The current Mets, the criticism they’ve received, and his experience watching the Mets ‘grow up’ through the 1980s:

“Everyone knows there have been some problems over the last few years with the ball club. They have not performed as well as they would have liked. But to be truthful, comparisons of teams is very difficult. I do think the current Mets do not get enough credit. The belittlement they took in Spring Training and prior to it was beyond belief. Everybody said they were going to stink, they were going to get the hell beat out of them all year long, it was going to be an embarrassment, etc.. I think the fans should be very proud of how they got off to this very nice start. Hopefully, it will continue. It’s a game that’s done in between the white lines. There are a lot of people who flap their lips and claim to be geniuses. But, it all ends up being those teams playing each other between those white lines, and that’s who determines who wins a game. And so far, the Mets have done a hell of a job winning a lot of games.”

Ike Davis, his struggles, and what the hitting coach has done to help through a tough time at the plate:

“The most important thing you have to understand is yourself. I don’t know what’s happening. I’m not privy to anything that’s being said in that dugout. I don’t have an idea what the hitting instructor is talking to Ike Davis about. Ike Davis came up as a very good prospect as a hitter. He has very good talent. But right now, he’s so messed up in his head, it’s beyond comprehension. I’ve watched the Mets on TV quite a bit, and he’s had the bat in different positions, he’s pumping that thing up and down; he’s not giving himself much of a chance. I think he’s gotta slow it down, and be quieter. If your hands start moving down when that ball is coming, you’re not getting there. He does that a lot. He’s going to get out of this thing, whether he’s got to go to the minors and get himself together. I had to do that once in myself in my career. What Ike has to start doing is study himself and know why he’s doing well when he’s doing well, and have an idea. Every pitcher has a strength and a weakness. Some don’t have as many weaknesses as others. You can’t go up there hoping. You have to go up there with an idea what you want to do against that pitcher, and you have to try and execute that. Right now, I think he’s so confused, I’m not too sure giving him a little time to get his act together wouldn’t be the best thing in the world for the young man, as terrible as that sounds. But, Ike will be back. It’s not easy to have the type of long-term injury the previous year and automatically come back and swing the bat great.”

Thoughts on banner day, being a judge, and what he’s looking for in a winning banner:

“I think to pre-determine what I am looking for is crazy. I’ve seen banner day before. Some of the stuff has been very heartfelt, some of it has been very elaborate. To try and figure out which is going to look better than the other right now, I have no chance. I do think it’s a great thing the Mets are bringing this back. It was something that was a big day for the fans, and there is not a question there’s a lot of interest by a lot of the fans. I am looking forward to it myself. I think we’re all going to have a good day.”

Being a pinch hitter, preparing to pinch hit, and the secrets to being successful:

“I think if you talk to different people who pinch hit, they all had their own way. I can only tell you how I felt. For me, I wanted to have my body temperature up. So if I thought there was a chance I might pinch hit, I would go run up and down the runways, jump a rope, hit a ball off a tee – whatever I can do to make sure I wasn’t coming up cold. I don’t know how these people can be called off a cold bench, take their jacket off, walk up there, do a couple of loosen-up things, and go get them. I had to be more prepared than that. I think having an idea of what you want to do against a certain pitcher is relevant, but I think the most important thing is that controlled agression if you’re a pinch hitter. Normally, when I went up there, the game was on the line. So, if you got a pinch to hit, you certainly didn’t want to miss it.”

Playing with Gary Carter with both the Expos and the Mets, and being a fan favorite in Montreal and New York:

“I think Gary never, ever lost that enthusiasm, that drive that he had. His energy was amazing. When he was younger, it was probably easier to have it all the time. But he always kept it through the years I saw him. I didn’t see him play when he left the Mets very much. But I can say there have been very few people who have had that enthusiasm day in and day out that Kid had. Playing with him, we had met before – his agent was a good friend of mine. We had a nice introduction in the half year I played with the Expos [in 1979]. Obviously, when he came to the Mets, it was a huge thing for the Mets because he was about the last piece they needed to really compete for the championship. He certainly filled that bill.

Myself, I had the opportunity to be a favorite of the fans in different cities. I think it’s kind of simple: first off, you have to play well. No fans are going to like somebody who doesn’t play well. It’s kind of tough. But it is that hard core. I always didn’t feel I was above the people I was playing in front of. I tried to involve myself in the communities I playing in, and I did that in every stop I was in in my career. I think it was a huge thing for the French-Canadian people. I never really got fluent in French, I tried like hell and did pretty good when I went out there and tried to speak the language.

Obviously, New York was my beat. This is my 33rd year working for the Mets. So, it’s a amazing thing to think you would be one place like that for so long, especially for as much as I bounced around in my career. That turned out to be pretty good for me.”

