Play Ball!

The Mets begin the regular season Monday afternoon in Cincinnati. MBTN welcomes the following baker’s dozen to the All-Time Numerical Roster:

3 Miguel Cairo
4 Chris Woodward
11 Ramon Castro
15 Carlos Beltran
16 Doug Mientkiewicz
17 Dae Sung Koo
18 Marlon Anderson
23 Kazuhisa Ishii
27 Mike Matthews
39 Roberto Hernandez
45 Pedro Martinez
46 49 Felix Heredia
68 36 Manny Aybar

The final roster came together this weekend when the Mets coughed up out-of-options pitcher Matt Ginter 13 in a trade to the Tigers for a stashable lefty reliever, Steve Colyer, and revealed that veteran relievers Matthews, Heredia, Aybar and Hernandez had edged out worthy youngster Heath Bell; while Bartolome Fortunato went down with an injury. The 12-man pitching staff probably cost powerhitting rookie Luis Garcia a spot on the bench. We suspect there will be plenty of churn in the bullpen, where there’s too much age and many lefties, and that the need for a right-handed power bat on the bench will be apparent shortly, but today’s not the day to be pessimistic, so, um, Let’s Go Mets!

Joining the Coaches and Managers List: 2 Sandy Alomar; 12 Willie Randolph; 50 Manny Acta; 52 Guy Conti; 53 Jerry Manuel; 54 Rick Down; 55 Tom Nieto.

Castro Converts

The trade of Jason Phillips vaulted Ramon Castro into a likely role as Met backup catcher and his uni number went flying too. Castro’s status seems solidified by a switch from the non-rosterly 72 to the backup catcherly 11. With a week to go until the bell rings, notable recent cuts include Jae Seo 26, Scott Strickland 28, Jeff Keppinger 6, and Scott Stewart 32.

Kaz-Zam

The Mets wasted little time replenishing rotation depth following Steve Trachsel’s injury, trading for left-handed Dodgers project Kaz Ishii, who arrived in St. Lucie today and summarily put on the No. 23 uniform of the guy he was traded for, Jason Phillips.

Ishii’s control problems have frustrated Dodger fans for years, and Rick Peterson is certain to have his hands full, but there’s no denying Ishii has some ability and when you can get a starting pitcher for a backup catcher you generally do it, so we’re on board. We’ll certainly miss Phillips’ goofy glasses and his line-drive hitting if that happens to come back, but inasmuch as the trade provides him with a chance to play more often in an attempt to erase the disaster of 2004 from his mind, we’re all for that too. The Ishii-Phillips trade is the 19th known addition to the all-time Uni-Swap list.

So Long, Super Joe

Joe McEwing was the kinda guy who wore a number to honor a teammate then gave it up to accomodate another. Super, whose run at becoming the 25th man on the roster for the sixth straight year ended today at thirtysomething, wore 47 as a tribute to former St. Louis teammate John Mabry than selflessly cast it aside forNo. 11 when Tom Glavine arrived.

Joe did it all: He played adequately everywhere he was asked to, got a big hit now and again, drove the fork lift to deliver supplies to 9-11 victims and earned a spot alongside Rod Kanehl, Bob Bailor, Matt Franco and Jeff McKnight on the Mets All-Time Versatile Scrub team. His departure also breaks the oldest Trade Chain in Met history, dating back to All-Versatile predecessor Kevin Mitchell in 1984. Thanks Joe!

We at MBTN also want to wish Steve Trachsel 29 a speedy recovery. Honestly, we’ve come to admire his boring effectiveness and unspectacular reliability.

Willie and the Boz

Willie Randolph, as quoted by Bill Madden in the Daily News: “I’m gonna wear No. 12. Why? You remember Ken Boswell? Second baseman on the ’69 team? He was my favorite player growing up. No. 12. It’s a nice number.”

We remember Ken Boswell too, and even if his sideburns might not fly in Willie’s clubhouse, it speaks well of the new Met manager that he has a sense of his place in history. This is probably a natural result of the era we grew up, but 12 has always seemed more Boswellian to us than Kent-like or Alomarish. And as glorified ticket salesman Darryl Strawberry makes a grand reappearance at Shea this weekend, may it serve as a reminder of this team’s horribly miscast former manager, who wore No. 18 but was no George Theodore either.

We found Madden’s piece, by the way, from a link at the extraordinary new blog co-authored by veteran MBTN reader Greg — highly recommended for fans of good writing and historical Metdom.

Mets Trade for Meintkiewicz

Only hours after Carlos Delgado and his scheming agent left the Mets high and dry came word that Omar had traded promising ex-Cyclone Ian Bladergroen for spare Red Sock first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz. Minky brings an excellent glove but an average bat to his new job, but was probably the best among the consolation prizes. Mientkiewicz wore No. 16 for most of his career in Minnesota and No. 13 in Boston, but what might be most interesting is seeing whether the Mets manage to fit that unweildly last name onto the back of a jersey without dropping the leading: His 12-lettered name matches Isringhausen for the longest in Met history. Omar contends the offseason acquisition spree is all but done, but we’ll believe it when 25 men depart from St. Lucie.

