Owens, Pelfrey Arrive

34The Mets combat the Marlins this weekend with lots of new faces. Friday’s starter and loser, Jose Lima 17, was designated for assignment (again) following a regretful outing (again) Friday; his place will be taken by top draft pick Mike Pelfrey, who starts Saturday’s Game 2. Pelfrey wore No. 47 with Binghamton, but — this just in — is listed at No. 34 for his start today.The Mets have rarely had a 34 of great success, but it’s hardly been for a lack of trying: Pelfrey is the 30th Met to dress in those digits and the second this year — making 34 the 2nd most frequently issued jersey in Met history. While it may be too much to expect Pelfrey to carry on the legacy of Nolan Ryan (1966), we can hope his success exceeds that of, say, Blas Minor (1995-96) or Jorge Julio (2006). Good luck, Mike!

Pelfrey’s B-Met teammate, Henry Owens, wound up with the roster slot vacated when Pedro Martinez 45 made his mid-summer break official with a trip to the DL to rest an ailing hip (Heath Bell was initially recalled, but the retroactive dating of Petey’s DL stint prevented Bell’s activation). Wearing the No. 36 jersey last worn by Manny Aybar, Owens fired an impressive inning of mopup work in his big-league debut tonight.

Updates (Frisella in 29)

Many thanks to Bob F for the scorecard scan (pictured at right) confirming Dan Frisella wearing No. 29 during his brief stay with the 1969 Mets. A few minor errors have in the meantime been corrected on the roster page: Sherman “Roadblock” Jones’ one appearance inNo. 28; Kevin Michell’s few weeks as No. 35, to name a few — thanks as always, Jason.

Xavier Nady 22 returned from the disabled list on June 18, and Cliff Floyd 30 went onto it, retroactive until June 7 with an ankle sprain. Floyd returned on June 30 as Lastings Milledge 44 returned to Norfolk. These moves came in the midst of a calamitous roadtrip that proved to chew up and ultimately spit out chubby Met hurlers Alay Soler 59 and Heath Bell 19. Soler was replaced July 3 by John Maine 33 — the next day, Bell was cashiered to Norfolk in exchange for designated clown Jose Lima 17. Seeing asPedro Martinez 45 is most likely vacationing through the All-Star Break it’s likely this week’s stretch of games leading to the break could feature Lima… or perhaps, studly young draftee Mike Pelfrey.

Sayonara

The sad Met saga of Kaz Matsui has come to an end. The Mets traded the dislocated second baseman, along with a sack of cash, yesterday to the Colorado Rockies for veteran utilityman Eli Marerro, thus ending one of the more regrettable and confounding stories in recent Met history. Acquired with great fanfare in the 2003-04 offseason, Kaz was presented with the No. 25 jersey and proclaimed “I love New York,” but the city — and his team — didn’t much love him back. An incredibly poor decision in ’04 to use him at shortstop did no favors for him, the Mets or displaced teammate Jose Reyes, and managed to turn the fans, particularly the mook contingent at Shea, against him. Since then he seemed to have frustrated his manager with frequent injuries and subpar hitting, and thoughout appeared unable to overcome a massive cultural and communication gap, yet remained respectful and sportsmanlike until the end and that — along with his opening-day homers — is something we’ll always admire about him. And while we take no pleasure in seeing him go, his most recent struggles, and Jose Valentin’s emphatic claiming of the second base duties, left him a man without a second country and called out for the kind of versatile backupityness that Marerro can provide. Though the Rockies have relagated Kaz to their AAA team in Colorado Springs, we hope he kicks all kinds of butt down there and salvages what he can of a stay in the states more difficult than anyone might have imagined.

The well-traveled Marrero is scheduled to arrive for this evening’s game. He has worn Nos. 16, 26 and 11 in previous stops — all taken here. Update: He appeared Sunday June 11 in 32,most recently cashiered by Jeremi Gonzalez (remember him?)

At Lastings

Sobering word that outfielder Xavier Nady 22 is shelved with an appendectomy is accompanied today by the exciting news that prospect Lastings Milledge is in Flushing to take over while he’s gone (and maybe longer). Word is Milledge will dress in the reserved-for-African-American-sluggers No. 44 (and not 6, which is what we might have rooted for to bridge the homegrown power alley between Wright 5 and Reyes 7). We wish Nady the best for a speedy recovery and that young Mr. Milledge (we won’t ever get used to referring to him as Lastings, we don’t think) doesn’t wind up overwhelmed by the “can’t miss prospect” pressures felt by previous Met inhabitants of his uni — Jay Payton and Ryan Thompson.

Gone-zalez

 Journeyman Jeremi Gonzalez 32 packed his bags after being reassigned following his start on Thursday, and the Mets announced they had traded for former Pirate & Red left Dave Williams, spotted most recently wearing No. 52 for the Reds. Williams, acquired for minor leaguer Robert Manuel & cash, was assigned to Norfolk. Gonzalez’ reassignment likely clears space for Orlando Hernandez, penciled to start on Sunday. Update May 30: Good for Gonzalez, who caught a ride to Milwaukee instead of Norfolk: The Mets swapped him on his way out for Mike Adams, a slender one-time Brewers relief prospect of some upside but limited big-league success.

Most Wanted

We’ve finally got around to updating (most of) MBTN’s Most Wanted page, including the addition of cool, rare video captures like these — Bob Heise & Amos Otis in 1967 and Dick Selma in 1965! Many thanks to readers (especially Paul C, Mike & Jason) who’ve hung in there and helped out: The list of mysteries is narrowed to 13.

Julio for Duque; Soler Up; Bell Back; Lima Out

Updates over a busy few weeks — Cuban defectee Alay Soler makes his Major League debut tonight wearing No. 59. Soler was recalled after Omar Minaya designated a merciful end to the Jose Lima Experiment.Soler becomes only the second Met ever to wear No. 59, and the first since Ed Lynch made his Major League debut, in 1980.

Also today, the Mets traded struggling reliever Jorge Julio to Arizona for ancient ex-YankeeOrlando “El Duque” Hernandez.  We assume El Duque will dress in his familiar No. 26 — currently available — when he arrives; until then, the team has recalled Norfolk yo-yo Heath Bell 19. This manuever may well serve to patch up the butt-end of a rotation sore with injuries, and Julio’s brief stay in Flushing won’t likely be missed, but it hardly makes the Kris Benson trade any less mysterious.

In between Lima’s whacking May 20 and Soler’s recall, the Mets enjoyed a phantom appearance from reliever Anderson Garcia, who wasn’t used and summarily returned to Norfolk. Rosters list Garcia as being assigned No. 58 but that hasn’t been eyewitnessed by us at least. Happy to hear from those who might confirm it.

On May 9, Heath Bell 19 was recalled as Fortunato was sent down. Days later, May 12, Bell was sent down as journeyman auditonee Jeremi Gonzalez was recalled. Gonzalez suited up in No. 32.

Hospital Update

Well, John Maine didn’t last long as a Met, hitting the disabled list just days after his May 1 debut. His spot was grabbed by Bartolome Fortunato, back in No. 43 for the first time since 2004. Things got hairier on Saturday, when sadsack starter Victor Zambrano 38 walked off the field and into a season- and possibly, Met-career-ending elbow injury. Maine’s start, and Zambrano’s space on the roster, was covered, barely adequately, by clownish righthander Jose Lima, and with Bannister and Maine still missing, more changes are certain to come. Lima by the way became the 29th guy to wear No. 17 for the Mets — only No. 6 has been issued more often. (34 has also been worn by 29 guys)