The Mets have assured Terry Collins that his job is not in danger and his future with the team will be discussed when his contract expires at the end of this season, two sources told Newsday.

Not only is Collins safe, there have been no conversations about Wally Backman as a potential replacement, either for this year or beyond. In fact, Backman’s bold guarantees this week about fixing Ike Davis have rubbed some in the organization the wrong way after so much time and effort trying to help Davis at the major-league level.

When asked about the possibility of Backman eventually taking over for Collins, one person familiar with the situation replied, “There’s zero chance of that happening. Zero.”

That’s pretty funny… Before even reading this report from David Lennon, I was asked my opinion by several friends and I even got a call from my long lost cousin who I haven’t spoke to in 3-4 months. “Did you hear Backman on WFAN,” he asked. “It sounds like he’s going to be the next Mets manager”.

He and the others were excited about that, but I on the other hand knew better.

“There is no chance in hell that someone like Sandy Alderson would ever hand his team over to the likes of Wally Backman.”

That was my response to them.

I love Wally… I  mean what Met fan doesn’t? I get the emotional ties that many fans have with Wally and I completely understand the fascination. In the past 15 months alone we’ve interviewed him exclusively three times – twice while chilling out with him in his office before a game. He’s a likable guy… the kind of guy you want to hang out with, have a few beers, and just talk baseball. And boy, can Wally talk baseball… His players would go through a wall for him…

But then you have Sandy Alderson…

You have his clean cut approach to things…

Sandy loves things to be perfectly organized with everything in its proper place. The people he chooses all need to fit into his master plan. Alderson is the most methodical general manager this franchise has ever had. He overthinks everything… sometimes to a fault.

The bottom line? Backman just doesn’t fit into Sandy Alderson’s grand scheme of things.

Collins on the other hand is perfect… To Sandy, Collins is just right…

Terry Collins projects the image that Sandy wants his team to project. Collins is the good soldier who always follows orders and there’s no chance that he would ever embarrass the front office or the organization. He’s always well spoken and professional… He takes the rotten hand he’s been dealt and never complains about it… He has David Wright in his corner…

Before Wally Backman’s interview on WFAN, there was another interview. And in that interview the man who will make the final decision gave Collins a ringing endorsement that the manager job is his until the end of this season. He also left listeners with the strong possibility that he’ll get a new deal to stay on as manager of the Mets.

“Don’t blame any of this on Terry. This is not a Terry issue, it’s a player issue and that’s on me. Terry is doing a heck of a job.”

Trust me… Terry’s not going anywhere.

As for Backman?

If he is ever going to be a major league manager, it will not be with the Mets. He probably deserves a shot somewhere, but as long as Sandy Alderson, Paul DePodesta and J.P. Ricciardi are running this ship, the likelihood that Backman will one day manage this team range from slim to none.

That’s not a knock on Wally… That’s just the reality of the situation…

Prior to last night’s Subway Series sweep of the Yankees, MLB Network’s Sam Ryan sat down with Matt Harvey and spoke with him about his breakout season so far and facing his childhood team in the Subway Series. If you missed it last night, you can watch the full interview below.

Personally, I thought this was one of the best Harvey interviews I have seen all season. Ryan did a great job of drawing out a lot of interesting facts from Harvey. I loved how he talked about the fact that he wants to go for the Mets club pitching records, including Tom Seaver, at only 24-years old. This guy is a winner, and has that fiery spirit that has been sorely lacking for the New York Mets in recent years. Hopefully this one-man wrecking machine will lead the charge in changing the culture of the Mets clubhouse and make this team relevant again in the near future.

He truly is “The Real Deal” Harvey.

Sandy Alderson told reporters yesterday that the organization will limit top pitching prospect Zack Wheeler to 180 to 185 innings this season, likely meaning he will have to go through an end-of-season shutdown, similar to Matt Harvey last year.

Alderson said the organization prefers to add no more than 30 innings per year to a pitcher’s workload. Wheeler pitched 149 innings last season and 115 in 2011. So far this season, Wheeler, in nine starts, has accumulated 48.1.

Wheeler, 22, has posted a 3.91 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP in those 48.1 innings. He has struck out 49 (9.1 K/9) and walked 20 (3.7 BB/9) this season. Wheeler returned to the Las Vegas 51s last week after missing a start due to an inflamed AC Joint. He is likely to join the Mets towards the middle or end of June, once the Mets feel he won’t be in danger of achieving Super Two status, giving him an extra year of arbitration.

Updated by Joe D. on 5/27

On another note, the New York Post raised the question of whether Wheeler would be ready to tackle the spotlight of the New York media after one of the Las Vegas beat reporters told them Wheeler blew him off last night and copped an attitude.

The only concern about Wheeler is whether is he ready mentally for the media frenzy that awaits him when he eventually arrives in Flushing Queens. A red flag was raised recently when Wheeler reportedly “big-timed” one of the beat reporters covering the Mets Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas. Wheeler supposedly copped “an attitude” at an interview request.

Maybe it was nothing. Maybe Wheeler was having a bad day. But maybe it’s a sign Wheeler might not be ready to handle the bright lights and the microphones that will greet him when he is called up.

“I went to do a story on him and he brushed me off,” Todd Dewey of the Las Vegas Review-Journal told the Post yesterday. “He was giving me an attitude for sure, and I’m just one guy in Vegas asking for an interview. What’s he going to do in New York?” It’s valid question.

For now the Mets wait for Wheeler to see if he’s ready for the big time instead of acting like it. He can’t get here soon enough.

Last season, we had two somewhat similar incidents with Zack Wheeler. The first one was when he was with Double-A Binghamton. After interviewing the B-Mets pitching coach, we greeted Wheeler with a nod of the head and as we started walking toward him he quickly turned and made a beeline for the dugout and into the clubhouse with his head down and avoiding eye contact. The second time, a week or two after he was promoted to Triple-A Buffalo, he politely declined our interview request.

In both of our cases, we didn’t feel wronged or slighted in any way. Sometimes there are just other things going on in the background that we are not aware of, and that goes for all players, not just Wheeler. He could have had a scheduled workout or a meeting with one of the coaches or just needed some alone time. The point is we don’t really know the whole story so we shouldn’t speculate or draw conclusions just because a player snubs an interview request. It happens all the time… You just move on and interview another teammate instead.

Wheeler is expected to be promoted after 2-3 more good starts. “If he’s healthy, he’ll be promoted,” said Sandy Alderson. That’s expected to happen some time in the next two weeks and what a media frenzy that will be.

The 2013 Dominican Summer League is starting on June 1^st and the Mets have two teams there, as well as players that they have signed or might sign working out there. The reason that the Mets have two teams in the Dominican Summer League is that the second team is a replacement for their once Venezuelan League team. It was disbanded in favor of the second DSL team as tensions and violence grew in Venezuela.

In mid-July of 2008, when I was 18 years old, I was sent to get a look at the new Dominican Complex that the Mets had built in Boca Chica. After volunteering in a micro-credit foundation called Esperanza International, I had lived in several places in the Dominican Republic such as Quisqueya, a little village near San Pedro De Macrois for a week, a weekend in Santo Dominigo, and another week in Puerto Plata, before heading to the Academy. It had not achieved its inauguration until the day I was leaving the facility, but I had lived there among the players and coaches, and found myself immersed in Dominican Baseball.

