36

I fell asleep halfway through but for the first time in weeks the Mets didn't, earning a win behind some great defensive plays and a clutch hit by of all people, Jason Bay. And just like that, they look prepared to win a few games again (as long as they can resist bunting as much as they did last night).

I was kind of saddened to hear the team designated Fernando Nieve for assignment, even though I'm sure he'll land safely in Buffalo. But if you need an example of what's wrong with how Jerry Manuel uses the bullpen, here's your guy. Forced onto the team as a result of having no minor-league options, Nieve was used in the Mets' first four games, six of their first eight, and 9 of their first 13, a completely unsustainable pace. In all he made 24 appearances with one or no days rest. He was used in short relief and long relief, in close games winning, blowouts losing, and even got a start. Predictably, his effectiveness wobbled under the workload and he went from a 100-game pace to a forgotten man in an instant, which seems a waste of a young guy with a good repertoire if some control issues. Manny Acosta was recalled from Buffalo to take his place and outfitted in the same No. 36 he wore earlier this year.

Former Met coach and director of player development, Casey Stengel disciple, and Cardinal-managing nemesis Whitey Herzog will be enshrined in Cooperstown this weekend. Richard Sandomir of the Times has a nice article today focusing on Herzog's Mets career, quoting Keith Hernandez, Ralph Kiner ... and me.

I'd like to call out this nugget from MBTN reader Ranjrz25 in a recent comment section:

Acosta is the Mets' fourth Manny (not counting Acta)... all 4 have worn a number that's a mutiple of 6 (Alexander, 6; Aybar, Acosta, Hernandez, 36).

That's too, uh, Manny Mannies to remember. Let's give 'em a look.

I have no memory whatsoever of Manny Hernandez, a right-handed pitcher who made only one appearance for the Mets -- throwing a scoreless sixth inning in a 10-1 blowout loss at Montreal on Sept. 16, 1989. Hernandez was a product of the Houston Astros -- he'd played with the '86 NLCS opponent but not in the postseason -- but the Mets purchased him from the Twins' organization in the summer of '89 and recalled him that September. Hernandez hung around the Mets' minor leagues for another two years but never resurfaced, with the Mets or any other major-league club.

Manny Alexander was a hotshot shortstop prospect with the misfortune of having bashed into the glass ceiling beneath Cal Ripken in Baltimore: He would be acquired in a trade from the O's during spring training of 1997 (the Mets gave up minor league pitcher Hector Ramirez) and installed as a middle-infield backup. Alexander wasn't much of a hitter but I liked him in the backup role -- he was versatile, had some speed, didn't embarrass himself or the team with the glove and still had enough youthful fire to be a consideration to start. He'd be famously dealt away to the Cubs that August in the first move of Steve Phillips' burgeoning general managership: Included along with Mark Clark and Lance Johnson for Mel Rojas, Turk Wendell and Brian McRae in a trade that would reverberate for years to come. Alexander had another several years as a reserve and part-time starter ahead of him. (The photo at left is shown at the Mets Hall of Records).

Manny Aybar was part of the 2005 bullpen that took rookie skipper Willie Randolph a little while to figure out. The opening-day relief corps was stuffed with veterans including Aybar, Mike DeJean, Felix Heredia (with whom I conflate Aybar), Mike Matthews and Roberto Hernandez. Of those, only Hernandez would last the entire year; all the others would be released one by one. Aybar's climax was coughing up five runs in one inning (including issuing a bases loaded walk and three-run homer) in a shameful 12-2 blowout in Anaheim. That game and Aybar's subsequent release -- also the last of his big-league career -- set the mood for the miraculous Marlon Anderson/Cliff Floyd Game the following night.

We're already getting to know Manny Acosta and his dazzling terror: He possesses the kind of strikeout stuff that once prompted the Braves to make him their closer; also the propensity for meatballs and walks that got him released by the same club this spring.

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

Ryota Igarashi went onto the disabled list today with injuries sustained when attacked by a Koyie Hill bunt last night, and the Mets summoned former Brave and spring training waiver claim Manny Acosta to take his place. Reports said Acosta will be suited up in No. 36, a number worn last year by Ken Takahashi and not by a Met of significance since, uh, Greg McMichael or, perhaps, Ed Lynch. I guess maybe Grant Roberts would count if only for the hype and front-page bong hits.

Acosta, you might remember, is one 10,000 men who've been the closer for the Atlanta Braves during the Bobby Cox Era and should, but probably won't, serve as a reminder to the Mets that they're still trying way too hard to capture this elusive 8th-inning thunder. If they weren't, Igarashi might never have needed to take the mound last night in the first place. 

