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!

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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.

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.

Congratulations to David Wright, whose single last night extended his hitting streak to 24 games, tying a Met record shared by Hubie Brooks (1984) and Mike Piazza (1999).

Leaving aside for a second the idiotic debate over whether Wright’s “around the corner” hitting streak should “count”– the correct answer is, of course it should – and the larger question as to whether random counting records like this are important – they’re not – it does provide an example to muse briefly on the men who set the records.

It’s easy to associate David Wright with Hubie Brooks. Both were organization-bred third basemen wearing single-digit uniform numbers. And at the time they set hitting streaks each would be considered “answers” for the organization’s storied struggle to find third basemen. That story today is more like a legend seeing as since Brooks (Johnson, Ventura, Wright) third base has been a position of strength for the Mets.

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. 

 

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.

As threatened, the Mets recalled the six men below in time for yesterday's rainout. New arrivals Kelly Stinnett and Phillip Humber were dressed in Nos 36 and 49, respectively. (Thanks to readers Lou and Michael for the updates). Both numbers have been issued previously this season: Henry Owens wore 36 during his brief callup and 49 belonged briefly to Roberto Hernandez before he could pry 39 from Pedro Feliciano. In addition to being the digits favored by knuckleballers, 49 tends to be a relief pitcher's number for the Mets -- you have to go back until 1984 and Walt Terrell to find a regular starter who wore it, though Humber for the short term looks destined for spot-starts and relief work anyway.

Stinnett, who wore 33 for the Mets in 1995, becomes the latest member of the two-time Met club.

 

The following is exerpted from a note from reader Rory:

Willie Montañez -- I know the ñ is definitely part of his family name, but I'm not entirely sure whether the team sewed the tilde on too. Somebody told me that the Mets only started sewing names on their uniforms in 1979, and so that left only part of that season where Willie could have sported a tilde as a Met. Are there any pictures to prove it one way or the other?

Though we doubt we'd find a tilde if we found a picture (the '79 Mets, like this site, were lazy with that kinda thing), we haven't found a picture. Can anyone help? Let us know.

Roberto Hernandez promised writers he'd be wearing his old No. 39 for tonight's game -- and sure enough, he did. The veteran relief pitcher had been assigned 49 when he joined the Mets Tuesday but evidently was successful in prying the digits from Pedro Feliciano, who switched to the vacant 25 and summarily ended Chase Utley's hitting streak. The news here is Feliciano becoming the latest member of the exclusive Three-Number Club -- he previously suited up in 55 and 39.

Also this evening, word arrived that backup catcher Mike DiFelice has returned while Ramon Castro 11 hit the disabled list. No word yet on DiFelice's jersey, but it won't be the 33 he wore last year: That belongs to John Maine.

Roberto Hernandez re-joined the Mets today and was wearing No. 49 for tonight's Wagner-befouled game in Miami, when he confidently told SNY's Gary Cohen he'd be wearing No. 39 "by the time we get back to New York [Friday]." As detailed below, that may take some bribery of Pedro Feliciano, the current occupant. We'll be sure to keep you updated...

As expected Lastings Milledge was recalled to take Nady's spot, still wearing 44.

The Mets today sent Mike Pelfrey 34 back to Norfolk for more work and rather than recall Heath Bell, they gave Royce Ring a ring. Ring last appeared in a Met uni last summer wearing No. 22, but despite it being available again -- or perhaps in deference to the memory of the recently departed Xavier Nady -- Ring suited up tonight in No. 43, which belonged earlier this year to injured releiver Bartolome Fortunato. Pelfrey's demotion is a vote of confidence for John Maine 33, and his excellent stretch of starts.

Roberto Hernandez and Pedro Feliciano both appeared in tonight's game, wearing 49 and 39, respectively. We were reminded today of Deadline Uni Controversies of the past when reader Joseph submitted a regrettable one from 1989 -- Juan Samuel's failure to retain the No. 8 belonging to Gary Carter. Samuel settled for 7. More Uni Controversies here.