This new complex, located in Boca Chica, stood tall among the trees, with beauty throughout. It had modern design, with glass-panes covering their center where the players would relax on their free time. It was state-of-the-art – it had TV’s with cable and many table games in the center. It also had its own locker room and a very large gym. There were 2 fields and one still being developed at the time. The main field where players would go was modeled after the dimensions of Citi Field, and the second field had its own, larger dimensions. The third field was being developed still at the time, and only had an infield to practice on.

I hung around with players from the Academy, and new signees such as Aderlin Rodriguez, and scouts such as Ismael Cruz. On some road games, I accompanied the players to games in other complexes on their buses. On other days, I sat and watched players work out as Cruz and other scouts watched from the bird’s nest that had been built to watch over all of the fields.

We would sit and watch the tryouts of these players, watch the guns, and test players for speed. I learned a few important lessons about scouting Dominican players. I learned about timing and approach, as well as the slide-step delivery. I also learned the difficult nature of scouting the players, such as age. I watched an 18-year-old hit 91 MPH on the gun and pointed it out to Ismael. He told me that his age might be wrong. That knowledge has been reflected in the recent discoveries about age falsifications surrounding some players. Lying about their age affects their signing bonus, and if they can hit 90 MPH at 16-18 years of age, it’s a bigger bonus.

I stayed at the Dominican Complex for a couple of weeks back in 2008 and have fond memories of my experience there that I would like to share. I also did some digging around the organization and  recently interviewed a front office official that has experience working at the complex. This official. who prefers to remain nameless, gave me some information as part of a look-in to the operations of the Dominican Complex.

During my interview, I asked him a few questions about operations down there, including schedules, what amateur level they can be compared to, and a few other things. This interview took place on May 10th.  Enjoy!

Are people already there at the Dominican academy?

Yes, there are people there. We’ve had players work out there since Mid-April. We actually had some exhibition games yesterday. We have players here that we have signed that are getting work in for the season. We want to make sure to get in as much work as possible.

Can you compare them to any kind of league, high school or college?

Well, yes, probably college, but the developmental times are different between them. College guys are a bit more polished than these guys at this point. Honestly, the experience levels are different between these two levels, it’s like apples and oranges.

What happens on a regular day?

They usually start with breakfast in the cafeteria, then early work from 6:30-7:00. Then they have a morning meeting at 8:15. After that, they practice on the field until 10:00 when the game begins. Players tend to get a lot of work in the early, early morning. After games, we hold some players back after to get extra work in.

After the games, they eat, and have classes to learn English using Rosetta Stone. They also have teachers, as well as Continuing Education classes for players more advanced with their English.

What happens with players who tryout here?

The tryout players will come through and work out here, and we evaluate them. The ones we like, we sign. They work out and stay with us during the summer. Some International Free Agents have worked out here and signed with us or other teams.

Do you host the Dominican Prospect League?

We host the DPL’s, along with the rest of the league. We sometimes get more games due to the fact that we have a newer complex. (The Dominican Prospect League is for young players at 15-17 to show their ability to different professional organizations. They appear at every complex on the island, with different teams.)

How many fields do you have?

We have 3 full fields with a half-field for infield practice. There is plenty of room for each team, as well as the people working out at the complex.

How many people does the complex house?

Capacity was 90 players, and has staff housing as well. But a lot of staff live in a small renovated home on the complex that is not part of the main building.

I appreciate sharing this with all of you, my readers, and hope you appreciated this look into the Dominican Summer League Complex.

With two outs in the ninth, Adam Rosales hit a drive to left field that seemed to clearly hit a railing above the edge of the wall tying the game, yet somehow, crew chief Angel Hernandez ruled that there was “not enough evidence” to overturn the call. Apparently, actually seeing the ball clear the wall, is not enough.

”Everybody else said it was a home run, including their announcers when I came in here later,” a miffed Melvin said. ”I don’t get it. I don’t know what the explanation would be when everybody else in the ballpark knew it was a home run.”

”Clearly, it hit the railing. I’m at a loss, I’m at a complete loss,” Melvin added.

Buster Olney and Ken Rosenthal are both calling for resumption of the game from the point in the ninth inning where Rosales tied it 4 – 4. While the chances of this happening are slim, MLB will likely offer some consolation in the form of an “official statement” … there may even be a “policy review.”

The term that’s being knocked around a lot this morning in light of this astonishingly bad call, is “centralized review.” Central review is similar to what is employed in the NHL, involving a team of officials monitoring a video bank (most likely in N.Y.) with access to all the video feeds of all in-progress games.

During the off-season MLB also agreed to test two advanced replay systems live during games, a radar-based system and a camera-based system, similar to the ones used in tennis for down-the-line fair-or-foul calls. Yankee Stadium and our very own Citi Field were chosen as guinea-pig parks for these systems, which have apparently already been installed.

So my question is, where were these systems during the botched call in the ninth inning the other night? In fact, where are these systems period? I don’t see them, are they so advanced they have “stealth” capabilities? Is the box that Buck crashed into last week that prevented him from making a play in foul territory part of these systems? Are they supposed to interfere with players that way? How are they testing these systems? Is there a team of officials umpiring certain games in a video room and comparing their results with the rulings on the field? A digital domain, if you will, where the alternate umps officiate in real time only instead of wearing black outfits they’re dressed in blue spandex dotted with blinking LED lights … Maybe instead of popcorn and hotdogs they snack on couscous and baby carrots …

In 2012, Ken Rosenthal, in the midst of his little conniption over Santana’s no-hitter, reported that commissioner Bud Selig remains wary of slowing down games for fear of a “robotization” that may eventually extend to balls and strikes. Robotization, yep, that’s the word he used … Bud Selig is afraid of a robot takeover. Can you imagine? A terminator-series cybernetic umpire? Hasta la vista Bob Melvin.

One thing is clear, in an age where video review is everywhere, where anything out of the ordinary can end up on Youtube in a nanosecond, MLB is well behind the curve.

The purists will tell you the game doesn’t need to be changed, but there is a growing consensus that technology has improved to such a degree that the game would be improved dramatically with the addition of these technological assets.

I’m all for it … in fact I don’t see what would be so difficult about equipping umpires with some high resolution 12 inch tablets with direct links to all the video feeds. Umpires could watch the game as it happens … shucks, they wouldn’t even have to be at the game, they could officiate from the comfort of their living rooms thereby also avoiding any potential bodily harm from fan riots.

Thoughts from John Delcos

There’s arrogance. There’s blind arrogance. And, there is Angel Hernandez arrogance, which by the way, incorporates a little bit of the blind.

Another night, another blown call, but Hernandez’s last night in Cleveland was compounded by his bullish behavior afterward, which should be met with swift and forceful action by Commissioner Bud Selig.

“Probably the only four people in the ballpark,’’ Oakland manager Bob Melvin said about the umpire’s non-reversal.

Replays clearly showed the ball struck a metal railing over the padded outfield wall. More to the point, after striking the railing, the ball ricocheted as you know it would when it strikes metal. Umpire supervisor Jim McKean told ESPN.

Hernandez, using the umpire’s stock get-out-of-jail-free card, said: “It wasn’t evident on the TV we had and it was a home run. I don’t know what kind of replay you had, but you can’t reverse a call unless there is 100 percent evidence and there wasn’t 100 percent evidence.”

