Tag Archive for Jerrod Riggan

25 Years

It was 25 years ago this week (the 22nd actually) that the Mets by the Numbers project first published on the Internet. The earliest versions of the site seem to have vanished but here’s an archived page from 2001 where I discuss the arrival of Jerrod Riggan and the demotion of Donne Wall. And then the return of Donne Wall. It was riveting stuff.

When I started this project I was single; today I’m married almost 20 years and my son is picking a college. I was anxious back then to participate in this new internet thing and was full of energy from the excitement of falling back in love baseball again after taking much of the 90s off.

I had been turned off by the fall of the Mets would-be dynasty. I was living outside the Sportschannel/WOR belt, and I was angry about the strike. When I moved to NYC, the Mets helped me find my way in the city and I fell hard for Bobby Valentine. I’d spent a few months combing through yearbooks and scorecards with the idea I could find the uni number of every one of the roughly 600 guys who played for the Mets through then. I badly missed that goal when I first published but it was better than what else existed at the time, which was nothing.

Against every rule of writing a blog, I’ve gone through period of frequent updates and months of nothing, then again “blogs” didn’t really exist in 1999. Purely by coincidence this site launched within weeks of the Ultimate Mets Database and when Paul Lukas started writing about sports uniforms for the Village Voice. Countless websites have come and gone since then, all three survive (although Paul is planning to retire).

Happy birthday to all of us.

 

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Coming From Behind

So if you’re going go ahead and DFA Jerad Eickoff anyway, you may as well issue the same No. 43 to the rookie callup to take his place but the Mets are too busy do that kind of stuff anymore. Get a number in spring, it’s yours to keep all summer, which is why long-simmering righty starter prospect Thomas Szapucki is up and wearing 63.

Sixty-three is a number for longshot midseason minor league callups whom you hope to get a few innings out of when the team is banged up or there’s a spate of rain make-ups ahead, and not a real player. Our last 63 was Tim (not David) Peterson, who’s now in the minors with the Angels. Our first was Chris Schwinden, whom I recall getting reliably beaten up every time he went out there. Gabriel Ynoa, who did a have a few years with the Orioles ahead, was the second.

The lucky ones, it seems, are those who come from so far below the surface they didn’t get any attention, like Tylor Megill, who as you know by now wears No. 38, chews gum while he throws, is like, 9 feet tall and might be the best 4-inning starter in club history, if he keeps it up. Megill actually has quietly succeeded his way up the ladder, and is the second member of his family to debut in the bigs this year. His older brother Trevor, who’s also very tall, wears No. 74 for the Cubs.

Megill is the first 38 since Justin Wilson; I still see Tim Leary when I think of 38’s and for whatever reason, Jerrod Riggan.

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Sparkling

Any coincidence the Mets’ fortunes reversed at around the same time that Tsuyoshi Shinjo 5 returned? Mr. Sparkle returned from the DL and the disappointing Timo Perez 6 was optioned to Norfolk Somewhere in there, Jerrod Riggan 38 bounced back from Norfolk whileDonna Wall 33 was sentenced to an International League tour.

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We’re Back

MBTN is back from a two-week break, during which we missed some moves, but not much fun. Here’s a quick chronological rundown.

June 24: Optioned Dicky Gonzalez 39 to Norfolk; recalled Jerrod Riggan 38.

June 25: Optioned Riggan; recalled Grant Roberts 36.

June 26: Optioned Alex Escobar 25 to Norfolk; activated Jay Payton 44 from the DL.

June 30: Designated Darryl Hamilton 18 for assignment (See ya!); recalled Vance Wilson 3 from Norfolk.

July 3: Activated Edgardo Alfonzo 13 from the DL; placed Jorge Velandia 11 on the DL.

July 4: Activated Donne Wall 33 from the DL; optioned Roberts to Norfolk.

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Maydays

The Mets have sent ineffective relief pitcher Donne Wall 33 to the DL and recalled Jerrod Riggan 38.

(May 22): Disgusted with another revolting effort from Steve Traschel 29, the Mets demoted him to Norfolk and welcomed back ace Al Leiter 22. They also made a minor trade with Cleveland resulting in a brief uniformed pass-through for Justin Spier, who wore 46 for a few hours en route to Norfork. Raw but talented rookie reliever Jerrod Riggan 38 is also back in Norfolk these days.

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Dicky-Thon

The Mets have called up young Dicky Gonzalez to take Al Leiter’s turn in the rotation while No. 22 rests his sore elbow. Gonzalez wears No. 39 and easily has the best name in a Mets 39 jersey since Nino Espinosa. Jerrod Riggan 38 was sent to Norfolk, but came right back May 2 when the Mets disabled Rick White 51 for the second time this year.

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