Wagner Meets the Press

13Hours after introducing new Met first baseman Carlos Delgado the Mets rolled out the podium to introduce new closer Billy Wagner, reeled in on a four-year contract by free-spending Met GM Omar Minaya. Wagner will wear his customary No. 13  jersey, most recently worn by Brian Daubach and more famously by infielder Edgardo Alfonzo and early-80s closer Neil Allen.

Delgado suiting up in 21, by the way, is actually a return to his original Blue Jays uniform and proves he’s a bigger man than Roger Clemens or Paul O’Neill, which granted, aren’t hard things to do. But as pointed out by MBTN reader Steve, Delgado took 25 only after Clemens arrived in Toronto in 1997. By contrast, O’Neill refused to surrender 21 when his jerkoff teammate arrived at Yankee Stadium in ’99. We sure like Delgado so far.

Delgado Takes 21

In meeting the press and Willie Randolph today, newly acquired first baseman Carlos Delgado said goodbye to jersey No. 25, and his beard, both of which he can no longer wear. Taking No. 21 instead, Delgado explained that 25 belongs to Kaz Matsui, though MBTN suggests you don’t spend all your Christmas money on a new Delgado jersey pending Matsui’s survival of this winter’s hot stove.

Delgado (Not Wilson … Carlos) to the Mets

The Mets today announced they would acquire slugging first baseman
Carlos Delgado and 7 million U.S. Dollars from the Marlins, giving up promising
young hitter Mike Jacobs 27 and alleged phenom pitcher
Yusmeiro Petit in return. That this is a dynamite deal for the Mets should be
obvious: Delgado fills the need for another threatening bat in the lineup
and they didn’t need to cough up Lastings Milledge to get him. This
of course isn’t the first time the Mets have picked up luxury goods on
the cheap in a Marlin liquidation: The 1998 sell-off produced
Dennis Cook 27, Al Leiter 22 and Mike Piazza 31, all key players in the last
respectable Met era.

Considering the strenous attempt to land Delgado last off-season, we expect the Mets will provide Delgado with all the comforts he deems necessary, which means
Kaz Matsui 25 might find a new jersey hanging in his locker this spring
(presuming it says “Mets” on the front, that is). We argued back in ’03
that Matsui should have been issued 77 and would still like to see it.

Speaking of Marlin giveaways, the Mets quietly provided X-Marlin lefty reliever
Matt Perisho with a minor league contract and invite to Spring Training.
Perisho wore 46 with the Marlins last season.

The X Man Cometh

That miscast, broken-faced outfielder Mike Cameron 44 would be traded was fairly predictable; receiving reserve Padres 1B/OF Xavier Nady in return
was the surprise. Nady, who smacks lefties around pretty well and can
fake it at several positions, looks to be a useful pickup but it’s sad
the Mets never fully exploited Cameron’s ability as a center fielder nor
as a trade chip. Nady by the way wore No. 22 with the Padres. That
number most recently belonged to reliever Royce Ring.

Late Season Updates

Back from a vacation and better late than never — Anderson Hernandez recalled from Norfolk Sept. 17; Danny Graves 32 recalled on Sept. 5; and Mike Piazza 31 back from the DL on Sept. 10.  MBTN was surprised to return from our vacation to see Hernandez dressed in No. 1 — which we thought that number might have been in semi-retirement awaiting the 1986 anniversary next season and Mookie Wilson’s continuing service to the organization. As argued here before, MBTN is generally not in favor of retiring numbers — we’d prefer to see them strategically re-issued — but hard to say from his play or lack of it thus far whether Hernandez is truly Mookworthy yet.

Hernandez, by the way, appears to be the 42nd and final player to wear a Met jersey this year — the fewest Met uni wearers since only 40 suited up in 1996. We had 52 last year.

Ghost of a Chance

Many thanks to MBTN readers Bob, Dennis, Jason, and Pete for their help in the continuing fight to catch errors, right wrongs and find cool stuff.

Bob points out that reliever Dean Chance, acquired as the clock ticked on the 1970 season, woreNo. 27, not 32, in his few appearances with the Mets. Both Pete & Jason pointed out a September 1966 scorecard floating around on the Internet that cracks the case on several unsolved mysteries from late that season including Danny Napoleon (16 not 48); Larry Miller (35 not 16); Darrell Sutherland 43; Greg Goossen 10; and Sean Fitzmaurice 5. Dick Rusteck remains mysterious: He (may have?) wore No. 40 that September. Jason also pointed out several inconsistencies on the all-time list (mainly typos and dates) that we intend fix and note shortly on the Most Wanted page. Many thanks!

Callups and Callbacks

10With active rosters expanded to 40 players, the Mets yesterday recalled lefty starter Kaz Ishii 23 and for the first time, a pair of relievers, Tim Hamulack and Shingo Takatsu.

According to a published roster, lefty Hamulack was outfitted in No. 46 while Takatsu took No. 10and summarily becomes the pitcher with the lowest uniform number in Met history (take that,Cory Lidle 11 of 1997!). Takatsu, known as “Mister Zero” wore 10 prior to his release by the White Sox. Tonight the Mets are expected to activate Doug Mientkiewicz 16 from the disabled list. To fit the new additions on the 40, the Mets moved Mike Cameron to the 60-day disabled list, meaning he won’t be back this year, which is no huge surprise.

Trach is Back

The Mets today welcomed back Steve Trachsel 29, and slotted him in the rotation on Friday. The drama as to who would be sacrificed to make room for him was satisfactorily resolved when washed-up mop-up man Danny Graves 32 was designated for assignment. On Monday, beefy reliever Heath Bell 19 was recalled from Norfolk while Dae Sung Koo 17 was demoted. On Sunday, reserve catcher Mike DeFelice 33 returned to the active roster when the Mets got around to disabling catcher Mike Piazza 31. Meanwhile, a massive three-run homer in his debut turn at bat Sunday appears to have saved a job for Mike Jacobs 27, who’s now your starting first baseman.

MBTN reader Mike from Tennessee points out that Jacobs became the fourth Met to hit a home run in his first Major League at-bat — and that each of them had ascending uni numbers: Benny Ayala 18; Mike Fitzgerald 20; Kaz Matsui 25; and Jacobs 27. This is the kind of useless history MBTN was designed to capture.

Cleon Jones in 12

Thanks to MBTN reader Pete for finding and identifying this rare photo of Cleon Jones. As he notes: It shows Cleon Jones looking to be wearing the #12 Jersey with the World’s Fair patch which would be from 1965. The picture is taken at Wrigley Field. The Mets were there In late July and Mid-September of ’65 after Jesse Gonder who had been wearing #12 was traded on July 21st of that year. It is probably from the September trip because Ron Hunt (#33) is in the picture and he was on the disabled list from May 11th until August 5th of ’65. That confirms our suspicions that Jones did indeed wear No. 12 that year (after his recall Sept. 1, precisely) and officially qualifies him among three-numbered Mets (he wore 34 prior to ’65 and 21 after). Thanks, Pete!

United Hairlines

Just as Carlos Beltran 15 returned to the lineup, looking remarkably healthy despite a broken face bone, we learned that catcher Mike Piazza 31 will take at least a few days off with a hairline fracture of his own (he fractured his hand, not his hairline). To be certain we’re in catchers, the Mets did a cool thing and recalled slugging, lefthanded-hitting AAer Mike Jacobs, who arrived at the park tonight wearing No. 27. To make room for him, the Mets designated reliever Jose Santiago 33, who failed to distinguish himself over a few weeks as the team’s 6th or 7th reliever.