So I did guest spot on a radio show the other day.

As part as the publicity around the MBTN book, I’ve done a few of these in recent months, and while I still blurt out way too many “umms” and “yaknows” it feels like I’ve actually gotten better as I’ve gone along. My gameplan for these interviews has generally been to go up there with the idea of simply putting it in play: I might drive the right question to the gap and maybe leg out the extra base, but I’m mainly up there trying not to whiff.

At the risk of taking this tortured analogy any further, it was a rough first inning in Houston. I ably handled an introduction glitch before Richard Justice of KGOW 1560 The Game (and the Houston Chronicle) surprised me with a first-pitch curve.

“What’s wrong with the Mets?” he asked.

If you listen in I mumbled something about an inconsistent offense and pitching issues that staffs typically encounter in April, but I’m not sure that’s it at all, necessarily. I mean, not all of it. The fact is this has been a remarkably average team over the last year (68-68 since last May 30, says this guy) and I’d argue that stretch of averageness actually proceeds it, goes back to September of 2006 and foretold the lethargic offense that more than anything else cost the Mets a chance to play in another World Series that year. And that resembles 2005, results-wise at least, when the Mets rested at .500 at more points than in any other year in team history but somehow looked better doing so.

So maybe that’s it. Being an OK team in a pretty good era is pretty much what they are under Willie and Omar. And while they’re capable of more the record shows early 2006 was the exception and not the rule. Their particular problems haven’t been quite the same every year, much less every night, beyond injuries and age.

When Justice got to the part about whether Randolph should be fired I pleaded pateience. Until Memorial Day, at least.

Anyway, in the interest of being better prepared next time, I put it to you readers: Tell me how you'd answer: What’s wrong with the Mets? Use the comments below.

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Thanks to David Moore and Crooked Number for still more help with the web page, which continues to be a masterpiece in the making. You might notice that names on the player pages now read in in proper order. Mookie Wilson > Wilson, Mookie, don't you think?

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Moises Alou is rumored to rejoin the team in time for tonight’s opener in Phoenix but until I see 18 in left field I’m not holding my breath. Not clear at this point whether Brian Schneider gets DL’ed or whatever. Not that I'm interested in starting a reputation for the guy or anything but Schneider's had three separate injuries already and his next extra-base hit will be his first. Fitting right in.

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Cool new book review published by Baseball America (pictured above) and featured, quiz-style, in the latest issue of Mets Inside Pitch.

Another injury to Brian Schneider this afternoon required the Mets to reach down to AAA and recall catcher Gustavo Molina, dressing him, appropriately enough, in No. 6. Brady Clark, who passed through undistinguishedly wearing No. 15 in 2004, may see his run in No. 44 this year similarly brief and forgettable: He was designated for assignment to make room for Molina (pictured at left thanks to MBTN reader Gordon).

As readers of this site know well, no number in Mets history has been issued as often as No. 6. Molina, if and when he makes his official Mets debut, would be the number's 34th occupant and the first since Ruben Gotay, who was designated for assignment and claimed by the Braves shortly before the season began. No. 6's colorful and scrubbily insignificant history includes three issues in the team's maiden season of 1962 (Jim Marshall, Cliff Cook and Rick Herrscher); three issues in 1990 (Mike Marshall, Alex Trevino, Darren Reed) and a mind-boggling four giveaways in 2004 (Ricky Gutierrez, Gerald Williams, Tom Wilson and Jeff Keppinger).

Even the number's longest-term occupants (Al Weis and Wally Backman) owned reputations as guys who overachieved their way to prominence: Weis was a light-hitting backup infielder for the 1969ers who masde a strong case to be MVP of the 1969 World Series; Backman, of course, overcame doubts early in his career and the need for a platoonmate throughout it, to carve out a nine-season run in No. 6 on pure grit.

Below is a list of the most popular issues in Met jersey history through April 25 2008, and including Molina:

No.       No. of Players to wear it          Notes

6          34         Issued a team-record four times in 2004.

34         30         Longest tenure: Danny Frisella (1970-72).                       

17         30         20 position players; 10 pitchers.

19         28        Current occupant: Ryan Church 

35         28         Longest tenure: Rick Reed (5 years).

38         27         12 players in 9 years between Roger Craig (1963) and Buzz Capra (1971)

11         27         26 position players, 1 pitcher.

33         27         14 pitchers; 13 position players. 

43         26         Issued twice in ’66, ’97, ’98 and ‘02

26         26         One All-Star starter: Dave Kingman (1976)          

29         26         Best player to wear it gave it up too soon: Ken Singleton

1          25         Everyone wants to be No. 1; most should think twice

Aging pinch-hitter Marlon Anderson is expected to get his first start of the year Tuesday afternoon as the Mets wrap up a quick visit to Wrigley, and hopefully, jump-start a bat that's been slumbering for much of the early going.