Davey Johnson, his relationship with him, and the success he’s had with the Nationals:

“I knew Davey as a player, then he became the manager of the Mets. He was with me in 1984-1985, at least. We got along great. He knew as much about when to use me as anybody. I had respect for the way he handled the game. The whole team lacked a little bit discipline – there’s no question about that. We all know what happened off-the-field with this team. This was a great group which probably should have won more. But he was very, very good on the field. He doesn’t need my ok to understand that because he’s done well every place he’s ever managed. He is his own guy, he goes about it his own way and doesn’t care what anyone else thinks, and that’s probably a good thing for a manager to be. I was happy for him he got another shot in the big leagues, and the fact the team is spending a little money on players and doing pretty good.”

Playing in both leagues, and being and playing in All-Star Games in both leagues:

“The All-Star stuff is on my mind. The truth is, anytime you get an All-Star opportunity, it’s great to be with the top players in the game. Yes, there was tremendous competition and believe me, I was never on a team, either it was in the National League or American League that didn’t want to win the game. We had a lot of intensity. When I think of Pete Rose hitting Fossey, it tells you about the intensity of how the players played that game. I think it was a great thing for me to get an opportunity to see some of the terrific pitchers and players in the American League when I went over there. But it’s not that easy. You just don’t go over there, especially if you’re a student of pitching, and you haven’t seen these guys much. There were a lot of pitchers I had never faced before. I mean, come on, [Albert Pujols] is struggling right now, he’s been struggling all year. He might be coming out of it, you know he will. But he’s seeing a lot of new people. Although you have a lot of interleague play. He’s got a little bit of the normal pressure that comes with signing a contract, moving to a new city, proving himself to his teammates. Anybody who’s been traded – I had to do all of that when I got traded to the Tigers. They had a lot of kids but they had some veteran players too. And you just go and do everything you can do. By the grace of God for me, I still was playing extremely well, I got off to a pretty good start, and it was a great experience for me to see the differences which were more blatant than they were back than they are…”

The early part of his career his future, dealing with the pressure of performing, and his money pitchers:

“You just have to take your lumps sometimes, and keep fighting. Just keep trying to be the best you can be. I can remember reading a big article in one of the magazines: I was 20 years old, and they were talking about me being washed up by my 21st birthday. It’s not an easy world. You have to have a tough skin, and just got to put your head down and keep fighting. You have to stop listening to all of this stuff. The type of media coverage now is so vast, and the only way people most of the time can be heard now is if they’re controversial. So, just don’t worry about that stuff. You’ve got to play, and you’ve got to train correctly. Some of these people start making money and they think that makes them brilliant in most subjects in the world, much less a better player than anyone else. And they forget they have to keep working their ass off to be a good player. Those are the players I respect the most: The guys that day in and day out who try to do all of the parts of the game correctly.

I’ve always said the same thing. If my life depended on it, and I had to have a righty and a lefty pitch a game for me, I would pick, with all due respect to some great people, I would pick Sandy Koufax and I would pick Bob Gibson.”

His cooking, how to grill burgers, and whether or not he likes high heat or low heat on the grill:

“Just pay attention. Don’t overcook ‘em. Just like everything else. I always believe in concentrating. If you concentrate when you’re doing the cooking part, it’s not like you have to be married to the stove or the grill. But have an idea of what you want to do and go do it. It’s fun. The great thing about cooking is no matter how old you get, you keep getting better. 

I believe in high heat. There are a lot of things I believe in radiant heat. Maybe give it a little showing of fire and get it off. But burgers: Go get ‘em.”

His memories of Banner Day, and some of the signs he saw:

“Banner Day hasn’t been around for such a long period of time. The truth is, the fans loved it. They had a great day. Some did modest things, some did elaborate things. It was a special day. The players – it used to take place in between a doubleheader, so it kind of delayed the second game. Some people liked that, some people didn’t. Everybody always went out and there was a little banner the team put together thanking them for support. I thought that was a pretty good deal when I first came here. But, there are no doubleheaders anymore unless there is a makeup. I just think it’s terrific that the fans are going to have a day that kind of seems like it’s for them. There going to come out there with their banners and they have a chance to cheer for the guy, or say something, or whatever they want to do, and walk on the field. I promised I talked to Mookie about it and we are going to do the best we can to judge it well.”

The 1973 team, coming back from last place, and playing the A’s in the World Series:

“It was a tough season for the team. You have to remember: We were in last place at the end of August. A bunch of people got hurt. I know Grote broke his arm. I had a hand operation in 1972, and the reliever with Pittsburgh, Ramon Hernandez, hit me in the other hand. So I had neither hand. I was taping up both hands and using pads on both hands trying to play. But we got towards August, and I know there was a period of time I got three days off. The correct use of cortisone can really be a positive. I actually took seven shots: four in one hand and three in the other, and I didn’t play for three days. When I came back on Sunday, which was the fourth day, I took batting practice. I was astounded I had pop back in my hands. I was an RBI guy that drove in a lot of the big runs, and we all know that. Me coming back made that a lot easier. But the thing you have to remember, and I said this in September out in California when we were playing a series out there. We had Seaver, Matlack, and Koosman. And George Stone was pitching terrific. If you have that starting staff, you’ve got a shot at it. It was so close. I remember I told Bob Bailey, who was my teammate in Montreal. We were in last place, but I said ‘we’re not out of it, either.’ He kind of laughed at me, kind of belittled my comment. You know, I remembered that comment. We went through and played so well in September. We went right through them and right on to winning the National League Championship.”