Hernandez clearly didn’t want the interview recorded because he could come back and claim he was misquoted. The quote the reporter acquired the old fashioned way was damning enough.

The umpires use the same camera angle used in the broadcasts and have additional cameras. To suggest the reporters had different camera angles is absurd, not to mention a fabrication.

Hernandez was trying to cover up his own ineptitude with an outlandish story. Clearly, he blew the call, threw dirt on the system used to correct mistakes, and compounded his failure by refusing the interview to be recorded and his arrogant answer.

The ball now is in Selig’s court, and with his powers “to act in the best interest of baseball,’’ his reaction should be swift.

The call should be reversed – to hell with it being in the umpire’s judgment – with the game resumed after the home run. Any fines for Melvin and Rosales should be rescinded.

As for Hernandez, he must be fined and suspended for his actions. Selig needs to come down hard on Hernandez. Really hard. And, in the future, any attempt by an umpire to bully reporters by preventing interviews to be recorded should be met with similar punishment.

The day started off on a sour note. I had my weekend MMO press credential clipped to my tie as I walked up to Target Field to see the Mets take on the Twins. I arrived on time for the pregame press conference only to be confronted by a big no-nonsense Security Guard at the entrance to the Met clubhouse. I explained to him that I was with Metsmerized Online, that I had a press credential. Didn’t matter. My credential included a field pass and access to the press box but not the clubhouse. “See, right there,” he said pointing to my card. “But I got in last night,” I said. “Terry Collins said we should be back at 11:45.” He just shrugged his shoulders. I felt like I did in the third grade when I couldn’t go on the field trip to the zoo because I forgot to get my permission slip.

I decided to walk out onto the field and calm down. Watching the groundskeepers on this frosty April morning prepare the field was about as soothing an image as I could ask for under the circumstances. I’d take it in stride and do what I could outside of attending the press briefing I thought. I went back up to the press box and started sorting through some pictures and chatting with some of the Minnesota press corps. They were about as nice a group of guys as you could assemble. Maybe they knew I’d been left out and were trying to cheer me up, or, maybe it was a Minnesota thing. People in Minnesota sure can be nice. I saw that the Mets had gone back out to the field and figured I’d head out and take some photos.

I went down the elevator into the bowels of Target Field (sub level -2!) with food prep people and racks and racks of cotton candy lining the long circular corridor … I turned down a door marked “Field Access” and walked up beside the Met dugout.

I could see David Wright signing some autographs, Justin Turner clowning around with his bright red beard, different groups of players stretching. Eventually one of the conditioning coaches came out and guided the majority of the team in what looked like some sort of abbreviated stretching routine. It reminded me of boot camp only the salary here was probably a little better.

At that point I notice Sandy Alderson walk up from the dugout. He looked around and started up a conversation with Jay Horwitz. I thought here’s my chance, go up and ask for an interview. I paced around awkwardly and finally just walked over and introduced myself and my affiliation with MMO, and asked Sandy if he could answer some questions.

Amazingly, he agreed, which took me completely off guard – I was expecting him to say “Sorry, no time.” I’d gone into this way too quickly. My mind went blank. He looked at me, waiting. “Hmm lets see,” I said, trying to stall. C’mon brain, DO something, THINK … a question, ANY question. I was about to blurt out “So how about this weather?” when all of my many Mets related questions came flooding back. It’s a good thing too because I think Sandy was about to walk away, most likely thinking they’re missing one at the funny farm.

I held up my handy iTouch video recorder and began. My first question was about the Stanton rumors which he responded to by cutting me off with a simple emphatic, “No.” No? I thought? That’s it? No to what, the question, or did he reconsider granting the interview? Another awkward pause. Fortunately I gathered my senses and asked for clarification. When it was all said and done he’d graciously answered every question. What a great guy I thought as I walked away. I couldn’t wait to watch the replay when I looked down at my recording device and noticed … I hadn’t pressed the record button.

I felt dizzy, the stadium was spinning around me as the blood rose to my head and I started to sweat. I went up and down the steps searching for the video in vain but it was not there, it would never be there. I wanted to punch myself in the face 26 times and then I wanted to bang my head against the concrete wall another 17 times or so until I’d pass out, but I didn’t because the security guards were eying me suspiciously by then. Maybe I could find an out of the way empty room where I could scream for about 10 minutes. I couldn’t believe it. My one chance and I’d blown it spectacularly.

I dragged my sorry self back up to the press box running the interview over in my head. Maybe I could go back and ask him for another interview? HA! He’d really think I was crazy. “Excuse me sir, but I forgot to press this big red button the first time, could we do the whole thing over again?” Yeah, not happening. The day was turning into a nightmare, with my luck Harvey would get shelled and blow his elbow out.

I went back up with the same dejected look on my face that I had after I’d missed the press briefing.They must have thought jeez why are these Mets people so sad? I told a couple of the guys about the video and, surprisingly, they said “yeah, it happens.” Which made me feel quite a bit better. “Get it down on paper.” They said. So I did.

By the time I was done the game was about to start and I thought the written interview and commentary afterwards wasn’t half bad. There were a lot more people around by then and there was a buzz in the air. I got up to use the rest room and turned a corner too quick nearly running into Keith Hernandez. I looked up and thought, wow, it’s Keith Hernandez … look like you belong Matt look like you belong … I nodded my head in greeting and he looked at me suspiciously, like he knew what I was up to or something (I swear I’m not making that up) … I think maybe he was messing with me. Keith is an interesting guy … he should run for Mayor.

The day turned out to be a pretty good day after all. Harvey was again unbelievable, pitching a no-hitter through six and two-thirds innings. The Mets won 4 – 2. Jay Horwitz talked to the uptight security guard and got me into the post game briefing, and the Mets had saved me yet again from my own foolishness.

Sandy Alderson and Jay Horwitz chat before start of today’s game. (Photo: Matt Balasis, MMO)

Updated by Joe D. on April 15 at 12:00 PM

The reaction to Matt’s interview with Mets GM Sandy Alderson has been stunning. Over 25,000 different visitors have read the post and as I was telling Shannon of Mets Media Relations, it’s been talked about on WFAN and posted or linked to on over two dozen mainstream sites including MLB Trade Rumors, ESPN, Fox Sports, Yahoo, USA Today, MetsBlog and the Daily News to name a few.

In all fairness, regarding the Giancarlo Stanton rumor which originated with Andy Martino of the Daily News, and was covered on MMO in a post that eclipsed 300 comments, Martino offered a reply to Alderson’s denial that there were any recent conversations and wanted to add his comments here:

Just updating our item from last Thursday on the Mets’ interest in Miami outfielder Giancarlo Stanton. Two pieces of news trickled out over the weekend that both confirmed the Mets’ end of the story and moved forward the Marlins’ end beyond what we wrote.

In the original column, I reported that Sandy Alderson and Marlins GM Larry Beinfest spoke at a minor league game in Jupiter, Fla. This was probably early March. One good Mets source told me that two discussed Stanton, and that “there was heat there.” He was not talking about the temperature in Florida, but his team’s strong interest in the young slugger.

But another Mets person, also reliable, said he wasn’t sure if Stanton came up in the conversation that day. Alderson did not return a phone call seeking clarification, so I wrote what I knew to be accurate: One source said they talked Stanton, one said they talked about something or other. Regardless, we know the Mets are eyeing Stanton in their search for a marquee outfielder.