The photo above of the Bobbsey Twins (Bob "Righty" Miller and Bob "Lefty" Miller) comes from our friend Paul, who noted it was a wire photo dated May 8, 1962.The Mets were at Wrigley Field that day, as the scoreboard in the background should give away, and we won -- a momentus occasion indeed.

One interesting fact that photo unfortunately doesn't show is that on that day, the uniform Lefty Miller is wearing was No. 23 -- and not the No.36 he'd be dressed in once he appeared in a Mets game. That's because although Lefty Miller was obviously with the club -- he'd only just been traded for two days before, from the Reds for Don Zimmer -- by the time the Mets returned from this roadtrip Miller was assigned to the minors and Joe Christopher called up: He'd be wearing No. 23 when Miller returned.

The other gentleman in the photo -- like the newest Met, Gary Matthews Jr. -- is notable for having been one of 35 men who've played for the Mets, then someone else, then the Mets again. Few have made their second go-round significantly better than their first, but Bob Miller did, and we may as well hope Matthews can. Behold the list:

Frank Lary                             1964                      1965                      17

Al Jackson                             1962-65                 1968-69                 15/38

Jim Gosger                             1969                      1973-74                 18/19, 5

Bob L. Miller                         1962                      1973-74                 24/30

Ray Sadecki                          1970-74                 1977                      33

Tim Foli                                  1970-71                 1978-79                 19

Mike Jorgensen                      1970-71                 1980-83                 16/22

Dave Kingman                       1975-77                 1981-83                 26

Rusty Staub                           1972-75                 1981-85                 4, 10/10

Tom Seaver                           1967-77                 1983                      41

Bill Almon                              1980                      1985                      25/2

Lee Mazzilli                            1976-81                 1986-89                 12, 16/13

Clint Hurdle                           1983, 1985             1987                      33/13/7

Alex Trevino                          1978-81                 1990                      29/6

Hubie Brooks                        1980-84                 1991                      62, 39, 7/7

Jeff McKnight                        1989                      1992-94                 15/5, 7, 17, 18

Kevin McReynolds                  1987-91                 1994                      22

Greg McMichael                    1997-98                 1998-99                 36

Bobby Bonilla                        1992-95                 1999                      25

Josias Manzanillo                   1993-95                 1999                      39

Jeff Tam                                 1998                      1999                      38, 36/36

Bill Pulsipher                          1995, 1998             2000                      21/25

Lenny Harris                          1998                      2000-01                 19

Pete Walker                           1995                      2001-02                 49/43

Roger Cedeno                       1999                      2002-03                 19

Jeromy Burnitz                       1993-94                 2002-03                 5/20

Tsuyoshi Shinjo                      2001                      2003                      5

David Cone                           1987-92                 2003                      44, 17/16

Todd Zeile                             2000-01                 2004                      9/27

Roberto Hernandez                2005                      2006                      39/49, 39

Kelly Stinnett                         1994-95                 2006                      33/36

Marlon Anderson                   2005                      2007                      18/23

Brady Clark                           2002                      2008                      15/44

Anderson Hernandez              2005-07                2009                      1, 4/11 

 

Meet Bob Miller and Bob Miller.

They weren't related but shared a name and a Polo Grounds locker room for the 1962 Mets, becoming one of the mildly amusing sidelights in that sadly comic debut season.

 

That's Robert Lane Miller on the left. He came to the Mets in the expansion draft from St. Louis, where he was a 1957 Bonus Baby and though unproven at the major league level, was just 23 with a promising right arm. Observers of the '62 squad would say Bob L. Miller (No. 24 in your scorecards) had some of the best "stuff" on staff, but they also felt he hadn't handled adversity well despite getting his share of it with a 1-12 record. He was traded after the season to the Dodgers and quietly began building a solid resume as a relief pitcher. Miller wound up pitching for 17 seasons for 11 different teams -- including the Mets again in 1973 and '74, when he suited up in No. 30. In retirement Miller became the first pitching coach in the history of the Toronto Blue Jays, and was a scout for the Giants when he was killed in an auto accident in 1993.

His roundfaced teammate to the right was Robert Gerald Miller, also a former Bonus Baby (Detroit, 1953) but a lefthanded minor-league journeyman when acquired by the '62 Mets in midseason.Bob G. pitched exclusively in relief for the '62 Mets, including five times in relief of Bob L. Miller, racking up a 2-2 record but a 7.08 earned-run average that year, wearing No. 36. He was released shortly after the season and never pitched in the majors again, but confessed to reporters he was often mistaken for his more accomplished teammate.

BIG thanks to longtime MBTN supporter Ed A. for providing the cards (he sent along even more cool stuff we'll get to). And stay tuned for ruminations on the Bobby Joneses, Pedro Martinezes and Mike Marshalls.

