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FIRST PITCH: Matt Harvey gives Mets fans their once-every-five-days reprieve from an otherwise miserable season when he opposes unbeaten Cincinnati Reds right-hander Mat Latos (4-0, 2.91 ERA) at 1:10 p.m.

Since his major league debut last July 26 at Arizona, Harvey has compiled a 2.12 ERA, which ranks third in the majors during that span.

This season, Harvey’s 1.55 ERA also ranks third in the majors, trailing only the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw (1.35) and Diamondbacks’ Patrick Corbin (1.44).

The Reds will bid for a three-game sweep at Citi Field for the second straight season.

Wednesday’s news reports:

• Sandy Alderson, appearing on the SNY telecast during last night’s game, said about potentially demoting Ike Davis: “It’s hard to ignore what happened last year. No. 1, we went through the same scenario the first part of the year. It’s troubling that it’s happened again. The positive is he did so well in the second half. So I think it’s hard to ignore that. At the same time, you do have to think about what might be different this year than it was last year. … It may be he is better off going to Las Vegas for some period of time. But at this point we’re going to live with Ike for a little longer.”

Alderson added that he believes Zack Wheeler will merit consideration for a promotion after two or three more outings with Las Vegas (without stating the promotion will be after the projected Super 2 deadline, which seems like common sense). The GM also believes Travis d’Arnaud, who will wear a protective boot on his fractured left foot for another nine days, will appear in the majors this season.

Watch Alderson’s appearance here. Read more in the Post.

• David Wright had a two-out grounder go through his legs with the bases loaded and two runs scored in what became a 48-pitch, three-run first inning for Jonathon Niese. Niese managed to complete six innings despite the heavy first-inning workload, but the Mets again mustered no offense and lost to the Reds, 4-0, Tuesday. Collin McHugh surrendered a solo homer to Devin Mesoraco in the ninth for the lone other run.

The Mets’ three hits matched a season low. They have scored three runs or fewer in nine straight home games, matching the ninth-longest streak in franchise history.

Davis, the focus of boos, stranded two in scoring position with a fourth-inning groundout against Reds starter Mike Leake, his teammate at Arizona State. Davis is 0-for-24 with runners in scoring position in his past 18 games.

The Mets are 2-10 in their past dozen home games.

Read game recaps in the Post, Daily News, Newsday, Times, Star-Ledger, Record and MLB.com.

• Jeremy Hefner appeared on “Outside the Lines” Wednesday to discuss the disaster wrought by a tornado in his former hometown of Moore, Okla. Hefner attended kindergarten and first grade at Briarwood Elementary, which was destroyed in the twister. He remains an Oklahoman. Watch the ESPN video here. Read more in the Times and Newsday.

• Columnist Kevin Kernan in the Post writes about Harvey Day:

Harvey is having fun. When he took the field for pregame stretching last night “Clique’’ by Kanye West, Jay-Z and Big Sean was blaring throughout Citi Field. To his teammates’ delight Harvey busted some moves. Clique is off the album “Cruel Summer.’’

Indeed.

On game day, Harvey is all business. From bloody noses to all kinds of weather to playing for a team that has to scale a mountain to score a run, nothing seems to stop Harvey from doing his job.

• Wheeler is due to reenter the Las Vegas rotation today at 1:05 p.m. ET at Iowa after missing a turn. He received a cortisone injection last Wednesday at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan for swelling in the AC joint in his right shoulder.

• In a spot start in his Triple-A debut, Rafael Montero took a scoreless effort into the seventh and final inning of Game 1 of a doubleheader. He then allowed a leadoff homer to Brian Bogusevic and departed with the score tied at 1 after a two-out walk. Josh Edgin entered and allowed the inherited run to score as Montero was tagged with a loss in his first appearance with the 51s. Las Vegas was swept with a 6-5 loss in Game 2. The 51s scored five runs in the top of the sixth to even the score, then Gonzalez Germen surrendered the tiebreaking run in the bottom half of the inning. Read the full minor league recap here.

• Montreal has named a street in the city after the late Expo/Met Gary Carter. Read more in the Montreal Gazette.