This weekend in Minnesota, Matt Balasis of Mets Merized Online spoke to Alderson. The GM, in a backhanded way, acknowledged that the teams had talked during spring training (he also said there was nothing happening now. To be clear, I never reported, suggested or implied that the teams were talking now).

To be clear, Alderson said they haven’t talked since “early spring training”. So we are talking about well over a month ago. Also, as Matt tells it, the exchange as it took place told more than just the words alone:

I wish I had video footage of the interview. When I mentioned Stanton for Wheeler and D’Arnaud he scoffed and just said “No,” then there was an awkward pause.

I followed up and said, “So there’s nothing to the rumors?”

And that’s when he said they hadn’t spoken since early spring. He was very, very clear that there was nothing to the recent rumors.

Anyway, both Andy and Matt added more context to the story regarding the Stanton rumor. Though while it was incredibly fun to consider, it was never nothing more than a longshot at best and one that ran out of steam over a month ago.

Original Post by Matt Balasis on April 13 at 8:00 PM

I had a chance to chat with Mets General Manager Sandy Alderson today during batting practice before the game at Target Field. I thought he gave me some very interesting answers on a number of different Mets topics. My thoughts follow the interview. Enjoy…

MMO: On the Stanton rumors, they’ve been all over the news, are there any truth to them?

Sandy: No, no we haven’t had any conversations with them since early spring.

MMO: Will adding players and payroll at the break be based on how well the team is doing or whether revenue is up?

Sandy: You mean adding players? If we feel the team is doing well we will add players.

MMO: Adding payroll, will you base that decision more on revenue or performance or both?

Sandy: Performance, but if we are winning, revenue will be up.

MMO: How do you feel about organizational depth as a whole? This is an organization that’s had poor organizational depth for a long time.

Sandy: It’s getting better. We are starting to see some effects of improved depth and we should be seeing more in the near future.

Sandy Alderson watching his team take batting practice before today’s game. (Photo: Matt Balsis, MMO)

MMO: If Buck keeps hitting the way he has been, how will you handle it when D’Arnaud comes up? Will you keep playing Buck or will he take on more of a mentor’s role?

Sandy: We’ll find a way to play both of them.

MMO: Any chance you will trade Buck?

Sandy: No. We are not trading Buck.

MMO: How do you feel about the bullpen, this team has struggled with bullpen depth for the greater part of the past decade?

Sandy: The Bullpen seems to be doing well, we still have Fransicso rehabbing and Familia down there so we feel we have some good depth there.

MMO: How do you feel about the team’s performance as a whole?

Sandy: Well it’s only been 10 games.

Thoughts from Matt

I got the sense that there is nothing to the Stanton rumors at all. A lot of the press around me seem to agree as well. Totally unfounded …

Overall I get the impression from watching Sandy interact around his players that while he does appear to be a consummate professional and an exemplary administrator, this is not the uncaring hatchet man he’s been accused of being.

The players joked around a lot (especially Justin Turner) with Horwitz and Collins, but with the exception of a short exchange between Wright and Sandy, there was little fraternization between Alderson and the players.

Nevertheless, he was intent and focused on the players and I would venture to say passionate even, which came out more during the interview when it was obvious the guy cares about this team.

As fans it’s probably difficult for us to distinguish between the job’s specifics and the person. A good General Manager can’t get too attached to his players, a good GM will deal a player when it improves the team.

As much as many of us have lamented the loss of some of our favorite players, this young season has been a case in point for why big long contracts and players whose game is dependent on their legs are risky propositions.

We want to thank Sandy for being gracious enough to answer a few questions for us. It was a pleasure to hear him respond to so many of the questions on many Mets fans minds. We appreciated the time he took to answer them.

I’ll be back at Target Field again on Sunday, and hope to have more video, pictures and maybe a surprise interview or two.

According to Mark Hale of the New York Post, Triple-A manager Wally Backman believes Zack Wheeler is not far away from being promoted to the Mets despite his rough outing on Thursday, and drew comparisons to Matt Harvey.

“He is the same spot Matt Harvey was at last year, I would say,” Backman said of Wheeler in a phone interview with The Post Friday. “It’s a matter of command. I think it’s going to be a matter of consistency.”

“He struggled with command a little bit Thursday night. It was the first game. He was rushing a little bit. He showed signs of just dominating, and then he’d get a little bit erratic.”

Wheeler had big command issues walking three of the first six batters he faced. He was unable to complete the fourth inning after tossing 86 pitches in 3.1 innings.

Last season, Wheeler went 2-2 with a 3.27 ERA in six Triple-A starts, striking out 31 and walking 16 in 33 innings.

What a game by Matt Harvey last night, and if you missed our interview with him on Monday, you should check it out. As we stated last night, this is exactly what aces are supposed to do.

The young right-hander went 7.0 innings and surrendered one hit last night, tied for the fewest he’s allowed in a single game in his career. He also went 7.0 innings and allowed
one hit on September 19 vs. Philadelphia.

Harvey was brilliant and it wasn’t unexpected either. Those of us who count ourselves among his steadfast supporters know fully well what he have in Harvey. If it walks like an ace, and talks like an ace, then it must be an ace.

After his stellar performance last night, Harvey joined Dwight Gooden and Nolan Ryan as the only Mets pitchers ever to have three, ten strikeout games in their first 11 appearances in the majors.

“He pitched an absolutely — under the circumstances — unbelievable game,” Terry Collins said after the game. “You walk out and you grab that baseball in that kind of weather, it feels like a cue ball. The fact that he commanded his stuff as well as he did is impressive.”

What’s more amazing about Harvey is how his incredible achievements are wowing other pitchers both past and present. He’s quickly rocketing his way to superstar status in the majors.

Matt Harvey is my new favorite pitcher outside of current and former teammates!! He’s nasty

— David Price (@DAVIDprice14) April 4, 2013

Matt Harvey…. Wow

— Curt Schilling (@gehrig38) April 4, 2013

The victory last night was the first of Harvey’s career at Citi Field, and he became the fourth Mets pitcher to register at least 80 strikeouts in his first 11 starts with the team, joining Pedro Martinez, Dwight Gooden and Nolan Ryan.

“Today it was the fastball,’’ Harvey said of what was working. “I threw some good sliders when I needed and I threw my change-up in timely counts. … I said all spring training I wanted to pound the zone and I wasn’t about to let the cold affect me.’’

“Matt Harvey will never win a Cy Young”- @matthewcerrone Hey Matt I think @mattharvey33 just told you to shove it last night.

— Gary Palumbo (@SaltyGary) April 4, 2013

I’m feeling so much better about my counter piece to MetsBlog that essentially said @mattharvey33 WILL win a Cy Young in his career! LGM!

— Mets Merized Online (@MetsMerized) April 4, 2013

Wheeler has firmly set his sights on a spot in the Mets starting rotation.

As Zack Wheeler heads to minor league camp and begins to focus on what he needs to do to ready himself for a potential major league debut later this season with the Mets, let’s consider some of what we did get to see and hear while he was in Mets camp.

Wheeler gave a concise self-assessment of his repertoire not too long ago during an interview with WFAN’s Mike Francesa:

“I like to come at you with a fastball, not afraid to come inside. I am aggressive, I got a sharp slider, good curveball that I can strike you out with, or get over early for a strike. Changeup is a work in progress.“

Most scouts, and those who have seen him, all agree that Wheeler’s number one issue is gaining a better command of his primary pitches while continuing to develop his secondary offerings, particularly his curveball and changeup.

