Archive for Met Mysteries

Souperdooper

May 10, 2014 Met Mysteries No comments

68The Mets after Friday’s awful game said they would summon Eric Campbell from AAA Las Vegas, presumably so Josh Satin can pop up with men on base out there.

Campbell was one of the spring’s more pleasant surprises, hanging in there in part because of time off for David Wright and Daniel Murphy, but also demonstrating an ability to play all over the place and hit a little too. In Las Vegas, he’s well over the magical 300/400/500 slashline (355/424/525 in fact), walking, hitting doubles and a few home runs, and playing first, second, third, short, left, right and even pitching an inning (not a particularly good one, but what more can the guy do). Hit better than Satin so far, hopefully. Geez.

Campbell wore No. 68 during Spring Training and was wearing 24 in Vegas. Available now are 2, 23, 29, 34, 43 and 46. Put us down for 23.

UPDATE: Sure enough they gave him 29. Heartless!

 

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To Be Named Later

April 21, 2014 Met Mysteries, Uncategorized 2 comments

Good morning. Quick note to catch up on the rapidly evolving and possibly improving 2014 Mets.

Kyle Farnsworth,  whom I don’t like, has taken over closing duties from Jose Valverde,  whom I don’t trust, but the question remains who’s next once Farnsworth has proven untrustworthy. Seems so far that Gonzalez Germen has the results and Jeurys Familia the stuff but I have this crazy notion of shocking the world behind Dice K-loser. Unless things get really bad we’ll probably learn again this year that who closes doesn’t matter all that much, as long as someone does.

29On the other hand, who plays first base every day does matter,  and I’m relieved to see they finally did something about that. I ran out of patience with Ike Davis a few years ago and long since resigned myself to the fact that he was destined to go cheaply in a trade. There’s some buzz out there that the Player To Be Named is significant;  I’d guess potentially so, given that’s the best way to describe Ike too. So long, Ike.  Like Steve Trachsel you were a pretty good representative of No. 29 but it didn’t end well.

53This morning we get the news that ancient chunky hit machine Bobby Abreu will arrive to take Ike ‘ place as lefthanded pinch hitter. I have to say I like having a “professional hitter” with no dreams of being a starter ever again to be hitting late-inning doubles for me, and Abreu joins what looks to be a pretty solid bench.

Abreu is notable for having worn the oddish No. 53 all those years with the Phillies. I can’t imagine the shelved Jeremy Hefner would mind loaning it to Bobby because I can’t imagine a scenario where their active careers overlap again. Twenty-nine is available too now but, no.

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Meet This Year’s Special Guest Veteran Closer

February 13, 2014 Met Mysteries 4 comments

47The Mets on Wednesday announced Jose Valverde as the second candidate to become this year’s Special Guest Veteran Closer, a role played a year ago by Brandon Lyon and LaTroy Hawkins and the year before by Jason Isringhausen.

Valverde at one time was a heck of a closer for Detroit, but became something of a gasbag by 2012. One of his competitors in Mets camp is the mookish Kyle Farnsworth, himself a former 100-mph freak but more recently the kind of guy teams reach for when they’re unsure of the health of their closer. I guess the Mets sort of qualify.

Farnsworth has been issued No. 44, which is the number I recall him wearing back when he was a phenom with the Cubs. No word yet on Valverde’s digits though he’s most often worn 47. That number currently belongs to Andrew Brown, whose own path to a job this year appears difficult, especially if Josh Satin really learns how to play the outfield.

Purely as a matter of taste I’d prefer the demonstrative Valverde over the combustible Farnsworth but history suggests we stand a pretty good chance of seeing both, or neither. Let’s see how it goes.

 

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Tweet It Out Loud

January 29, 2014 Met Mysteries 3 comments

 

In case you didn’t hear, that’s hot Mets pitching prospect Noah Syndergaard on the Twitter this afternoon. And we’re happy to report that if 34 is what he wants, it’s currently available. That’s not to say he’ll necessarily get it, although with a relative dearth of established big-leaguers accompanying Syndergaard to camp this year it could certainly happen.

