Benson Burners and Other Updates

The Mets made a curious trade Jan. 21, sending Kris Benson 34 and his mouthy wife to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for relieverJorge Julio and pitching prospect John (Lobster) Maine. Whether this move portends a trade forBarry Zito or simply shifts the overpopulation problem from the starting rotation to the bullpen remains to be seen. Julio wore No. 50 last year with the Orioles while Maine in his brief appearances wore 61.

On Jan. 18, the Mets signed former Ham Fighter and Tokyo Giant Yusaku Iriki (You’re So Fine), who looks to compete for the longman job. Iriki wore No. 49 with the Ham Fighters and No. 20 with the Giants, research shows.

We overlooked the late December addition of lefty sidearmer Mike Venafro. He has a minor league contract and spring training invite.

Photos from the Mets Caravan revealed players in new unis including Julio Franco in 23, Paul LoDuca in 16 and Jose Valentin in 18. Newly arrived reliever Jorge Julio was wearing a jersey withno number on it. MBTN reader Rich reports: Chad Bradford appeared in No. 35, Duaner Sanchez in 40, and Mets.com is selling Bret Boone jerseys bearing No. 9.

Additional photos show Xavier Nady wearing No. 10 and Steve Schmoll in the dreaded No. 46.

New Year Updates

Met fans were wondering again today whether Omar Minaya can be trusted at a swap meet, giving up underappreciated starter Jae Seo 26, along with lefty relieverTim Hamulack 46, in a trade for goggle-wearing Duaner Sanchez and his sidearm-throwing teammate, Steve Schmoll, both righthanded relievers for the Dodgers. We wish the best of luck to Seo, whose frequent bobs between New York and Norfolk resulted in three uniform numbers (he also wore 38 and 40). In case you’re also wondering, Sanchez wore No. 50 and Schmoll No. 40 in Chavez Latrine last season.

The Mets also invited veteran second baseman Bret Boone to camp with a minor league deal. Boone was released twice last year but according to Omar “knows how to win,” and will challenge incumbent Kaz Matsui for a job. Boone most often has worn No. 29.

Catching up with more winter moves, the Mets on Dec. 28 agreed to a one-year deal for freaky underhanded relief pitcher Chad Bradford, a hero of Moneyball and most recently, a patient with the Red Sox team doctors. He wore No. 53 for both teams.

On Dec. 23, former Met outfield prospect Endy Chavez was signed to a one-year deal. Chavez woreNo. 19 with Expo-Nationals and 47 when he was traded to Philadelphia late last year.

The Mets also released maddening lefthander Kaz Ishii 23, and invited journeymen Darren Oliver, Jose Parra and Pedro Feliciano to camp. We last saw Parra and Feliciano in Met uniforms 46 and 55, respectively, in 2004 (unless we vacationed in Japan in 2005).

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.