There’s no questioning Wheeler’s confidence and determination and in that regard, he is like fellow teammate Matt Harvey. They both seem to share that bulldog mentality.

I thought I’d ask our MMO minor league guru, Mitch Petanick, to share some thoughts on Wheeler and provide us with some additional analysis.

Thoughts From Mitch

What can be said about Wheeler that hasn’t been said before? His fastball is dynamite. His two-seamer has wicked movement which moves in on the right-handed hitters hands, and away from left-handed hitters. Wheeler states that he likes to pitch inside, and if the two seam is used effectively on the inside half to righties, opposing hitters will be going through a ton of lumber. In the video shown below it gives a great view of Wheeler’s pitches from behind the plate, and you can really see the filthy movement on all of his pitches.

Wheeler’s curveball is also very sharp and considered a biting curveball. His changeup is still a work in progress, as he states in the quote, but the changeup is not an easy pitch to master. If he’s throwing a circle change, the grip on the ball is awkward for pitchers to get used to. The thumb, which is usually there as a guide, is now on the side of the ball, instead of under it. The pitcher basically makes the O.K. sign with their fingers, and then grip the ball with the middle and ring finger placed on the two seams of the baseball. It is then thrown like a fastball, and due to the grip, the baseball does not generate as much velocity as the fastball.

The Circle Changeup Grip

The batter perceives the pitch to be a fastball because the arm speed of the pitcher does not change, but the velocity of the ball drops by about 10 mph due to the grip. The pitcher releases the ball and lets the ball come out of the hand off the middle, ring, and pinky in a fashion that the ball rotates and creates a motion, from a right-handed pitcher like Wheeler is, that will move in and down on right-handed hitters. Grip a ball making an O.K. sign with your hand and throw it as hard as you can and you will see how hard the pitch is to control and master.

Wheeler’s changeup may still need some work, but it will be effective. Anytime you throw in the upper 90s, the speed drop off from throwing a changeup will be enough to confuse hitters and keep them off-balance, as long as he can throw it for strikes. Wheeler is all but ready to embark on what hopes to be a long and exciting career in a Mets uniform. The fans are patiently awaiting his arrival.

In 2012, we saw Gavin Cecchini and Kevin Plawecki hog the spotlight as the first round picks and the most promising new members of the Mets minor league system. Behind them followed many new and talented players that came into the fold of the orange and blue. I was so excited as a fan last year, that I actually added as many players as I could to my personal twitter to see who would sign. One of the first players to sign after the draft ended was Robert Whalen, our 12th round pick out of Haines City High School in Haines City, Florida.

Whalen’s part in the draft didn’t stop there. Instead of just taking his money and reporting to camp, he decided to take it upon himself to encourage fellow 2012 Mets Draftees to sign with the team via Twitter. That really stuck out for me and earned him my “Favorite Player of the 2012 Draft Award” for his character, encouragement and one other thing… I was very intrigued by why a draftee would go on a quest to get other players he hardly knew to join the Mets, so I decided to ask him. It turns out that Robert Whalen is a die-hard Mets fan, and has been for as long as he can remember.

Well upon learning that the Mets had drafted a fellow Mets fan, I knew that I needed to reach out to him and get to know him a little better. So I conducted a short interview with him and I’m quite pleased to get to know Robert Whalen, and also to share his character and enthusiasm with MMO.

Ok, first question. So I heard you grew up as a Mets fan, how did that come to be as a Florida native?

Definitely been a big time Mets fan my entire life, my mom and dad were born and raised in Queens. Dad was from Flushing and my mom was from Woodside. My two older sisters were born in NY as well, but we lived in Stroudsburg, PA so I was born in Pennsylvania. I moved to Florida after 8th grade so I could play High School ball down in Florida to have a better opportunity to get drafted or go to a Division 1 College. Up North, there aren’t many scouts looking, so Florida was the place to be. My father took an early retirement from working at UPS in Manhattan, and my mom quit her job. My sisters were old enough to stay up North, so me and my parents just packed up and moved to Florida. Mainly just for baseball and of course the better weather!

Describe the day you got drafted. You must have been ecstatic to be drafted by your favorite team!

Draft day was bittersweet for me to be honest. I had such high expectations going into my senior season and my first 3-5 starts were phenomenal. Was really pitching well with a hard fastball that touched 95 once or twice: hardest I’ve ever thrown. Then I just had a long streak of a dead arm period. It was something I’ve never experienced before and I just never had the same velocity the rest of my season. Scouts backed off and my stock continued to drop. Almost all 30 teams were still in contact with me and had positive things to say, but on draft day when the 10th round came and my name still wasn’t called I was miserable. I really thought I wasn’t going to get drafted. All I wanted to do was play pro ball. Didn’t want to go to school, and I didn’t have a big asking number. Just wanted to play. So when the 12th round came and I had about eight teams call all offering the same and their picks were coming up. I really got to choose which team to play for and there was no way I was turning down the Mets!

Rob Whalen: I got to catch the first pitch from Super Bowl champ Dave Diehl.

Of course not. Now, for the fans, please can you give us an idea on what you throw?

Unfortunately this past summer I was shut down and wasn’t allowed to throw in games or anything like that so a lot of people, fans included, don’t really know me as player. The best way I can describe myself is how my old coaches and teammates have described me over the years. For one, I had always tried to mold my game after Roger Clemens, we have the same body type and mechanics and I just loved his intensity on the mound and how he never feared a hitter. I’m the same way, I go out there with that bulldog mentality that I’m going to challenge every hitter that steps in the box. I throw a fastball that ranges from 88 to 94 miles per hour. A hard 12-6 curveball that’s been an out-pitch for me, but one I can also throw for strikes. A slider that I’ve developed the past couple of years that I actually got my first professional strikeout with in Kingsport last summer. Also I’m working on developing a changeup that could be a key pitch for me if I can stay consistent with it down in the zone.

That was your only appearance last year. How did it feel stepping onto the mound in your first minor league game?

Yeah, my one inning for the year! It was awesome, got to make my debut with my buddy Brandon Welch who was also doing the same program as me up in Brooklyn. It was in Bluefield, West Virginia – the COMPLETE opposite of Brooklyn! I went from a stadium being sold out every night to having about a dozen fans in the stands, so that serious adrenaline wasn’t really there believe it or not. I was still very pumped though. It was my first time in a game in months and I remember talking to Tomas Nido, a good friend of mine, about how the batters looked like they were a mile away. But it was an awesome experience, something I will definitely never forget.

It must have been easier since Nido has caught you before right?

Tomas was a teammate of mine for the previous two years before the draft for our travel ball team, FTB Mizuno. So when I got drafted by the Mets it was awesome knowing that I was going to have a guy there who I knew and was actually one of my battery-mates for the past two years. He didn’t catch me in Kingsport but I’m sure him and me will be paired up again many times in the future.

My Brooklyn Cyclones jersey from Gary Carter Night at MCU Park.

How long were you in Brooklyn? Did you like the atmosphere? It’s pretty different than other baseball stadiums in terms of interaction.