• Due to limited demand compared with previous seasons, Mets-Yankees Subway Series tickets for next week are not skyrocketing in price on the secondary market, reports Mark La Monica in Newsday. Writes La Monica:

The combined average price for the four-game Subway Series (May 27-30) this year is $133 as of Monday, according to TiqIQ.com, a ticket reseller that aggregates ticket prices across multiple secondary markets. That's down 13 percent from 2012, 19 percent from 2011 and 34 percent from 2010.

• From the bloggers … The Eddie Kranepool Society looks at fan relations at Citi Field. .. Shannon from Mets Police wonders why there is a banner of Keith Miller outside Citi Field.

BIRTHDAYS: Collin Cowgill turns 27. He is hitting .236 with two homers and six RBIs and has a .333 on-base percentage in 15 games with Las Vegas since debuting with the Pacific Coast League club on May 4.

TWEET OF THE DAY:

At least Ike didn't strike out!!.. that's progress @adamrubinespn

— anthony Manners (@MannersNYC) May 22, 2013

YOU’RE UP: Do you approve of the Mets’ patience with Ike Davis?

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla.

FIRST PITCH: Mets pitchers and catchers get a late start Sunday, trying to avoid frigid morning temperatures -- at least by Florida standards -- by heading outdoors at noon.

The position players had an early wakeup call, though, with physicals scheduled for the wee hours of the morning.

Johan Santana is scheduled to proceed with his first bullpen session since getting shut down last August, according to pitching coach Dan Warthen.

The Mets then kick off their team-camaraderie-building weekly bowling events on Sunday night.

The first full-squad workout is Monday, and should include batting practice. We’ll be watching for an Ike Davis-Pedro Feliciano matchup.

Sunday’s news reports:

• Columnist Ken Davidoff in the Post asserts Fred Wilpon and family should demonstrate there are no financial restraints on Sandy Alderson by signing still-free-agent Jose Valverde. The Mets were willing to sign Valverde to a deal with an approximate $4 million base salary and incentives before they inked Brandon Lyon, sources told ESPNNewYork.com.

But Alderson said Wednesday that even with the uncertainty involving Frank Francisco, the organization is done adding free agents. Davidoff nonetheless suggests from an industry source the door is “slightly ajar” to Valverde.

• Anthony Rieber in Newsday and Mike Kerwick in the Record profile catching prospect Travis d’Arnaud.

"What separates Travis is his hands," Sal Fasano , who managed d’Arnaud in Double-A, told Rieber. "They're so unique, both offensively and defensively. Catching, he's got great hands, and he can really hit. I don't like to compare people, but Mike Piazza was one of the strongest human beings with his hands that I've ever seen. Travis is quick with his hands. He's loose but he's powerful at contact. He was able to snap his wrists like not too many people can. That's why he has power to all fields."

• Steve Serby in the Post has a Q&A with Bobby Parnell, the closer assuming Francisco is unavailable … and maybe the closer anyway. It includes this exchange:

Q: Who was your boyhood idol?

A: I always idolized Roger Clemens as a pitcher. I’ve met him. I played with his son Koby in Hawaii. He hung out with us like he’s a normal person.

• Jordany Valdespin indicated the offseason photo of him wearing a Marlins cap was tweeted from his account without permission by a relative. Terry Collins said Valdespin mostly will play infield during spring training. Read more in the Post, Daily News, Star-Ledger, Record, MLB.com and Newsday.

• Jeurys Familia will be used as a reliever during spring training, Mike Puma notes in the Post.

“This guy has a chance to be a closer,” Collins told Puma. “When he gets command of that secondary pitch, where he can throw it when he wants to, with that sinker, I think he’s got a chance to be devastating. He’s a big, strong guy, durable, can pitch every day, so I just think he’s got the makings of a guy that can pitch late in the game.”

• Jenrry Mejia remains absent as MLB conducts an age and identity check on behalf of the U.S. consulate in the Dominican Republic, notes Marc Carig in Newsday.

• Cody Derespina in Newsday makes a statistical argument for David Wright to lead off. Based on descending career on-base percentages, Derespina writes, the batting order would be: Wright, Mike Baxter, Daniel Murphy, Lucas Duda, Davis, Ruben Tejada, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, John Buck. (After the first time through the lineup, Wright probably would not see many pitches with Baxter protecting him.)

