Despite Gary Carter's assurances that he's only a phone call away, the Mets dialed Binghamton instead Friday to call up their newest guy, Nick Evans, who's expected to be in uniform today when the Mets continue their series in Colorado.

Evans will replace Marlon Anderson, who while fast approaching the day where the team would have to make a hard decision on him one way or another, pulled a hamstring and hit the disabled list instead.

Evans, we hear, is a right-handed power hitter who can play first, third and fake it in the outfield. He may be in the lineup this afternoon against Jeff Francis.

He's listed as No. 24 on the Bingo roster... we'll update you on his digits when we know 'em. ... but I like Gene's ida from thne comments in the below entry: Show Carter what you think of his grandstanding and dress him in 8.

 

 

I've enlisted Todd Hundley and Gregg Jefferies here to help celebrate the 9th birthday of Mets by the Numbers. (see a broken-linked proto-page from our rookie year of 1999 here. Go, Terrence Long!)

As I've recounted previously, the site when it launched was sort of a personal project to see whether it was possible for a fan (me) to remember the uniform number of every player who ever played for the Mets. Of course, it wasn't. I in fact wasn't even close to rememering every player who played for the Mets.

Fortunately for me, right around the time I was putting together this page for the first time, the Internet had sprouted another data-driven Mets site, the Ultimate Mets Database. Subsequent discussions with UMDB's creator indicate our sites couldn't have launched more than a few weeks apart at the most. With help from that starting point, and later, a small audience of devoted followers, we eventually got our act together, but as Wes Westrum might say, it was real cliff dweller.

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.

 

Looks like we’ll have to wait until tonight’s game in Milwaukee to see what number new second baseman Luis Castillo alights in, though we’d be very surprised if it’s not his familiar No. 1. Castillo was acquired yesterday for two minor leaguers with dubious futures, so we can’t get too excited over Castillo, a chubby slap-hitter, especially while Ruben Gotay 6 iseems to have so much thunder in his bat. That said we’re on board with the upgrade in defense and the stability Castillo ought to bring to the lineup everyday.

Nor is the exciterment too high over the fact that Carlos Beltran 15 will be out of action for another 2 or 3 weeks (maybe 4). (Maybe 5). (Who knows). That the Phillies and Braves have been very aggressive at the deadline so far seem to indicate they’re ready to fight this thing to end. Still waiting to hear how the Mets will work out the roster, and there’s still 4 more hours to make a non-waiver trade, so updates soon.

Paul LoDuca’s Saturday injury and the recent demotion of Sandsy Alomar Jr. meant the Mets on Sunday recalled Mike DiFelice for the umpteenth time in the last three years (Umpteen = 4). The news here is that DiDelice is in his third uniform number (9) after previous stints in 33 (2005) and 6 (2006). Mike Pelfrey 34 was sent down to make room.

The Mets as expected activated Dave Williams 32 prior to Sunday’s getaway in Houston and the Astros summarily beat him silly. The question as to who would be demoted to make room was answered when Ricky Ledee 9 was optioned to AAA.

The 8-3 loss sent the Mets limping into the break still in first place, but hardly looking like a championship team. While injuries have been a part of the struggle, it’s the performance of the guys out there everyday — particularly the right side of the infield — that’s really been a drag. That and the fact that some Mets just seem … unhappy. There’s Reyes sulking after bouncing out and and failing to run out grounders. There’s Heilman and his hangdog expression. LoDuca blowing up at umpires and/or the press. Wagner flattening a teammate with a comment in the papers.

Tim Bogar Lives (Aug. 30):The Mets this afternoon announced they had traded one-time prospect Victor Diaz, a former wearer of the 50 and 20 jerseys, to the Texas Rangers in exchange for minor league catcher Mike Nickeas. Ordinarily, we wouldn't get all excited over an exchange of minor leagers (Nickeas has been assigned to Class A St. Lucie), but this particular one provides hope that the Tim Bogar Trade Chain may live again after last rites had been administered. Bogar at the beginning of this season was the oldest Met who could be connected by trade to current Met(s), but Diaz' designation last week nearly spelled the end seeing as injuries already put the futures of pitchers Bartolome Fortunato and Victor Zambrano in similar danger. Bogar who debuted with the Mets in 1993, was traded to Houston for Luis Lopez, who went to Milwaukee for Bill Pulsipher, who went to Arizona for Lenny Harris, who went to Milwaukee for Jeromy Burnitz, whose trade to Los Angeles yeilded Victor Diaz and minor leaguer Joselo Diaz; the latter brought back Zambrano and  Fortunato in the regrettable Scott Kazmir trade. So here's to the future of young