I was in Brooklyn the entire summer up to August 25th. That was actually the day Welch and I were supposed to make our debuts at home versus the Staten Island Yankees. But they decided to send us to Kingsport for a less pressure atmosphere for our debut, which I can appreciate, and respect. I loved every minute in Brooklyn. I wish I could have been out there playing, but it wasn’t my time. The fans were incredible, always had our backs even when we struggled and sometimes traveled to our away games. But for me, being in Brooklyn felt like home. It’s an amazing place to play, almost feels like the big leagues the way the stadium would sell out and how the fans all got into the games. Without those die-hard Cyclones fans it would just be another minor league stadium. Those fans make it fun to play there.

Is there anything you feel you need to improve?

Of course, you can never stop improving and getting better, for me I’ve really been working hard this offseason on getting in much better shape physically and strengthening my arm. I’m doing whatever I can to make sure I don’t go through that dead arm phase I went through my senior year. Also, like I mentioned before I’m working hard on developing my changeup. Like all young pitchers, command is always the make-or-break thing for guys and I’ve always felt like I’ve had decent command for my age, but command is a given. Something I work on the most and not just my fastball but with all my pitches, is being able to throw whatever I want, whenever I want!

Awesome. You are reporting to extended spring training, where do you think you will end up playing this year?

I’ll have a better idea once I get to camp and have a chance to talk the coordinators and all the guys that make those decisions. I would love to go to Brooklyn, it was eating at me last summer that I couldn’t go out and pitch in front of that crowd, so my goal heading into camp is to just really show what I’m capable of and make it really hard for them not to send me to an advanced league like Brooklyn which features mainly college level players.

I hope so man, I want to see you play personally. Okay, last question. Who is your favorite Met?

It would be awesome man I appreciate that. Man, my favorite Met growing up was always Mike Piazza. I actually just started reading his book, but Piazza was the man and every time I would go to Shea and watch a game all I wanted to see was Mike Piazza hit a bomb. I tried to emulate everything he did, his batting stance and the way he caught since I was a catcher when I was younger. Now it’s David Wright, I have a ton of respect for the guy, just the way he handles himself on and off the field is what I admire most and a path I try to follow. He sets a great example for us younger players and now that he’s locked up with us I’m looking forward to possibly having him play third base behind me one day.

* * * * * * * *

I thank Robert Whalen for giving me the opportunity to interview him and I wish him so much luck going forward. I want to see him achieve his dream and stand on the mound in front of us at Citi Field. Robert reports to extended spring training on April 13th, and will play there until he earns his assignment to a short-season league. You can follow him on twitter at @RobWhalen38.

During an interview on WFAN with Mike Francesa, Terry Collins said that Jon Niese would get the Opening Day start if Johan Santana is not ready.

The manager still believes Santana has a chance to make the start, “It’s not doubtful,” Collins said. “If he’s not ready for Game 1, I think he’ll be ready for Game 4.”

Niese, 26, took a big step forward. He became reliable, proved to be durable, and most of all, he improved his performance significantly.

Hopefully Santana will be able to make that start, as we could use his veteran leadership. If not, we are in capable hands with Jonathan Niese.

According to the American Diabetes Association, 25.8 million children and adults—8.3 percent of the population—are living with the diabetes. Among these is Mets outfield prospect Cory Vaughn.

Vaughn, the son of former Major League slugger Greg Vaughn, was drafted out of high school by the Phillies in 2007 but opted to attend San Diego State University. He was then drafted by the Mets in last year’s draft.

All he’s done so far in the Mets system is hit, hit and hit some more. He clubbed 14 home runs last year for the Brooklyn Cyclones and got off to a hot start with the bat this year for the Savannah Sand Gnats. He was promoted to the St. Lucie Mets about a month ago.

From a young age, baseball dominated Vaughn’s life, and he remembers running around big league clubhouses with his dad. Though he always asks Greg for tips, Vaughn realizes that the two played in completely different eras.

“I’m my own player,” said Vaughn. “My game is a little bit different than my father’s was.”

While Vaughn is most known for his potent bat, he claims that the best aspect of his game right now is his defense. He has a cannon for an arm and worked hard on turning himself in a more complete player.

“It’s inevitable that you’re not going to go out there and get hits every single night,” Vaughn said. “When you’re not getting hits, you have to find a way to make sure that if you don’t get any, whoever’s up to bat isn’t getting any as well if they hit it in your area.”

Though Vaughn is looking forward to future success, he’ll never forget his first year in the minors last summer in Brooklyn. Vaughn loved the fans and atmosphere at Coney Island.

“It was a blast,” Vaughn recalled. “The biggest thing for me was that there was always something to eat after the game regardless of what time it was.”

Vaughn said he couldn’t get enough of the food in Brooklyn, but in one instance, it came back to haunt him.

Pizza is a tough food to handle for diabetics because of all the fat and carbohydrate contents. Vaughn took his insulin to balance his blood sugar, but he wound up taking too much. By the eighth inning of the game, Vaughn had to be removed since he almost passed out. Though this was the only time his diabetes affected his play, he says the Brooklyn pizza was well worth it.

Each day, Vaughn—and teammate Rylan Sandoval who also has Type I Diabetes—checks his blood sugar eight or nine times a day. After a while, Vaughn said he’s grown accustomed to this lifestyle.

“The longer you have it, the more you start to know your own body,” said Vaughn.

Diabetes has far from halted Vaughn’s progress. While at San Diego State, scouts realized he had big time potential. He was actually a college teammate of Washington Nationals phenom Stephen Strasburg.

Vaughn describes Strasburg as a “good dude” with some of the nastiest stuff he’s ever seen. How ironic would it be if the two face each other again, only this time in the big leagues with their respective NL East clubs?

With all the recent hoopla surrounding the trade of Carlos Beltran, Vaughn, who is a right fielder, said he couldn’t help but take notice. However, he claims that minor leaguers in general really don’t follow along with how the organization’s Major Leaguers are performing.

“I’m not worried about people ahead of me and how they’re doing,” Vaughn said. “I wish everyone the best of success. I’m just out here trying to be the best ballplayer I can be.”

Vaughn enjoyed playing with David Wright last week when Wright played a few rehab games with St. Lucie. Vaughn said he probably annoyed Wright with the amount of questions he asked, but this just shows that Vaughn genuinely wants to learn and get better.

While he’s been proclaimed as the Mets right fielder of the future, Vaughn is content with taking one step at a time.

“I try not to worry about things that I can’t control,” said Vaughn. “Wherever they want me to be, they’re going to do it.”

Vaughn’s story is an inspiration to the millions of people that suffer from Diabetes. He’s a great example of a person that hasn’t let his condition affect his dreams. Hopefully, if he continues his progress, he’ll be suiting up for the Mets real soon.

I was ecstatic when the Mets signed Bay last offseason. I always thought that when he played for the Pirates that he would be a great fit for the Mets. Obviously, he didn’t produce in his first year like the organization and the fans expected him to. Then he got injured which ended his season prematurely. In my mind, Bay has a clean slate heading into the season, so let’s see how he makes use of it.

He was able to start his offseason training one month earlier this year once he recovered from the concussion. He said it was a long road in getting back to normal but feels his patience will pay off.

“The month of August I literally did nothing,” said Bay. “I had a headache non-stop for a month and a half.”

He thinks it was his first concussion, but with a concussion, it’s tough to tell. Much medical research has been geared towards concussions over the last few years.

Bay isn’t worried the next time he is tracking a ball close to the wall.