• David Lennon in Newsday visits Mike Pelfrey in Minnesota Twins camp. Pelfrey, who is returning from Tommy John surgery, visited Port St. Lucie last week to dine with former teammates Dillon Gee, Parnell, Wright and Davis. Pelfrey joked he came to beat Wright in golf and win some money, but Wright topped him.

As for the end of his Mets tenure, the former first-round pick told Lennon: “I'll never forget last year when I got booed on Opening Day. Jason Bay and I got booed on Opening Day, and I'm thinking, 'Man, this is what it's come to, I guess.' You're not human if it doesn't bother you."

• Rick Peterson taught reliever Greg Burke a submarine delivery at the end of last spring training in camp with the Baltimore Orioles. Now he may make the Mets’ Opening Day roster, especially if Francisco ends up on the DL to open the season. Read more at MLB.com.

• Marlon Byrd is the distinct favorite to claim an outfield spot. If not, fellow righty hitters Andrew Brown and Jamie Hoffmann are among the competitors. Read more on the outfield, with historical perspective, from Marty Noble at MLB.com. Writes Noble:

The '73 team reached the seventh game of the World Series with merely one legitimate offensive force among its outfielders -- Rusty Staub, who drove in 76 runs and hit 15 home runs. Even the heralded '86 Mets lacked power at the traditional run-production positions by the time they reached the postseason. [George] Foster (13 home runs, 38 RBIs) had been released in August, so the outfield had [Darryl] Strawberry (27, 93), [Lenny] Dykstra (8, 45) and [Mookie] Wilson (9, 45).

Not until 1987, after the club had obtained [Kevin] McReynolds, did the franchise deploy teams with sets of outfielders with genuine power at two positions. In the four seasons they played in the same outfield, Strawberry (144 and 390) and McReynolds (102 and 361) averaged 61 home runs and 188 RBIs as a tandem.

The current Mets would be delighted if their entire outfield produced at that rate this year.

• Bill Madden in the Daily News reviews the potential free-agent outfielders next offseason: Jacoby Ellsbury, Curtis Granderson, Chris Young, Hunter Pence, Corey Hart, Shin-Soo Choo, Carlos Gomez, Michael Morse and Jeff Francoeur.

• Jorge Castillo in the Star-Ledger looks at the advanced age of the Mets’ bullpen, which may include LaTroy Hawkins, Scott Atchison and Feliciano. In a Q&A with Hawkins, the 40-year-old reliever talks about his godson Elijah Johnson, who stars for the Kansas basketball team.

• From the bloggers ... Shannon from MetsPolice.com sees a sea of fourth outfielders. … Faith and Fear in Flushing reflects on eight years of blogging about Mets team that hasn't always stayed aloft. … Mets Merized reflects on the one-year anniversary of Gary Carter’s passing.

BIRTHDAYS: Roger Craig, who lost a combined 46 games for the Mets over the first two years of the club’s existence, was born on this date in 1930. … Former reliever Juan Padilla turns 36.

TWEET OF THE DAY:

@adamrubinespn Murph's card is the best one yet...

— Vince Gagliardi (@VinceGagliardi) February 16, 2013

YOU’RE UP: Should the Mets still pursue Jose Valverde?

Please use the comments section to weigh in

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Today marks a sad one-year anniversary: the death of Hall of Fame Gary Carter from cancerous brain tumors at age 57.

"Driven by a remarkable enthusiasm for the game, Gary Carter became one of the elite catchers of all-time," commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement upon Carter's passing. "'The Kid' was an 11-time All-Star and a durable, consistent slugger for the Montreal Expos and the New York Mets, and he ranks among the most beloved players in the history of both of those franchises. Like all baseball fans, I will always remember his leadership for the '86 Mets and his pivotal role in one of the greatest World Series ever played."

The Mets wore "Kid 8" patches on their jerseys last season.

The family of the late Gary Carter is auctioning the Hall of Famer's Harley Davidson motorcycle. All proceeds will benefit the Autism Project of Palm Beach County.

The 2004 V-Rod "100th Anniversary" model HD originally was a gift from the Mets to Carter upon his Hall of Fame selection. The motorcycle has 3,250 on its odometer.