Thirty four is perhaps known best as Mike Pelfrey’s number, though for some reason I also flash on nondescript reliever Tom Martin. Also Jim McAndrew. Also Junior Ortiz.

Following is a list of minor leaguers, 40-man adds, and other assorted newbies expected to be in big-league camp this year and seeking a new uni assignment:
PITCHERS (40 man)
Bartolo Colon
Jacob deGrom
Eric Goeddel
Steven “Meet the” Matz
Ryan Reid
Jeff Walters
PITCHERS (NRI)
Daisuke Matsuzaka
Joel Carreno
Miguel Socolovich
Jack Leathersich
Adam Kolarek
Chasen Bradford
John Church
Jeremy Hefner
Rafael Montero
Syndergaard
Cory Mazzoni
Logan Verrett

CATCHERS (NRI)
Taylor Teagarden
Kevin Plawecki

INFIELDERS (NRI)
Brandon Allen
Eric Campbell
Anthony Seratelli
Daniel Muno

OUTFIELDERS (40 Man)
Chris Young
OUTFIELDERS (NRI)
Dustin Lawley
Cory Vaughn
Brandon Nimmo

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Rock & Roll Over

January 26, 2014 Met Mysteries 5 comments

Only a short week or two before ballplayers begin trickling into Port St. Lucie to begin another season and respective number assignments reveal themselves. It seems as though there’s been considerable turnover from 2013, which not only featured a lot of different players (53 in all), but an unusually large number of oddball high assignments. That’s in part because there were numbers occupied all year by guys who didn’t play much due to injury (Tim Byrdak, Pedro Feliciano); and others by guys who couldn’t establish themselves (Colin Cowgill, Kirk Nieuwenhuis); and that set the team wheeling and dealing, often for scrubs who themselves were short-lived (Rick Ankeil, Aaron Laffey, Aaron Harang, etc.). There’s also the fact the manager and most of the coaches have been occupying traditional “player” numbers (7, 10, 18, 25, 26).

In all, 28 players made their debut with the 2013 Mets. A conservative estimation reveals at last 21 2013 Mets won’t be back, freeing up some prime numerical real estate. Currently there are 7 players on the 40-man awaiting assignment (Bartolo Colon, Jacob deGrom, Erik Goeddel, Steven Matz, Ryan Reid, Jeff Walters, Chris Young), as are at least 20 non-roster invitees. A quick look:

No. 2013 occupant(s) 2014 assignment
1 Jordany Valdespin Vacant
2 Justin Turner Vacant
3 Omar Quintanilla Curtis Granderson
4 Collin Cowgill, Wilmer Flores Flores
5 David Wright Wright
6 Marlon Byrd, Matt den Dekker den Dekker
7 Bob Geren Geren
8 Vacant Vacant
9 Kirk Nieuwenhuis Nieuwenhuis
10 Terry Collins Collins
11 Ruben Tejada Tejada
12 Juan Lagares Lagares
13 Josh Satin Satin
14 Retired Retired
15 Travis d’Arnaud d’Arnaud
16 Rick Ankeil, Daisuke Matsuzaka Matsuzaka?
17 Vacant Vacant
18 Tim Teufel Teufel
19 Zach Lutz Lutz
20 Anthony Recker Recker
21 Lucas Duda Duda
22 Eric Young Young
23 Mike Baxter Vacant
24 Vacant Vacant
25 Ricky Bones Bones
26 Tom Goodwin Goodwin
27 Jeurys Familia Familia
28 Daniel Murphy Murphy
29 Ike Davis Davis?
30 David Aardsma Vacant
31 Vacant Vacant
32 LaTroy Hawkins Vacant
33 Matt Harvey Harvey
34 Brandon Lyon Vacant
35 Dillon Gee Gee
36 Collin McHugh, Juan Centano Centano
37 Retired Retired
38 Shawn Marcum, Vic Black Black
39 Bobby Parnell Parnell
40 Tim Byrdak Vacant
41 Retired Retired
42 Retired Retired
43 Sean Henn Vacant
44 John Buck, Aaron Harang Vacant
45 Zack Wheeler Wheeler
46 Greg Burke Vacant
47 Aaron Laffey, Andrew Brown Brown
48 Frank Francisco Vacant
49 Jon Niese Niese
50 Scott Atchison Vacant
51 Dave Hudgens Hudgens
52 Carlos Torres Torres
53 Jeremy Hefner Hefner?
54 Vacant Vacant
55 Pedro Feliciano Vacant
56 Scott Rice Rice
57 Johan Santana Vacant
58 Jennry Mejia Mejia
59 Dan Warthen Warthen
60 Vacant Vacant
61 Vacantr Vacant
62 Vacant Vacant
63 Vacant Vacant
64 Vacant Vacant
65 Vacant Vacant
66 Josh Edgin Edgin
67 Vacant Vacant
68 Vacant Vacant
69 Vacant Vacant
70 Wilfredo Tovar Tovar
71 Gonzalez Germen Germen
72 Vacant Vacant
73 Robert Carson Vacant
74-99 Vacant Vacant
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Once, Twice, Three Times A Quintanilla

