From Left Field: The Mets Annual Christmas Party

Is the North Pole in Flushing? No, just Citi Field with a light dusting of snow.

Do Santa’s elves wear Mets jerseys? At Citi Field they do.

The Mets hosted their annual Christmas party Tuesday afternoon at Citi Field’s Acela Club. Roughly 100 school children from around the New York area attended to sing Christmas carols, enjoy a nice lunch, and receive a gift from Santa and his elves.

This year, David Wright played the role of Santa while Ike Davis, Jason Bay and Carlos Beltran did a fine job as the elves. Sandy Alderson and Terry Collins were also on hand for the event.

Once again, the club did a terrific job in making the day special for some local youngsters. The players seemed to enjoy themselves as well, sporting big smiles and laughing as they gave out the gifts.

“The Mets organization is great for putting it on, but I think it goes deeper than that,” said Wright. “I know it puts me in the holiday spirit, and I know it puts those kids in the holiday spirit. And dressing up as a symbol of the holiday season, that’s what it’s all about. I’ve always loved this holiday.”

Mets players and personnel graciously answered questions for television reporters, writers and even the bloggers that were present. The players, especially Beltran and Bay, are eager to get back out on the field and gear up for the 2011 campaign. The Mets face an uphill challenge this year, but with the right leadership and attitude, they might be able to turn a few heads.

I was able to talk to everyone there about their thoughts on the Cliff Lee deal, possible roster moves, the upcoming season and a variety of other topics. Stay tuned over the next three days as I will be posting highlights from each interview.