Organizers write: "Personally-owned accessories worn by Gary and Sandy will also be a part of this unique auction package, including leather jackets with 'Kid' and 'Sandy' embroidered inside, as well as helmets, boots, and gloves."

To bid, click here.

BUFFALO 10, LOUISVILLE 7: Josh Rodriguez and Zach Lutz combined to drive in eight runs to support Gonzalez Germen in his Triple-A debut. Lutz delivered a two-run homer in the first. Two innings later, with the Bisons trailing 4-2, Rodriguez evened the score when he plated a pair of runners with the first of his three doubles. Lutz followed with a single to drive in Rodriguez for the 5-4 advantage. Buffalo did not trail again. Rodriguez doubled to kick off a two-run seventh. His third double plated three more runs to put the Bisons into double-digits. Overall, Rodriguez finished 3-for-5 with five RBIs and two runs scored. Lutz was 3-for-3 with three RBIs and two walks. Germen allowed four runs in his first two innings, but then held the Bats off the scoreboard for five more frames. He struck out three and walked two. Germen was promoted to fill the spot opened by Matt Harvey's promotion. Lucas Duda went 0-for-4 with a walk in his first game with the Bisons since being optioned by the Mets. Fred Lewis went 4-for-4 with a walk and three runs scored in the leadoff spot. Mike Baxter went 2-for-5 in his fourth rehab start with the Bisons. He's hitting .438 with Buffalo. Box

PORTLAND at BINGHAMTON (ppd.): The game will be made up as part of a 5:35 p.m. doubleheader Friday. Cory Mazzoni returns from the DL to oppose left-hander Drake Britton in Game 1. Darin Gorski opposes right-hander Mike McDonald in the nightcap.

ST. LUCIE 7, LAKELAND 2: Left-hander Shawn Teufel, son of Mets third base coach Tim Teufel, allowed seven runs and nine hits in five innings for the Tigers. Erik Goeddel tossed six strong innings and struck out six and Rafael Fernandez went 3-for-3 with a homer and three RBIs for St. Lucie. Cory Vaughn homered and scored twice and Aderlin Rodriguez went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Goeddel allowed two runs and four hits with two walks. Hamilton Bennett tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings and walked two with one strikeout. Jeff Walters pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings and gave up two hits. Vaughn's solo homer in the first inning opened the scoring. The Mets pulled away with a four-run fourth. Richard Lucas had a sacrifice fly to score Vaughn. Fernandez drilled a three-run homer to extend the lead to 5-0. The Mets earned a victory on Gary Carter Tribute Night. Pregame ceremonies were held in memory of Carter. Carter's wife, Sandy, threw out the ceremonial first pitch and was accompanied by family members. Carter’s former teammate, Howard Johnson, escorted the Carter family to the field. Box

SAVANNAH 4, KANNAPOLIS 2: Matt Reynolds broke a 1-all tie with a two-run single in the eighth to help the Gnats to their third straight win. Cam Maron and Dustin Lawley each drew walks to start the frame. After a sacrifice bunt, the Intimidators intentionally walked Cole Frenzel to load the bases. Reynolds followed by shooting his single into right. Charley Thurber followed with a sacrifice fly to give the Gnats a 4-1 advantage. Reynolds finished 2-for-3 and was hit by a pitch. Gnats starter Alex Panteliodis allowed one unearned run in seven innings but did not factor in the decision. Panteliodis, one start after striking out a career-high 10 batters, fanned nine and walked one. Savannah starters had a 0.73 ERA (4 ER/49 IP) during the team’s eight-game homestand. The Intimidators scored the game’s first run in the second inning on a throwing error by Maron trying to cut down Leighton Pangilinan, who stole third. Savannah evened the score at 1 a half-inning later, when Thurber drove home Gregory Pron. Reliever Randy Fontanez earned the win with a scoreless eighth. T.J. Chism allowed a run in the ninth, but converted his 16th save in 17 chances. Box

KINGSPORT 1, BRISTOL 0
KINGSPORT 6, BRISTOL 3: Steven Matz made his third straight scoreless start, limiting Bristol to two hits and three walks while striking out eight in six innings in Game 1. Persio Reyes allowed one unearned run in five innings in the nightcap. Box 1, Box 2