January 20, 2014 Met Mysteries, Uni Controversies One comment

Making small headlines over the weekend was the Mets’ annual signing of reserve infielder Omar Quintanilla to a minor league deal. This marks the third winter in a row they’ve done exactly that, and Quintanilla twice now has gone on to play a bigger role than that minor assignment might have indicated.

Now if that happens a third time (and given the Mets shortstop situation why wouldn’t it?) we’ll be in for an interesting dilemma. Quintanilla wore No. 6 his first time through town, but by the time he’d been dealt off to Baltimore and returned the jersey went to Kelly Shoppach, then to Marlon Byrd, then, most recently, to Matt den Dekker. Quintanilla instead was issued No. 3 for 2013; a move that incidentally forced Josh Satin to a new number (13). Now between his release in December and annual January return the Mets have assigned No. 3 to Curtis Granderson, assuring that Quintanilla, should he return to active duty in 2014, do so in his third different uniform number.

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40 Weight

January 3, 2014 Met Mysteries One comment

40I suppose there is little doubt that big fat Bartlolo Colon will show up in Big Fat No. 40 when the Mets open camp this year. The guy after all is 70 years old and worn the same number all his life, or seems to have. That and 40 is available now that Tim Byrdak has flown the coop. He was never the same after that shoulder injury and his presence on the roster in 2013 seemed to border on a favor to him, but now he’s gone. Thanks for all the fish.

Colon, now. This was an acquisition that surprised me somewhat. I guess the front office deserves a tip of the cap for not replacing Matt Harvey with some stiff fighting to reestablish himself with a spring training invite (uh, like Shawn Marcum) when that was exactly what I was expecting them to do. That said, this is a value buy if he pitches like he did for Oakland. But, beyond donning a No. 40 jersey, size 56 short, I haven’t a clue what he’ll do. You?

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Solving the Mejia Mystery

April 5, 2013 Met Mysteries No comments

58It may be still be awhile before Jenrry Mejia appears in uniform again for the Mets but at least we now have an idea of which one. Programs distributed at Citifield this week (but not the roster at Mets.com incidentally) list the disabled lefty reliever as having taken No. 58 — this after seeing his previous No. 32 issued to newcomer LaTroy Hawkins. The online roster still lists Mejia wearing 32.

It’s probably for the best suiting Mejia up in a rookieish garb again while we try to forget the bumbling early months of his career and the inevitable recriminations that followed his surgery. It was also a nice gesture on behalf of the 40-year-old veteran Hawkins, who according to Baseball Reference has worn 32 for the Twins, Cubs, Giants, Orioles, Rockies, Brewers and Angels over the course of his 19-year career. He’s also settled for short stints in 23 (in Baltimore); 22 (with the Yankees and Astros) and 21 (Yankees).

