New Uni Numbers

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Jacobs to 35 (Egbert to 93); Takahshi to 47 (Marshall to 94).

Snooze says "Hernandez" is wearing 80, but it's not Anderson as far as I can tell. (edit, got it -- Luis Hernandez)

*-non-roster guys

1 Luis Castillo, 2B 2 Frank Catalonotto*, INF-OF 3 Chris Coste, C 4 Henry Blanco, C 5 David Wright, 3B 6 Nick Evans, OF 7 Jose Reyes, SS 8 vacant 9 Omir Santos, C 10 Andy Green*, INF (was 29 last year) 11 Anderson Hernandez, INF 12 Jeff Francoeur, OF 13 Alex Cora, INF (was 3 last year) 14 Retired 15 Carlos Beltran, OF 16 Angel Pagan, OF 17 Fernando Tatis, INF-OF 18 Ryota Igarashi, P 19 Gary Matthews, OF 20 Howard Johnson, Hitting Coach 21 vacant (was Delgado) 22 Jolbert Cabrera*, INF-OF 23 Chris Carter, INF-OF 24 vacant 25 Pedro Feliciano, P 26 Fernando Martinez, OF 27 Nelson Figueroa, P 28 Daniel Murphy, 1B 29 Tobi Stoner, P 30 Josh Thole, C 31 vacant 32 Arturo Lopez, P 33 John Maine, P 34 Mike Pelfrey, P 35 Mike Jacobs*, 1B 36 R.A. Dickey*, P 37 retired 38 Fernando Nieve, P 39 Bobby Parnell, P 40 Eddie Kunz, P 41 retired 42 retired 43 Josh Fogg*, P 44 Jason Bay, OF 45 Kelvim Escobar, P 46 Oliver Perez, P 47 Hisanori Takahashi, P 48 Pat Misch, P 49 Jon Niese, P 50 Sean Green, P 51 Chip Hale, 3rd base Coach 52 Razor Shines, 1st base coach 53 Jerry Manuel, Manager 54 Dave Racaniello, Bullpen Catcher 55 Randy Niemann, Bullpen Coach 56 Dave Jauss, Bench Coach 57 Johan Santana, P 58 vacant 59 Dan Warthen, pitching coach 60 vacant 61 Clint Everts, P 62 Jesus Feliciano*, OF 63 Shawn Bowman, INF 64 Elmer Dessens*, P 65 Russ Adams*, INF 66 Mike Hessman*, OF 67 Mike Cervenak*, INF 68 Bobby Livingston*, P 69 vacant 70 Carlos Muniz*, P (was 32 in last appearance with the Mets, 2008) 71 Mike Nickeas*, C 72 Kai Gronauer, C 73 Shawn Riggans*, C 74 Francisco Pena*, C 75 Francisco Rodriguez, P 76 vacant 77 Eric Niesen*, P 78 Ike Davis*, 1B 79 Ruben Tejeda*, INF 80 Luis Hernandez*, INF -89 vacant 90 Travis Blackley*, P 91 Kirk Nieuwenhuis*, OF 92 Jason Pridie, OF 93 Jack Egbert*, P (was 35) 94 Jay Marshall*, P (was 47)

[Benjamin Grimm]

I'd really prefer to see the number 50 reserved for Hawaiians.

[metirish]

#35 bodes well for the Jake Monster(thanks Val).

Can't find the quote but I read the other day that Jacobs is going there to win the first base job.

[Benjamin Grimm]

metirish wrote: Can't find the quote but I read the other day that Jacobs is going there to win the first base job.

And that's exactly the attitude I'd want him to have.

[Guest Edgy DC]

And Omar declared he's been invited to try. I wouldn't any other attitude from either of them.