BROOKLYN 7, BATAVIA 1: Jayce Boyd and Kevin Plawecki each collected three hits and contributed to eighth- and ninth-inning rallies. After wasting several scoring chances, the Cyclones broke through in the eighth. Phillip Evans, Boyd and Plawecki consecutively singled to load the bases. Alex Sanchez then tied the score at 1 on a sacrifice fly. Stefan Sabol doubled for the second time in the game, scoring Boyd, for a 2-1 lead. Jeff Glenn walked to reload the bases, and Jeff Reynolds delivered an RBI single. Eudy Pina added a sacrifice fly. Brandon Nimmo then connected on an RBI single to cap the five-run outburst. In the ninth, Boyd and Plawecki again singled to start the frame. Both scored when Dimas Ponce laid down a sacrifice bunt that Batavia pitcher Joe Scanio fielded but threw away while attempting the out at third base. Cyclones starter Luis Mateo allowed one run on six hits in 6 2/3 innings while striking out seven in a no-decision. Logan Taylor (1-0), who recorded the final out in the seventh, and was credited with the win. Matt Koch tossed two scoreless innings, allowing only one hit, to close out the win. Box

Compiled from team reports

The Amazin's second-half swoon continued with an 8-3, 11-inning loss Sunday as the Dodgers swept a series in Queens for the first time since 2002 and dropped the Mets under .500 for the first time this season, at 47-48.

Afterward, the Mets announced prospect Matt Harvey would be promoted and join the rotation Thursday at Arizona. Harvey is due at Citi Field on Monday, along with Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi and Darth Vader. (More later.)

Harvey technically will be a member of the "taxi squad" today -- in uniform pregame, but inactive. The Mets then will make a roster move sometime before Tuesday's game. By activating Harvey early, he will be allowed to throw a bullpen session with pitching coach Dan Warthen this afternoon at Citi Field and get acclimated to major league surroundings in advance of his debut against the Diamondbacks.

Harvey tweeted Sunday night: "Thank you everyone for the support! Such an amazing feeling. Heading to the airport and NYC early in the morning."

Harvey arrives amid a freefall. The Mets are 1-8 since the All-Star break, with the first-place Nats now coming to Citi Field for three games. The Mets then embark on a trip to Arizona, San Francisco and San Diego.

The Mets have been notorious second-half collapse artists in recent years. They were 31-40 in the second half last season. In 2010, they were 31-43 post-All-Star break. In 2009, it was 28-47. And folks certainly remember '07 and '08 all too well, even though the Mets actually had winning records both of those second halves.

"It's very disappointing," Terry Collins said about the current swoon. "We're not happy with the way things have gone the last 10 days, so we've got to buckle down and get after it and get back over. We've got a tough few games coming up. We've got to pick ourselves up and get ready for them."

Monitor this today, too: Fan-favorite Jordany Valdespin started over Jason Bay on Sunday. Will Collins sit Bay a second straight day against a right-hander and use Valdespin again in left field? It bears watching.

As for the next eight days, the Mets clearly no longer are in the position to be aggressive buyers before the July 31 trade deadline, if they ever intended to be in that category. They are now five games behind the Braves, who occupy the NL's second wild-card position.

Will the Mets turn around and sell? After all, Scott Hairston particularly, as well as Tim Byrdak, would be desirable pieces for contenders.

A team official last week insisted the Mets would not dismantle, citing how the club held Jose Reyes last year in part to keep things competitive. But it's worth noting the Mets traded Carlos Beltran last July 28 when they had a 52-51 record and were four games out of the wild-card lead. An AL executive said after Sunday's sweep about the Mets trading Hairston and/or Byrdak before July 31: "I think they will."

Monday's news reports:

• After J.P. Ricciardi watched Harvey start for Triple-A Buffalo last Monday, the Mets bypassed the 2010 first-round pick for a weekend start against the Dodgers that instead went to Miguel Batista. Batista then bombed, allowing four runs on five hits and three walks in three innings Saturday. The 41-year-old Batista was designated for assignment before Sunday's game, clearing roster space for the promotion of Elvin Ramirez to assist a bullpen that Batista helped overtax.

Harvey seemed a no-brainer to step into that Dillon Gee/Batista rotation spot, especially given the lack of alternatives. But then Harvey complicated matters by stumbling Saturday with Buffalo. Harvey allowed six runs on seven hits, two walks and a hit batter, and surrendered a pair of homers, in five innings during the Bisons' 11-0 loss to Charlotte (White Sox) as minor league pitching coordinator Ron Romanick watched.

