep in mind as always these numbers don't "count" until the games do, so nothing is official yet.

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.

(November 30, 2007 )