38

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.

As long as I was pointing out local media figures preying on what they considered to be a demanding and impatient fan base and poking the Mets with sticks to make a few headlines, I felt I should also point out that Mike Vaccaro of the Post has been providing a steady counterpoint more to my way of thinking.

I wouldn't necessarily agree with everything in this column, but compared to what John Harper's been shoveling this week in the News, it's a welcome contrast and -- would you believe?  -- perspective.

Numerically related content: Jason Bay wore 38 with the Pirates and most recently, 44 with the Red Sox. Fernando Nieve (I liked him quite a bit in his brief stay last year) owns the former at the moment while the latter went back on the market last week when the Mets declined to offer salary arbitration to disappointing signee Tim Redding. 

Gwreck wonders: Pending Phil Humber getting into a game, there will be no fewer than 10 (!) uniform numbers that were issued to more than one player during this 2006 season.

20 - Victor Diaz, Shawn Green
22 - Xavier Nady, Michael Tucker
25 - Kazuo Matsui, Pedro Feliciano
32 - Jeremi Gonzalez, Eli Marrero, Dave Williams
34 - Jorge Julio, Mike Pelfrey
36 - Henry Owens, Kelly Stinnett
39 - Pedro Feliciano, Roberto Hernandez
43 - Bartolome Fortunato, Royce Ring
49 - Roberto Hernandez, Phil Humber (pending)
59 - Alay Soler, Guillermo Mota

I'm pretty sure that's a record.

It's not! As with many season records concerning the Met population, 1967 dominates. In that year the Mets ran out a record 54 players, including 15 sets of like-number-wearing teammates, including four-of-a-kind at 38 (unfortunately, they weren't Aces). In the example below, Nolan Ryan assumes Humber's place as the rookie pitcher who saw no game action but occupied a jersey.

2 - Chuck Hiller, Phil Linz
5- Sandy Alomar, Ed Charles
6- Bob Johnson, Bart Shirley
18- Al Luplow, Joe Moock
19- Kevin Collins, Hawk Taylor
24- Johnny Lewis, Ken Boswell
26- Bob Shaw, Bill Graham
29- Danny Frisella, Nick Willhite
30- Dick Selma, Nolan Ryan
32- Jack Hamilton, Hal Reniff
33- Chuck Estrada, Bob Hendley
34- Jack Lamabe, Cal Koonce
35- Don Shaw, Billy Wynne
38- Ralph Terry, Dennis Bennett, Billy Wynne, Billy Connors
44- Bill Denehy, Al Schmelz

And there you have it. Great question!

In case you didn't see it, MBTN's meeting with the brilliant Paul Lukas of Uni Watch was published this week -- there's no higher recognition for a uni-centric web site. Be warned: Some language is not suitable for adults!

Today the Mets recalled Fernando Nieve from AAA Buffalo to take the place of JJ Putz who finally stopped pretending there wasn't something wrong with his arm. Nieve has reportedly been assigned No. 38. Nieve wore No. 50 in spring training, but that number went to Sean Green once Green decided he was unworthy of comparisons to Aaron Heilman (how right he was) and swapped in No. 48.

Not to say I told you so but we smelled trouble long before this Putz-Green-Heilman deal ever got done inasmuch as "addition by subtraction" is a concept that works great in opinion columns and talk radio but rarely on the baseball field. I'm not saying that time hadn't come to swap away Heilman (not to mention Endy Chavez, Joe Smith, Jason Vargas, Makiel Cleto,and Mike Carp) but seeing as we're looking at a $9 million fat guy having elbow surgery, a righty specialist who's already lost his job, and a reserve outfielder, this whole deal is looking pretty much like "subtraction by subtraction" so far.

Nieve by the way will be the third Fernando in uniform for the Mets, which has to be some kind of record.

Stop us if you heard this before: The Mets on Tuesday sent ineffective reliever Matt Wise to the disabled list for the second time this year and for the second time this year, recalled New Orleans closer Carlos Muniz to replace him.

As you might also know, Wise's arrival over the offseason inadvertently triggered Muniz to switch from his first-issued No. 38 and alight in 32, which he was also dressed in earlier this year.

As you also already know, the Mets held an especially unsatisfying press conference Monday during which Omar Minaya acted as if he didn't want Willie Randolph fired and Randolph continued pretending his team was OK and plays hard for him. They gave vaguely encouraging lip-service to a need to try and improve the team and suggested they had a lot of the same ideas (such as?) while perpetuating the myth that Randolph's remarks to Ian O'Connor deserved the attention and scrutiny they received, and that Randolph necessarily had anything to apologize for but the revolting play of his team.

* * *

A few more book-related events this week not to be missed: Tonight (actually Wednesday morning at 1 a.m., along with Matthew Silverman, guesting live in-studio on the Joey Reynolds Show on WOR-radio (and simulcast nationwide). You can listen to an archive of the event at the same address.

On Friday May 30, Matthew and I will host a book signing and pregame schmoozing at LaGuardia Holiday Inn's Pine Bar & Restaurant, at 5:30 p.m. Come on over, have a drink, buy a book for your Dad, or get yours signed. Afterwards we'll hoof it to Shea and catch the return of Joe Torre.

So disregard the nonsense about Adam Bostick and Willie Collazo and Joe Smith below -- the Mets on Tuesday afternoon abruptly changed course and recalled Claudio Vargas to the big club, along with Fernando Tatis, and re-activated reliever Matt Wise while designating both Nelson Figueroa and Jorge Sosa for assignment and putting outfielder Angel Pagan onto the disabled list.

While we applaud the Mets for being brave enough to sacrifice two players whose backstory (Figueroa) and contact (Sosa) might have won them chances better performing teammates might not have been given, the real story here is how the Mets will outfit Claudio Vargas -- the lefty released by the Brewers this spring -- in the same No. 39 jersey that injured prospect Jason Vargas was issued this spring (Jason Vargas wore 43 in his brief appearance last year). The newly arriving Tatis meanwhile will become the 29th wearer of the 17 jersey. Wise was and still is No. 38.

Both Figueroa and Sosa appear to have vanished from the Mets plans following respective poor performances Monday. MLB.com reported that the Mets were trying to trade Sosa -- they had during spring training as well -- and if he goes we'll remember him as the one spot-starter not to completely destruct in 2006. Figueroa and his luxury box full of Coney Island friends and family had a few nice starts before reminding us why he'd been without a big league job for so many years. We may see one or both back eventually -- Raul Casanova, after all, cleared waivers Tuesday and he's had as good a year as either of them.

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.