For the season with Buffalo, Harvey is 7-5 with a 3.68 ERA in 20 starts. He has allowed 97 hits, walked 48 (one intentionally) and hit six batters while striking out 112 in 110 innings. The strikeout total ranks second in the International League, trailing only Columbus' Corey Kluber (118).

With Harvey's addition, the rotation through one turn looks like this:

Nationals at Citi Field
Monday: RHP Chris Young (2-4, 4.11 ERA) vs. RHP Jordan Zimmermann (7-6, 2.35)
Tuesday: RHP R.A. Dickey (13-1, 2.84) vs. LHP Gio Gonzalez (12-5, 3.32)
Wednesday: RHP Jeremy Hefner (1-3, 5.85) vs. RHP Stephen Strasburg (10-4, 2.85)

Diamondbacks at Chase Field
Thursday: Harvey vs. LHP Wade Miley (11-5, 3.02)
Friday: LHP Jon Niese (7-4, 3.59) vs. RHP Josh Collmenter (2-2, 3.82)

Excluding supplemental picks, Harvey will become the 10th pitcher selected by the Mets in the first round to debut in the majors with the organization, joining:

Year drafted, Player, Opponent, Debut Date, Decision, Line
1965, Les Rohr vs. Dodgers, Sept. 19, 1967, W, 6 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER
1967, Jon Matlack at Reds, July 11, 1971, ND, 7 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER
1969, Randy Sterling at Expos, Sept. 16, 1974, W, 5.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER
1979, Tim Leary, at Cubs April 12, 1981, ND, 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER
1982, Dwight Gooden at Astros, April 7, 1984, W, 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER
1994, Paul Wilson vs. Cardinals, April 4, 1996, ND, 6 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER
2001, Aaron Heilman vs. Marlins, June 26, 2003, L, 6 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 1 ER
2004, Philip Humber vs. Nationals, Sept. 24, 2006, ND, 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER (relief)
2005, Mike Pelfrey vs. Marlins, July 8, 2006, W, 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER

Mets first-round picks Scott Kazmir, Billy Traber and Cliff Speck debuted elsewhere.

Meanwhile, the trickle-up may very well mean top prospect Zack Wheeler gets a promotion from Double-A Binghamton to Buffalo.

Read more on Harvey's impending major league debut in the Star-Ledger, Post, Times and Newsday.

• The Mets rallied to tie Sunday's game in the bottom of the ninth on Ike Davis' run-scoring "groundout." (Replays suggested he was safe.) But L.A. posted five runs in the 11th against Ramon Ramirez to notch the series-sweeping victory. On a positive note: Daniel Murphy went 4-for-5 and was 9-for-11 with three RBIs and a walk in the series. Since June 26, Murphy is hitting .440 (33-for-75) with 18 RBIs and 16 extra-base hits in 20 games. Read game recaps in the Journal, Post, Newsday, Star-Ledger, Record, Daily News and Times.

• Writes columnist Ken Davidoff in the Post:

Another team’s scout, in attendance at yesterday’s game, had a better feel for the situation when he said: “Terry’s done a great job with these guys. This team isn’t very good.” Agreed that Collins has run this team admirably, but I’ll concur even more with the scout’s second thought. These Mets played over their heads in the first half, riding the backs of three elite performances -- those of R.A. Dickey, Johan Santana and Wright. Santana is on the disabled list now, with no return date. Dickey has slowed down after his brilliant beginning. Wright? He remains outstanding, which is great news for the Mets regardless of the overall team record. There just aren’t enough pieces surrounding Wright, however -- Jason Bay fittingly made the final out yesterday, as a pinch-hitter -- and the team’s run of good luck has run out.

• At Sunday's Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Cooperstown, those gathered were treated to a video tribute to the late Gary Carter as part of the program. Carter's widow Sandy attended.

• Snooki, a bona fide Mets fan, as well as fiancé Jionni LaValle will be at Citi Field on Monday afternoon. She will be taping segments of an MLB.com show that is due to appear in August. Tonight also is the second-annual Star Wars night at Citi Field. Darth Vader, Jedi and Stormtroopers will be at the stadium.