Having a bobblehead doll for him:

“It’s not my first bobblehead. I’m not sure whether the Mets had done one in the early part of my career. I don’t remember. I know they had one up in Montreal. This is something the fans love. To be one of the players in this 50th anniversary year, to be selected by the ball club is an honor. So I am thrilled to do it, and I hope everyone comes out and gets one.”

For more information and for tickets to Saturday’s game, check out Mets.com.

The last Mets pitcher to accomplish this feat was Chris Capuano on August 26, 2011 when he pitched a complete game, two-hitter with 13 strikeouts in a 6-0 win. Prior to that, the last time a Mets pitcher accomplished such a feat was Rick Reed in 1999.

Other Mets to accomplish this feat include Tom Seaver, Dwight Gooden, Sid Fernandez, and David Cone.

For a full recap and box score, check out SNY.TV.

The Least You Should Know:

Well, David Wright isn’t perfect after all. The Pirates did a good job of backing him off the plate and getting him to chase the outside pitch this week. He’s been so good, but he was bound to run into some trouble at some point. As he’s said, .400 is a bit unrealistic, but a productive season certainly is not, which is the most important thing.

Hats off to Bobby Parnell in the eighth inning, making a big pitch on Andrew McCutchen to strand the tying runs in scoring position. He was almost killed by an error by Ike Davis who could not handle Rob Johnson‘s pick off attempt, although I question why Johnson is even trying to pick the runner off with two outs and a two run lead in the eighth inning. All’s well that ends well, I guess…

I was growing concerned with Nieuwenhuis. He had hit a snag and really wasn’t hitting as his strikeout totals mounted. But he did a great job in this series getting back on track and firming his stake in the outfield.

The Mets just finished a stretch of 18 of 25 on the road, and they won 13 of those games. That’s pretty good, although they gave a lot away thanks to poor performances by the bullpen over that stretch. But they start an 11-game homestand against two struggling teams in the Padres and the Phillies before things heat up against the Cardinals next weekend. It would be wise to take advantage of these teams while they’re down as they head into one of their tougher stretches of the season.

W.B. Mason Post Game Extra

The Mets head home to open a four-game series with the Padres tomorrow night at Citi Field, with Jeremy Hefner facing Eric Stults at 7:10 pm.

Delta is proud to be the official airline of the New York Mets – and Pittsburgh is now one of 26 new destinations that Delta flies to from New York’s LaGuardia Airport.

To learn more about Delta’s newest routes from LGA, click here.

Charlie Morton (2-4, 4.35 ERA) will start for the Pirates. Morton has dropped three of his four decisions in the month of May, pitching to a 5.64 ERA in 22 1/3 innings this month. He allowed four runs in six innings in a loss to the Tigers in his last start. In four appearances and three starts against the Mets in his career, Morton is 0-1 with a 4.76 ERA in 17 innings.

In 26 relief appearances this season, Tim Byrdak is 2-0 with a 2.92 ERA with 11 holds, having allowed four earned runs on six hits in 12 1/3 innings.

He has stranded a league-leading 21 runners on base in his 26 relief appearances, and has held lefties to a .115 average so far this season (3-for-26) with 14 strikeouts.

The only concern I have right now is Byrdak is on pace to appear in 97 games. He’s no spring chicken – he’s 38 years old. The good news is Robert Carson was added to the roster last week, and Terry Collins said yesterday he intends to get Carson into the mix and use him in higher leverage situations. I would hope Terry limits Carson’s exposure against righties as he’s done with Byrdak, as he could combine with Byrdak to be a formidable late-inning combination against the tough lefties in the league.

To follow Byrdak on Twitter, click here.

“He’s had a couple of poor games against teams he doesn’t know very well,” Dan Warthen said, according to Puma. “A couple of us talked to him the other day and told him he could do a little bit better with the studying of hitters. … Teams in our division he’s very familiar with and pitches well. We encourage him to be a little more proactive in watching more video and preparing himself that way.”

Niese faces the Pirates today. It’s the fourth time this season he will have faced a team outside the National League East, and he’s gone 0-2 with a 12.00 ERA in his three prior starts against non-divisional opponents. He is 2-0 with a 2.05 ERA against opponents inside the National League East.

Overall, Niese is 2-2 with a 4.85 ERA with 18 walks and 39 strikeouts in 42 2/3 innings this season. He has thrown 747 pitches in eight starts this season, 555 of which (74 percent) have been fastballs and cutters. He has thrown his curveball only 171 times (nearly 23 percent of the time).

Whatever the explanation of his struggles are, it’s all a part of the growing and maturation process he needs to get through in order to become the pitcher he is capable of becoming. Sandy Alderson said last September growth needs to take place among the starting pitchers, and Niese is no exception, even after he has signed his long-term contract extension.