“It’s an instinct thing,” said Bay. “You play a certain way. It’s not something like a hamstring where you can guard it or strengthen it. It’s just one of those things that happens.”

Bay seems very eager to get back on the field and prove to not only the organization and the fans but more importantly to himself that 2010 was a fluke.

“I’m definitely looking forward to redemption,” said Bay. “It was a lost year for me production wise. With the injury at the end of the year, I’m looking forward to getting back out there and starting fresh again.”

He noted that last year he went into stretches where he was trying too hard to make things happen. Rather, he claimed that he should have stuck to what he had done his whole career to fight out of the tough slumps.

“It’s kind of like digging a hole,” said Bay. “The harder and further you try and you dig the deeper the hole gets. You get to a point where you’re trying anything you can. You’re not even really worrying about trying to hit the ball. You’re trying to do all these others things to try to make it happen.”

In dealing with the New York media, Bay said that it comes with the territory.

“Some people are better suited for some markets and some aren’t,” said Bay. “Most people are professional. You can’t listen to everybody, and you can’t please everybody. The quicker you realize that I think the easier it is to understand it.”

Bay was used to a large media market having played for the Red Sox before signing with the Mets.

“Going from Pittsburgh to Boston was an eye-opener, big time,” said Bay.

A healthy, productive Jason Bay is exactly the presence the Mets need for the middle of their order. Unlike Beltran, Bay does factor into the long-term plans, so he needs to show that he can be the player he once was.

“I’m looking forward to going out there and putting it behind me,” said Bay.

Surprisingly, he actually came over and talked to the bloggers. He even was joking around with us for a bit. Hopefully, Beltran can overcome the last few seasons and breakout this year because he really seems like he is trying hard to regain his image.

He said his knee is feeling much better, though it is not yet 100 percent. He is still working out and rehabbing and decided to refrain from playing any form of winter ball. Beltran is doing things he wasn’t capable of doing last year including heavier lifting in order to gear up for the season.

“My plan is to show up to spring training ready to go,” said Beltran.

Naturally, our discussion focused on the possibility of a position change. With Angel Pagan making a bid to be the starting centerfielder, Beltran may have to make the move to right.

“So far from what I have heard, I am the centerfielder of the New York Mets,” said Beltran. “I haven’t heard anything different.”

Beltran did say that he has talked with members of the organization and said he is willing to do what’s best for the team. He has never been a selfish ballplayer.

“If it’s best for the team for me to do something else, something different, I have no problem with that,” said Beltran. “I am an employee of the organization.”

It’s nice to hear Beltran say that now, but I’m curious what he will be saying if the change actually happens. A healthy Beltran could be serviceable in center, but Pagan showed last year that he can cover much more ground which will be important in the cavernous gaps of Citi Field.

“I would love to play centerfield because that’s where I feel comfortable, that’s what I’ve done my whole career,” said Beltran. “At the same time, if you can find a different guy who does a better job than what I do, that’s fine with me.”

Pagan did a fine job last year, so it will be up to the Mets brass to make this decision.

Coming off his injury year, Beltran said he has been training differently this offseason as opposed to previous offseasons.

“I’ve been doing a lot of rehab exercises, a lot of pool,” said Beltran. “I feel good, I feel strong.”

Steve Keane of the Kranepool Society then asked Beltran about his speed and if he might try to bring that aspect back to his game. Here’s where we all had a few laughs.

“Well, I don’t know if you can run like when you were 22,” said Beltran. “As a player, you get older every year.”

Beltran said he has talked with both Sandy Alderson and Terry Collins about the upcoming year. He was very familiar with Collins from his time rehabbing in Port St. Lucie.

“I do believe that the organization is putting a group of coaches that they feel have the expertise and the knowledge to help the younger guys and to help us win ballgames,” said Beltran.

I hope Beltran can enjoy much success this year. He is an important part of this team, and though he may not be here long-term, he will have to produce if the team has any shot of competing.

Naturally, the conversation began with the Cliff Lee signing with the Philadelphia Phillies.

“Their whole staff, especially their starters, is pretty amazing,” said Davis. “It’s just going make one more game that much tougher.”

Davis was not too worried about the fact that Lee is left-handed and looks forward to the challenge of facing him this year.

“I’ve had more success against lefties anyway. He’s a great pitcher, and we’re going to have to beat him somehow.”

Davis spent some time talking about the new coaching staff. He met Terry Collins several times last year in the minors and became familiar with Collins’ strategy. Davis likes the way Collins talks about baseball and said Collins wants to win and has a good idea about what he wants to do. Davis is eager to play for Collins, but he is still unsure what effect Collins’ fiery attitude will have on the Mets clubhouse.

Davis is very excited that Ken Oberkfell will be joining the coaching staff. Oberkfell managed Davis at AAA Buffalo, albeit for a very short time.

“He’s a great guy, and I think he brings the looseness and the old school mentality of baseball that we need,” said Davis.

Davis is also familiar with new Mets hitting coach Dave Hudgens. They met during Davis’ time at Arizona State University. Hudgens also played at ASU and, according to Davis, will bring the knowledge and experience that the Mets need.

Davis’ goal over this season is to avoid long stretches of slumping. There were times last year when Davis couldn’t seem to break his poor habits.

“I don’t want to hit .260 the rest of my career,” said Davis. “You’re going to have bad months; you’re going to have great months. It’s just making it more consistent. I’m not going to make excuses, I just played bad. I didn’t make the adjustments quick enough, and I didn’t hit well.”

It’s nice to see that Davis is so critical of himself because that will lead him to put in the time to improve. I hope that he is not overly critical to the point where he wears himself out in the weight room or in the cage and that it affects his performance.

Heading into 2011, Davis has a more defined role: He will be our main man at first base. Last year, there was some skepticism about what the Mets would do with Davis, and he ultimately wound up in AAA to start the season.

Davis said he will not prepare any differently knowing that he has a set role with the team.

“I think I have a better thought process of how to prepare for the big leagues now because I’ve played in it,” said Davis. “Last year, I had no idea. I just went out and played.”

We concluded with a brief conversation about second base. Davis has already played with numerous second basemen, and that trend should continue this year.

“Every person you play with has a different character as far how vocal they are,” said Davis. “I like the more vocal guys because you feel like a team when you’re out there. Nothing’s getting through this side.”

Davis has enjoyed his time off but is definitely ready to get back in the swing of things (no pun intended).

“It will be fun to get to spring training and see where all the pieces fall and see what we look like,” said Davis.

Wright played Santa for the second time, with the last time being back in 2006.

It’s hard to believe, but Wright will now be playing for his fourth different manager heading into his eighth season for the Mets.

“The good and the bad thing about New York is that we expect winning now,” said Wright. “When that doesn’t happen unfortunately for some very good people, change happens. If you’ve played here, if you’ve coached here, if you’ve lived here, or if you’ve attended baseball games here, you understand that this is a ‘what have you done for me lately?’ town, and they expect winning products each and every year.”

Wright discussed the new regime and said that he is excited for the start of the season. He stressed that Sandy Alderson focuses on discipline, and discipline is underrated in the game of baseball.  After playing for three rather low key managers in Art Howe, Willie Randolph and Jerry Manuel, Wright welcomes a fiery presence in the clubhouse.