That's my question upon learning the Mets sucessufully vomited Billy Wagner onto the Red Sox like he was a lead in a 2006 NLCS game. Bye bye Billy.

Wagner's spot on the roster will be filled by Pat Misch, up for the second time in the last few days. Misch was initially brought up when the Mets designated Andy Green for assignment, then demoted the next day when Ken Takahashi returned.

Meantime, you may have heard that Johan Santana joined the DL and will return in the spring. Presumably. He's been replaced by Nick Evans. Just as earlier this year, in case you forgot: Misch is wearing 48; Takahashi is in 36 and Evans in the immortal No. 6.

 I'd say more but I'm taking the week off!

Being a positive guy who desperately wants to like the team he roots for I'm hoping there's some hidden benefit at work amid the recent managerial misadventures of Jerry Manuel. But they cannot be worth the the price in bad baseball we've witnessed this week.

For the second time in as many series against the Marlins, Jerry overmanuevered the Mets into losing two of three winnable games. He pulled his starters too early, inserted relievers unnecessarily and/or curiously, and this afternoon, publically flipped off Ramon Castro and called it a pinch-hitting decision.

None of it worked, and the team, once again, seems to be taking on the passive and frightened style of its manager.

I admire Jerry and came into the year convinced he possessed a good understanding of what troubled this team and how to fix it but it seems he's determined to demonstrate that the hard way. I can't imagine Castro sees much more time with the Mets, and wonder what it might take to get Ken Takahashi to show that No. 36 he got the other day. Yeah, David Wright could make it all go away with a few well-timed hits but he's struggled before too. Onto Philly.

The good news is that Mike Pelfrey feels his bout with tendonitis is behind him. The bad news is that it cost the Mets two pitchers to cover his one missed start.

Yesterday word came that sidearming Rule 5 draftee Darren O'Day was claimed by the Texas Rangers, wholike the Mets are now required to keep him on their roster all year or -- like the Mets -- risk losing him on a waiver claim. O'Day was designated when the Mets recalled Nelson Figueroa take Pelfrey's start Sunday.

Figgy was subsequently designated following his start in favor of Casey Fossum -- and with the gruesome twosome of Perez and Maine following him in the rotation, avialable long relief was handy. Figueroa like O'Day was subject to waivers but went unclaimed. Nevertheless he refused a return engagement with Buffalo and declared free agency, today's Daily News reported.

All this -- Maine and Perez's awful starts in St. Louis this week included -- may eventually hasten the arrival of Freddy Garcia, who started his first game this week in Buffalo.

 

 

With Mike Pelfrey skipping a start with forearm tendonitis, this afternoon's series finale against the Brewers will be started by Nelson Figueroa, recalled from Class AAA Buffalo.

Figueroa's arrival -- along with his entire family in a luxury box, you figure -- required the Mets make a corresponding roster move which could cost them sidearming reliever Darren O'Day for the long term. Rule 5 of the draft -- or the mechanism with which the Mets acquired O'Day last winter -- stipulates that O'Day must first be offered back to the Angels for cash. The Angels could also ask the Mets to trade soemthing for O'Day. If neither of those options are selected, O'Day will be exposed to waivers for any team to select. And if not selected there, he'd become a free agent, a la, Rocky Cherry, and sign on with anyone he chooses.

Obviously you hope it doesn't come to that although it's hard to argue O'Day over his first few appearances merits the sacrifice of any of his teammates either. 

This team has me so on edge I'm finding it hard just to record coherent thoughts about it but wanted to toast the addition of Bobby Parnell to the sacred scrolls: last week he became the 848th Met of all-time, the 50th player of 2008 and the second No. 39 this year: Claudio Vargas wore No. 39 earlier this year.

It also appears that Parnell will be the last of the 2008 Mets: Word came this evening that the Mets had let Gustavo Molina -- the first of four No. 6s and the last of four 29s this season -- to get a head start on winter ball, prompting the question of there being any politer spin of "Clean out your locker, Meat." They also released erstwhile would-be closer Al Reyes before Reyes ever received a ball in a Met game, begging the unfathomable: Just how bad does a guy have to be to not get a job in the Mets' bullpen? Don't answer. Let's go Mets!

* * *

On unrelated notes, I want to pass along a link to Kevin's cool NumerOlogy site and his exclusive interview with obscure lefthander John O'Donoghue. In a it's-a-small-world-after-all coincidence, I'd interviewed O'Donoghue myself 15+ years ago when I was a cub reporter at a newspaper in his hometown.

Speaking of odd connections, Greg over at Faith & Fear is among those whose recent example finally convinced me to try the whole social networking thing: You're welcome to visit my new Facebook page and see if anything comes of it.