The start would also be Anderson's first while wearing No. 9 -- he changed into it this offseason after the Mets acquired Brian Schneider, who received 23. Anderson wore 18 in his go-round with the Mets in 2005 but that number now belongs to Moises Alou.

Anderson is the 23rd player to wear at least 3 different Met uniform numbers and if 9 turns out to be the worst of the three he won't be alone: David Cone (16); Ron Darling (15) and Kevin Elster (15) are right there with him among players whose third uniform was their worst. And though .067 is a tiny sample, Anderson at the moment looks a lot like the guy released by the Dodgers a year ago.

On the other hand, for Hubie Brooks (7), Cleon Jones (21) and even the patron saint of multple jersey wearers, Jeff McKnight (7) the third time was a charm.

See the complete list here...

Thanks as usual to a great readership we destroyed the Kingman Kontroversy in a matter of hours and moved on to still more mystery.

First up, on the right is a 1981 program showing a spring training photo of Dave Kingman (wearing No. 5, obscured by his bat) along with Rusty Staub. Both TommieCleon and SJR provided me with this image -- apparently published at least twice that season (once pre-strike, once post-strike).

On the left is a weird All-Star insert card provided by TommieCleon, also showing Kong with the partially obscured No. 5.

As detailed in the comments in the post below this, this controversy reminded me of another "false positive" Kingman spring. This one was 1975. Tonight I cracked open the '75 yearbook to find the below photo, showing the newly acquired Kingman in a St. Petersburg batting cage wearing No. 4 but with a roster, dated March 27, noting Kingman would wear 26 once the season began. Adding to this confusion were photos of Rusty Staub also wearing 4 -- but they dated to 1974. Staub that spring was wearing 10 for the first time -- he'd ditched 4 after Duffy Dyer was traded that winter.

Now things get really weird. When that 1975 season finally began, it was April 8, a Tuesday day game against the Phillies -- 33 years ago today. I was at Shea with my Dad, and Kingman hit a home run. We won 2-1 that day as Seaver outdueled Carlton.

Tonight I learned that today's disappointing home opener against the Phillies was attended by Dave Kingman.

I don't know what it means either. 

 * Before today's game, Matt Wise was placed on the disabled list with a stiff forearm. The surprise recallee, Carlos Muniz, pitched this after noon wearing No. 32. Muniz wore 38 last year before Wise arrived this winter.

The Mets submitted their opening day roster Sunday and where some people (like me) expected to see Tatis, Stokes and Hernandez they instead saw Clark, Smith and Pelfrey.

That's OK with me, particularly after fans digested a triple order of unpleasant news Friday in the snatching of effective-but-subuseful Ruben Gotay, another seeming cutworthy effort from infuriating suspect Mike Pelfrey and a news item detailing Fernando Tatis' being issued team luggage while Brady Clark twisted in the wind. Clark by the way not only got luggage but a new shirt to pack in it: He'll be wearing No. 44 when the season begins Monday in Miami. Although Clark had worn 15 in his first go-round with the Mets years back, he'd been wearing 93 this spring: The highest in camp among those with a prayer of making it.

Smith, whose ineffective spring and option situation made him an interesting choice over the similarly ineffective but less controllable fireballer Brian Stokes, is a surprise roster qualifier for the second straight year. Stokes was designated for assignment: No word where he alights next.

Those moves complete an all-time Met roster that today grows by six fiirst-time arrivals (Angel Pagan 16, Ryan Church 19, Brian Schneider 23, Raul Casanova 30, Matt Wise 38 and Johan Santana 57), as well as the debut of Clark (44) and Marlon Anderson (9) in new numbers.Howard Johnson returns to No. 20 for the coaching staff, along with new arrivals Dave Racaniello, Juan Lopez and Sandy Alomar Jr.

Glad you're back too!

Seen here is a video still from yet another regrettable moment in Mets uniform history as captured by the remarkable Paul C. Yes that's mercifully deposed announcer Fran Healy, along with Howie Rose, showing off their custom Mercury Mets jerseys during the schlocky promotion on July 27, 1999.

Paul sent this beaut along after reading in our interview published recently that Howie prefers No. 14 (reader Steve R. in the meantime recalled Howie telling the story of wearing No. 36 at a Met fantasy camp). So why 21? Just guessing here, but you may recall the whole turn-ahead-the-clock jersey fiasco was a marketing trainwreck hatched by the geniuses at realty company Century 21. The game, they wanted us to imagine, took place in the Year 2021 (wow! That far ahead?)