“With Sandy’s vision and Terry’s incredible passion that he brings, I’m looking forward to getting spring training started,” said Wright. “Terry seems very energetic and ready to go, and I think that’s a good thing because players need a kick in the butt. I think Terry won’t be afraid to do that.”

It’s obvious that Wright will miss Howard Johnson as the team’s hitting coach. They developed a personal relationship, and Wright was very thankful for his services and wishes HoJo well.

“He knows my swing just as well as I do,” said Wright.

We then talked about the Cliff Lee signing and how it affects the Mets. Wright brought up some good points that we as Mets fans must take some stock in moving forward.

“I still think we have good players,” said Wright. “Just because we didn’t add any of those big names, there are still players to be had out there for lower price tags.

“Once you get on the field it’s a different story,” said Wright. “You go out there and compete and that’s the beautiful thing about baseball. You don’t win games on paper. The highest payrolls don’t necessarily translate to wins on the field.”

From there, the conversation turned to the Mets current starting pitching and how they can fill the huge void left by Johan Santana. Wright identified the need for starting pitching and said that guys will have to step up and fill in when needed. He cautioned that it won’t be just one guy, like Mike Pelfrey, taking Santana’s place.

“I don’t think it’s fair to put that weight on Pelfrey’s shoulders,” said Wright. “Realistically, Pelfrey pitches once every fifth day. It’s going to have to be more of a combined effort by the pitching staff to pick up that load.”

As previously mentioned, Wright is entering his eighth season with the Mets. He has amassed some impressive statistics and is closing in on some Mets records. Still, he is more focused on winning than on his individual play.

“I’m very pessimistic when it comes to judging my play,” said Wright. “Instead of worrying about the hits that I got, I’m more upset at the hits I didn’t get.”

Wright is eager to get off to great start this season to try to turn the struggling Mets around. As a fan, it was nice to hear Wright say that he is not content with how the team has played and wants to get back on the winning track. It won’t be easy, especially this year, but the team has the pieces to accomplish its goals over the new few years.

“As of now, it’s unfinished business,” said Wright. “I haven’t won anything. We have a division title and really that’s it. And that’s not enough. That doesn’t make me happy one bit.”

“Certainly I was shocked, but I know better than to be shocked in our business,” said Collins. “They obviously are going to be a formidable opponent.”

What Collins should have said is that they will be an “even more” formidable opponent. Some fans have said that the Lee signing is the final nail in the coffin for the Mets. But after hearing more of Collins’ plan, there may be a light at the end of the tunnel.

“That’s fun part about our game,” said Collins. “You get to go out and compete against the best every night. When you play the Philadelphia Phillies, you better be ready all five nights. We’ve got some preparation to do.

“We’ve got to make sure our guys understand that we have to be ready 162 times to compete no matter who’s out there,” said Collins. “That’s the message that’s going to be said, and it starts the first day of spring training.”

Collins claimed that there’s really nothing the Mets can do about the Lee signing except to be fully prepared for Philadelphia when the two teams meet. He also said that the Mets need to capitalize on any Philly mistakes.

Collins later joked, “I just told Sandy, ‘Look at the bright side: Our right hand lineup is pretty stinking good.’”

Though the new “Philtastic Four” will be compared to the four aces of the 1969 Baltimore Orioles, Collins saw more similarity with the Braves of the early 1990s.

“When I was in Pittsburgh and we went in to play Atlanta and they ran Smoltz, Avery, Maddux and Glavine at you, they were pretty good,” said Collins.

Collins understands that the Phillies will present a challenge this year, but he cautioned against focusing solely on them.

“When they leave town or we leave Philadelphia, we’ve got someone else we have to play,” said Collins. “Hey, you have to beat the teams you’re supposed to beat. We need to win as many games as we can to make sure that in September and October we’re competing.”

It was nice to hear Collins say the word “October.” This shows there is a great deal of optimism heading into the season.

Speaking of optimism, Collins mentioned Dillon Gee in the same sentence as Mike Pelfrey, Jon Niese and R.A. Dickey which could be a sign that Gee will be given every opportunity to win the fourth or fifth spot in the rotation.

“I always felt that you have to have seven starters when you leave spring training because of injuries and things that happen where you have to have someone who can step in,” said Collins. “We have some holes we have to fill yet.”

According to Collins, Oliver Perez is currently one of those seven simply based on the Mets personnel as of now. That obviously could change as we approach spring training.

Finally, Collins is content with having Jenrry Mejia start at AAA, but he fully expects Mejia to contribute to the big league club at some point during the season. He spoke of the tremendous job the Mets minor league staff did with Ike Davis in the early part of 2010 to allow him to produce at the big league level.

Collins seems very excited to kick off his tenure as Mets manager. His tenacity might be exactly what this team needs.

“They have to believe they can win,” said Collins.

“A little bit surprised it was the Phillies,” said Alderson. “We knew there was a third club involved. It makes our division a little tougher on paper, but I’m looking forward to the National League East being great completion.”

The four Philadelphia aces remind me of the three aces from the 1969 Baltimore Orioles. Though I wasn’t even alive, the lore surrounding Jim Palmer, Dave McNally and Mike Cuellar and is legendary. However, the Mets defeated those three, and there’s no reason these Mets can’t beat the current Philly four.

“I think it affects how we plan long-term,” said Alderson. “In the short-term, there are at least two other clubs out there looking for starting pitching today that weren’t there yesterday.”

It’s interesting to see if the Mets make a move soon to acquire a starter. Though it appears Alderson has no sense of urgency, names like Chris Young, Brandon Webb and Jeff Francis may begin to fall. At least one of those would be a nice fit for the Mets.

Alderson claimed that the Lee signing doesn’t have any real impact on where the Mets are heading as a team. Frankly, Lee was never in the Mets plans. However, I, as well as many other Mets fans, would have much rather seen Lee in pinstripes than back in Philly.

“We’re going to continue to do everything we can to make sure we have a solid team,” said Alderson. “The fact that they appear to be a little better on paper isn’t going to change our approach for 2011.”

Naturally, this offseason has been marred by the Mets lack of financial resources. But Alderson affirmed that the Mets do not have an absolute cap on what they are going to spend. They will however be smart with their finances in order to avoid financial constraints in the future, something Omar Minaya wasn’t too keen at.

The conversation shifted from Lee to the Mets current pitching staff.

“In our case, I wouldn’t necessarily identify our 1,2,3,4,5,” said Alderson. “We need candidates and numbers, and that’s what we’re looking for. You need to put yourself in a position to get lucky. I think that’s what happened with R.A. Dickey last year to some extent. You have to be willing to take a few chances.”

This is why I think the Mets will roll the dice on a Chris Young or Jeff Francis, and maybe even a Brandon Webb or Ben Sheets. Depth will be important, and as Dickey showed us last season, sometimes you can catch lightning in a bottle.

Alderson and his staff place much stock in statistical analysis when comparing players. They look beyond the major stats, especially for pitchers.

“Instead of looking at ERA, you might look at ground ball percentage, strikeout ratios, walks per innings pitched, all those interior numbers that give you some sense that there is a possibility for improvement,” said Alderson.

Finally, Alderson explained that Oliver Perez will have to earn his spot on this team. Like he said, depth will be important heading into the season. But can Oliver Perez be considered depth or dead weight?

Alderson appears eager for the start of the season and hopefully will make a move or two to further strengthen this Mets ballclub, so they at least have a shot at the wild card.