Hasn't stopped anybody (Rob Neyer, who should know better, included) from over-reacting and adding it to the "Stupid Mets" file.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Hey, here's something you don't see everyday -- a mainstream media report suggesting the Mets do something stupid and presumptuous just because the MFYs did.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/18/sports/baseball/18mets.html?ref=sports http://bats.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/18/some-mets-numerology/ The Mets by the Numbers: Nothing Ever Adds Up to 3 By DAVID WALDSTEIN Published: February 17, 2010 PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. � With Yankees championship No. 27 safely behind him, Joe Girardi is now putting No. 28 on his back, gimmicky as that might seem. He has not worn the official pinstriped version yet, but on Wednesday the new digits were already visible, stitched in subtle fashion onto the blue Yankees pullover he was wearing. Manager Joe Girardi led the Yankees to their 27th title last season and has added one digit to the blue pullover he was wearing in Tampa, Fla., on Wednesday. For Girardi, the number gambit has worked out fine, since it took only two seasons of wearing No. 27 for his team to break a title drought that had lasted nearly a decade. Which raises a question: Why don�t the Mets, who could use some help, try the same thing? Manager Jerry Manuel, No. 53 on your scorecard, could go into a phone booth, slice one digit off his jersey, and come out as the Mets� new No. 3. The Mets� second championship came way back in 1986, and they are hardly favored to win a third one this season, but who knows, what works for Girardi, might work for Manuel. If not this season, then maybe in 2011, assuming Manuel is still around. Girardi told reporters on Wednesday that switching to No. 28 on his uniform was �basically just a message that we�re not complacent.� If Manuel switched to No. 3, the message would probably be that the Mets are willing to try anything, even if it means blatantly copying the Yankees. Manuel has not yet arrived at Mets camp, so his thoughts on wearing No. 3 will have to wait a day or two. Mets General Manager Omar Minaya, asked what he thought about Manuel�s pulling a number switch, noted, with a smile, that �it wouldn�t be very original.� �Jerry has to be himself,� Minaya said. �He has to do his own thing.� If Manuel were to switch to No. 3, he would be following in a grand Mets tradition that includes Gus Bell, who wore the number on the original Mets in 1962; Carl Everett, who was wearing No. 3 during an interleague game in Detroit when he mentioned that he did not believe in dinosaurs; and perhaps, most important, Bud Harrelson, who wore No. 3 as a player, coach and manager with the Mets and was part of both World Series championships. Girardi, of course, could never wear No. 3 for the Yankees. The team stopped using it after Eddie Bockman, Cliff Mapes and a guy named Babe Ruth wore it out. Before Girardi took over as Yankees manager, Joe Torre held the job for a dozen seasons and wore No. 6. And, indeed, he won six American League pennants for the Yankees, and came within one blown save by Mariano Rivera, and one David Wells back injury, of coming up with a matching number of World Series titles. The closest the Mets ever got to winning a third World Series was in 2000, when they were managed by Bobby Valentine and lost to the Yankees. Valentine was often accused of overmanaging, but if he had been a little more proactive and thought about changing his uniform from the No. 2 he was wearing to No. 3, then maybe the Mets would not still be stuck on two championships for the past two dozen years. There is other evidence to consider. Willie Randolph wore No. 12 as Mets manager when they finished a dozen games ahead of the Phillies in 2006 and nearly made it to the World Series. Before Randolph came Art Howe. He managed for two years and wore No. 18, which more or less represented the number of times he would state, �We battled,� after each of the team�s many defeats. But do any of these numbers have any real meaning? Perhaps the most significant number Girardi could have worn in 2009 is 206,811,689, which represents the number of dollars the Yankees spent on compiling the biggest payroll in baseball. And then there is Connie Mack, who did not need any numbers. He wore a suit while managing the Philadelphia Athletics to five World Series titles, so it probably makes no difference if Manuel wears No. 3 or .333. �I guess it�s good if you�re into that kind of thing,� Mets third baseman David Wright said on Wednesday. �A lot of guys are superstitious about numbers and things. I never have been, but if it works, it works. It worked for the Yankees.� But will it work again in 2010? Maybe it will, but Girardi has now embraced a Yankee number with a little more history than No. 27. Sparky Lyle wore No. 28 for the Yankees, as did Melky Cabrera, Chad Curtis, David Justice and Steve Balboni, back in 1983. Immediately after Balboni, came a whole lineup of No. 28�s, including Rod Scurry, Henry Cotto and a baby-faced Al Leiter in 1988 and �89. �Hopefully, he has better luck than I did with it,� Leiter said of Girardi. �That number was a nightmare for a whole cast of characters, starting with me.� Ben Shpigel contributed reporting from Tampa, Fla.