Until now the best photo we'd had of Mercury Mets attire came from Dave Murray, aka Mets Guy in Michigan, who this week declared Mets by the Numbers to be "the best book ever written." Aw... Thanks!

And speaking of the greatest blogger of all-time, joining Dave on the links column to the left is No No-Hitters, a site devoted to the New York Mets’ dubious streak of having never pitched a no hitter in franchise history. Personally I find no-hitters just random enough events to not-so-secretly hope this streak continues for another 46 years. I was relieved when Glavine choked one away in 2004. Glavine? In 2004? Go, Kit Pellow!

Still you gotta admire the obsessiveness and attention to detail that site exhibits

If you're in New York this Saturday, don't forget to check out the SABR meeting, where I'll be doing a short presentation and then signing books with co-author Matt Silverman. There's a small admission fee, but its more than worth it to be involved. There's usually some stuff for collectors, plenty of baseball books (and writers) on hand, there's an impossible trivia contest and interesting presentations. And fewer pocket-protectors than you would think. 10 a.m. at the Mid-Mahattan Library at 5th Ave. & 40th.

Thanks to readers Kevin and John who informed me of some minor errors in the player profiles they'd come across (Benny Agbayani, Ron Taylor, Vince Coleman and a few others). The new format fortunately makes these things very easy to fix, so don't hesitate to inform me if something looks goofy. The majority of these "player views" by the way are nothing much to look at yet, but I'll be adding to them gradually. Some include photos and/or brief bios already.

Meanwhile in Metland, how about a round of applause for handsome young Fernando Martinez, who was reassigned to minor league camp but had little to be ashamed of, leaving behind a mark of .340/.373/.426, with four doubles and just seven whiffs in 47 spring training at-bats wearing No. 67. MBTN reader Kevin, yes, the same one looking up Vince Coleman, suggests turning speculation over what number F-Mart wears when/if he returns in the regular season into a game. This of course is a great idea.

In the comments section below, please submit your guess as to what number will be issued to Fernando Martinez upon his regular-season debut with the Mets. Keep in mind this exercise may require you to further speculate as to the time (or year, even) at which he arrives so as far as I'm concerned all number guesses are valid. I'll try to keep track and offer a prize (how about a signed book?) to the winner.

Currently, you needn't be logged in to comment, but it may aid in tracking you down in the event you win. Politic all you want, but be a sportsman and enter just once.

Word also today that along with a few of the longer shots (Joselo Diaz, Nate Field, etc.) chubby veteran pinch-hitting hopeful Olmedo Seanz was assigned to minor league camp. Could a guy who wears No. 93 (Brady Clark) make the team? Just might. A trade could very well be in the works as well.

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.

You may have seen a few posts back the exclusive interview with Kelvin Torve, whose "accidental" issue of the 24 jersey in 1990 caused a minor stir among Met fans and a major event in team history when viewed through the numeric prism. Photographic evidence of the event was difficult to come by, to say the least -- even a thorough re-examination of Mets Inside Pitch issues from 1990 produced nothing.

That was before MBTN user TommieCleon (aka Paul C) stepped up to the plate, and just like Kelvin Torve on Aug. 9, 1990, smashed one off the wall. Pictured here are videocaps from that historic occassion -- not only one of the few games Torve spent wearing No. 24, and not only his best moment -- his pinch double drove in 2 runs including the game-winner and made him a hero -- but for the lengthy, violent, bench-clearing brawl that occurred only an inning before.

The brawl was precipitated when Phillies pitcher Pat Combs returned fire to Dwight Gooden, then hitting. Gooden earlier in the game had hit Phillies Dickie Thon and Tommy Herr with pitches. Tension between the Mets and Phillies had dated to a year before when Darryl Strawberry and Darren Daulton tangled.

Will the indignities ever end for Ben Johnson? Here's a guy who, a year ago at this time, was optimistically looked upon as an up-and-comer with a shot at stealing at least a part-time job in the Mets outfield. While visions of another Xavier Nady were a stretch, Johnson, like Nady, was a young outfielder with some nascent skills acquired in a trade with the Padres. His chances of making the team last spring were reflected in his slot on the 40-man roster and the dignified uni number, 4.

But after a year spent mainly nursing injuries in AAA and flubbing what seldom chances he got with the Mets (5 hits in 27 at-bats), the Mets assigned No. 4 to weak-hitting infielder Anderson Hernandez and Johnson was released this winter. Heath Bell, the relief pitcher traded to San Diego for Johnson, had in the meantime had established himself as one of the league's top set-up men, not that the Mets could have used one of those last season. Cough.

Recently re-signed to a minor league deal by the Mets, Johnson is reporting to camp this week in No. 92. Not that we've ever kept these kinds of records but if there's a larger drop from one camp the next than 88 digits, we'd like to know.