Spotted at the Met Caravan this week: New manager Willie Randolph has indeed returned to his Met No. 12, as reported by MBTN reader Keith, and the photo above appears to showDanny Garcia accomodating by taking No. 1. The Met roster lists Miguel Cairo (next to Diaz) in No. 3 and reliever Dae Sung Koo (next to Brazell in the top row) in No. 60; but we haven’t confirmed either by eyewitness. We’re unsure who that guy is in the back row between Looper and Bell (DeJean?), as well as the dude on the farthest right on the top row.

Updates: The guy in No. 52 is is new bullpen coach Guy Conti,  not Jerry or Charlie Manuel as we incorrectly guessed here. Thanks to readers Matt and Sean for pointing it out! Also today, we discovered that Victor Diaz has been given the more dignified No. 20 — he was a rookieish 50 last year.

People All Over the World, Join Hands

15Today Carlos Beltran will be introduced as a New York Met. He’ll be presented with jersey No. 15. Arriving with the richest contract in team history and practically guaranteed to stay for seven years, here’s hoping Beltran will do his jersey at least as proud as predecessors Al Jackson and Jerry Grote,and hopefully better than George Foster.

On top of this news comes word that 2004’s top draft pick Phillip Humber has agreed to a deal after a lengthy negotiation. No doubt about it: Omar is on fire.

Cairo, Koo In; Vance Out

Last week came word the Mets had traded veteran backup catcher Vance Wilson 3 to Detroit for minor league infielder Anderson Hernandez;signed veteran backup infielder Miguel Cairo; and signed lefthanded reliever Dae-Sung Koo. That Wilson was the Met to go was surprising but, in our estimation, the right choice to make seeing as Jason Phillips 23 is younger, a better receiver and possesses more of an upside, notwithstanding his lousy sophomore year. One thing certain about Cairo is that you won’t see him in his customary No. 41: That’s unavailable. Aquiring Koo was a coup in that newspapers hinted he, like Beltran, was simply assumed to be a future Yankee. Heh. Said to have a sneaky arm that will trouble lefthanded hitters, Koo wore No. 15 with Orix of the Japan Pacific League — that will belong to Beltran for awhile.

You’re Invited

The Mets yesterday announced that nine players had been signed to minor league contracts and been invited to Spring Training. They include ancient slugger Andres Galarraga, who will turn 44 this summer — younger than The Francos at least (thanks Paul). It’s possible that the Big Cat makes the team, perhaps as the righthanded swinging half of a first base platoon, but he won’t be wearing his familiar No. 14 here. That’s retired.

Rehabbing Met bullpen veterans Grant Roberts 36 (photo at right by David Whitham); Scott Strickland 28 and Orber Moreno 49 were also retained with minor league contracts, as was outfielder Gerald Williams 21. Bringing back Williams would seem more pointless than usual, but for the news that Mike Cameron 44 is having surgery and will likely miss the first month of the year.

Also joining the mix to spell Cameron will be speedy backup Kerry Robinson, notable here for the fact he used to wear No. 0 while with the Cardinals. (Former Expo Ron Calloway,signed to a Major League deal earlier this week, will also be in the outfield mix.Calloway woreNo. 22 in Montreal/San Juan).

Other signees include pitcher Juan Padilla, a minor league vet who’s had coffee with the Yankees and Reds; Luis Garcia, a first baseman-outfielder who hit 32 HRs last year in the rare air of the PCL with the Dodgers’ organization; catchers Andy Dominique, a chunky minor league vet who made his debut last year with the Red Sox while Varitek served a suspension for getting in A-Rod’s girlish grill; and Ramon Castro, the former Marlins backup fighting a rape charge. Along with the news the Mets had re-signed veteran catcher Vance Wilson 3 to a 2005 contract, it appears a deal or two involving Jason Phillips 23 or That Piazza Guy may happen sooner or later.

Finally, there’s Marlon Anderson, No. 8 on your old Cardinal and Phillie rosters, a utility backup in the mold of Desi Relaford.

These guys will all report when Spring Training begins in six long weeks or so. Till then,Happy Holidays!

Pete’s Sake

The Mets are expected today to introduce Pedro Martinez at a press grip-and-gin and present him with jersey No. 45, which he’ll try on over a suit as flashbulbs pop. Whether the Mets really ought to be fooling again with these kind of high-risk moves is debateable, but we have little doubt that Pedro will provide some excitement. His taking of No. 45 likely solidfies John Franco’s bid to be the first player in Met hstory to warm up a jersey number for two future Hall of Famers.