Thanks to Jason E for the tip!

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Opening Day Notes

April 2, 2013 Met Mysteries, Opening Day One comment

32As pointed out in the comments below, LaTroy Hawkins has broken camp with the Mets wearing not the No. 30 assigned to him during the spring but No. 32. No word on what Jenrry Mejia will wear when he comes off the disabled list because 32 has been his assignment since his ill-fated and premature arrival three long years ago.

Otherwise it looks like the new Mets hit the field Monday in the same jerseys issued to them this spring. Numerically, that’s Collin “Slammy” Cowgill in No. 4; Marlon Byrd in No. 6; Brandon Lyon in 34; Greg Burke in 46; Scott Atchison in 50 and Scott Rice in 56. I was rooting for Pedro Feliciano to return in his original jersey but there is still time for that it appears. I’d also have bet on Andrew Brown and Brandon Hicks to have made the squad, at least when camp began but to their credit have rewarded guys like Cowgill and Byrd for winning the jobs offered to them.

I tend to be optimistic in the spring in general (the blowout win on opening day is only helping) but would say I think this Mets team could have a pretty good offense this season just counting on improvements from Davis and Duda and the incremental upgrades from Bay to Byrd and Thole to Buck+  but the starting pitching is way too thin to imagine holding up over the course of a long year (with or without Santana, of whom I hadn’t expected much of). The bullpen will be adequate. The defense OK. Overall, underestimated. Let’s Go Mets!

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New Numbers Issued

February 11, 2013 Met Mysteries, Uncategorized One comment

Adam Rubin of ESPN got a hold of the list, and it looks like this (new issues in bold):

1. Jordany Valdespin
2. Justin Turner
3. Omar Quintanilla
4. Collin Cowgill
5. David Wright
6. Marlon Byrd
9. Kirk Nieuwenhuis
11. Ruben Tejada
12. Brandon Hicks
15. Travis d’Arnaud
16. Brian Bixler
19. Zach Lutz
20. Anthony Recker
21. Lucas Duda
22. Landon Powell
23. Mike Baxter
27. Jeurys Familia
28. Daniel Murphy
29. Ike Davis
30. LaTroy Hawkins
32. Jenrry Mejia
33. Matt Harvey
34. Brandon Lyon
35. Dillon Gee
36. Collin McHugh
38. Shaun Marcum
39. Bobby Parnell
40. Tim Byrdak
44. John Buck
46. Greg Burke
47. Aaron Laffey
48. Frank Francisco
49. Jonathon Niese
50. Scott Atchison
52. Carlos Torres
53. Jeremy Hefner
55. Pedro Feliciano
56. Scott Rice
57. Johan Santana
58. Cesar Puello
60. Darin Gorski
61. Wilmer Flores
62. Elvin Ramirez
63. Juan Lagares
64. Reese Havens
65. Zack Wheeler
66. Josh Edgin
67. Hansel Robles
68. Matt den Dekker
70. Wilfredo Tovar
71. Gonzalez Germen
72. Juan Centeno
73. Robert Carson
74. Rafael Montero
75. Cory Mazzoni
76. Josh Satin
77. Andrew Brown
80. Jamie Hoffmann

Couple of interesting things to point out here:

* Josh Satin tumbling from 3 all the way to 64

* Pedro Feliciano coming full-circle to reacquire the 55 first issued to him when he was a throw-in in the Shawn Estes Trade.

* Frank Francisco staying in 48 while newcomer Scott Atchison gets 50: I will bet that changes.

* Omar Quintanilla getting No. 3 while 6 (his last number) goes instead to Marlon Byrd. I would guess that changes, with Byrd taking whichever of 20 or 22 are surrendered by the backup catchers Recker and/or Powell.

* On the other hand, LaTroy Hawkins has been 22 or 32 for nearly his entire career, so looks like he’d take Powell’s 22.

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