[metirish]

Waldstein needed Ben Shpigel to help him on this ? , I want my five minutes back....I hope this is not what we can expect form Waldstein as the NYT new Mets beat writer.....I guess PSL can be really boring , but it's only started....yikes

EDIT - I guess Ben Shpigel got the MFY view over in Tampa....

[Guest Edgy DC]

Waldstein wrote: Mets General Manager Omar Minaya, asked what he thought about Manuel�s pulling a number switch, noted, with a smile, that �it wouldn�t be very original.�

See? I told you he was smart.

Waldstein wrote: Ben Shpigel contributed reporting from Tampa, Fla.

Dear me, why?

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Edgy DC wrote: Waldstein wrote: Ben Shpigel contributed reporting from Tampa, Fla. Dear me, why?

"Hey, Ben?"

"Yeah, Dave?"

"I'm doing this thing. What number's Girardi wearing, again?"

"It's 28, you fucking moron."

"Thanks. You're my fact-checkin' cuz."

[G-Fafif]

And of course David Waldstein knew Gus Bell's number right off the top of his head. He could have said, "...according to my incredible memory for Met historical detail, Gus Bell wore 3," but obviously his source is implied and we know he didn't have to look it up at any kind of specialized site or in any kind of detailed book that delves into such subject matter.

Obviously.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Mets by the Numbers: A High-End Media Guide for Lazy Reporters
Jon Springer and Matt Silverman

[Frayed Knot]

"For Mets fans, talk of any numbers besides 21 and 60, as in days on the disabled list, is a worthwhile distraction. Other suggestions for Mets inspiration or some good karma?"

Umm, no. The DL lengths are 15 & 60 days.
The 21 day list was done away with many years ago.


If you're going to pen wise-ass snarky columns at least get some basic facts straight.

[Guest Edgy DC]

The Paper of Record, ladies and gents.

[Frayed Knot]

Adam Rubin reports Barajas wearing #21

[TransMonk]

Take that Delgado!

[Frayed Knot]

#21 is frequently the unofficial Puerto Rican players' number - although Barajas is a Californian.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I was arguing on the web site for him to take No. 0: It would make him seem interesting to fans, and provide a motivational reminder of the low regard with which he was held by the organization (and all of MLB) prior to his signing.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

Seems to close the door on Carlos Delgado! (As if the new round of surgery didn't do that.)

[metirish]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I was arguing on the web site for him to take No. 0: It would make him seem interesting to fans, and provide a motivational reminder of the low regard with which he was held by the organization (and all of MLB) prior to his signing.

Arguing on MBTN? , cos I've not seen anything like that there.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Yah, actually just a last-minute rant in the comments section last nite.

By the way, new & improved MBTN is almost all cooked up.

[ashie62]

Why isn't #7 retired?

All managers should wear a team colored unnumbered Cape

[metirish]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Yah, actually just a last-minute rant in the comments section last nite. By the way, new & improved MBTN is almost all cooked up.

You know though that the Mets would never do such a thing, looking forward to the new site.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Elmer Dessens has worn eight different numbers for his nine different teams.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/desseel01.shtml

[metirish]

And has been rubbish in all eight numbers .

[ashie62]

metirish wrote: And has been rubbish in all eight numbers .

It's OK, there is quite abit of rubbish going round in PSL anyway. I'm sure he is just blending in.

[Ceetar]

Coste was 3 and is gone. Cora gonna take it back for the season?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

No, Cora was a 13 guy who was cock-blocked by Wagner till now. I think 3 could go next to Ruben Tejada.

[Ceetar]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: No, Cora was a 13 guy who was cock-blocked by Wagner till now. I think 3 could go next to Ruben Tejada.

Ahh.

Dunno about Tejada. He seems more of a 1 to me. Maybe Davis takes 3? I don't imagine he'll stick with 76 or whatever he wore this year.

Or the vomit-inducing answer, hire Mattingly to be the manager and wear 3 for the championship he'll bring us.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I'm going to campaign for Davis to be issued No. 17.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I'd like to see him as a 6. But Wally Backman may get there first.