K-Rod Gets Caught Up In The Numbers Game

I read an interesting post this morning by Andrew Das of the NY Times.

In it he wonders what uniform number Francisco Rodriguez will don as a member of the New York Mets.

The one he wore with the Angels, No. 57, is out because it belongs to Johan Santana, a fellow Venezuelan. While acknowledging that the signing of Rodriguez would be good for both the Mets and their native country, Santana joked to Ben Shpigel the other day that he had no intention of giving it up.

Rodriguez wore No. 37 when he pitched for Venezuela in the 2006 World Baseball Classic (again, losing out to Santana), but he cannot have that with the Mets because it was retired for Casey Stengel in 1965.

I don’t understand what all the fuss is about. Naturally, the best number for K-Rod is 86, now that he’s become Mets Merized!