• Mike Baxter went 1-for-3 and was hit by a pitch Sunday with Binghamton. Baxter (displaced collarbone/fractured rib cartilage) played a full game in left field, marking his first time playing in the field during an eight-day-old rehab assignment.

• Frank Francisco (oblique) threw a 40-pitch bullpen session Sunday at Citi Field and should begin a rehab assignment shortly. "I'm trying to do whatever I can to be there, but it's a process," Francisco said, according to Tom Pedulla in Newsday. "I've got to take the time and play it safe. I don't want to miss the rest of the season."

• Savannah right-hander Domingo Tapia took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning before allowing a leadoff single. Savannah ultimately beat Rome, 5-1. With Buffalo, manager Wally Backman was ejected and not around to see the finish in a 10-8 loss to Charlotte. Garrett Olson allowed six runs (four earned) as he stepped into the Triple-A rotation following Hefner's promotion. Jenrry Mejia tossed two scoreless relief innings in the loss, recording two strikeouts and allowing two hits. Read Sunday's full minor league recap here.

• Jared Diamond in the Journal notes that while the Mets link Johan Santana's DL trip to the sprained right ankle he suffered in his final first-half start, Santana had begun to struggle well before that. In the start immediately after his June 1 no-hitter, Santana allowed six runs against the Yankees (and the fault was placed on extra rest that disrupted Santana's routine). Writes Diamond:

Among the 11 other pitchers to throw a no-hitter since 2010, only one pitched worse over this long of a stretch immediately afterward: Philip Humber posted a 7.38 ERA in his first eight starts following his perfect game in April. In general, pitchers who throw no-hitters -- especially ones as talented as Santana -- tend to stay on course after the no-no. But perhaps Santana broke that trend because of his unusually high pitch count. In fact, only one pitcher since 2010 required more pitches to throw a no-hitter than Santana: Edwin Jackson, who threw a whopping 149 pitches in his 2010 effort for the Diamondbacks. He struggled immediately afterward, pitching to a 7.24 ERA in his next five starts before regaining his form.

• Andy Martino in the Daily News says there is racial harmony among players in the Mets clubhouse.

• David Satriano in the Post speaks with Niese about the southpaw's Sunday performance.

TRIVIA: For which team did former Mets first-round pick Tim Leary appear in the most games?

Sunday's answer: The Mets slipped below .500 for the duration of the season last year on Aug. 11, when the dropped to 58-59 entering a series at Arizona. They subsequently were swept by the Diamondbacks.

Baseball is nearly back. The Mets will hold a workout today at Turner Field in Atlanta at 4:15 p.m. to get back into the swing for Friday's second-half opener, which now pits Chris Young against Tim Hudson.

Johan Santana is expected to throw a bullpen session to test whether his twisted right ankle is ready to perform Sunday, potentially against ex-Brewer Ben Sheets. Otherwise, Jon Niese would pitch the finale against the Braves and Santana would wait until Tuesday in D.C.

In Tampa, Jason Bay (concussion) and Frank Francisco (oblique) are expected to make a second attempt at beginning a rehab assignment for Class A St. Lucie. Wednesday's Florida State League game was rained out.

Thursday's news reports:

• Dillon Gee plans to undergo surgery Friday at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis to repair damage to an artery in his shoulder. Gee was discharged on Wednesday after being hospitalized in New York for two days with a blood clot in his shoulder, which doctors believe they successfully dissolved using a catheter. The surgery in St. Louis should prevent the recurrence of clots and give Gee a healthy long-term prognosis, as well as allow him to pitch without issue from the get-go in 2013. As for this season, Gee most likely is done. Still, he may begin throwing in as soon as six to eight weeks, so a return in late September (or if the Mets are in the postseason in October) is not entirely out of the question. Read more in the Journal, Post, Star-Ledger, Daily News, Record, Times and Newsday.

• Before the resolution by Gee to undergo Friday's procedure, Terry Collins indicated Miguel Batista would assume Gee's rotation spot, at least for the short term. That turn can wait until as late as next Saturday before being required, because the Mets have an off-day after the series in Atlanta.

Collins has not weighed in since the latest Gee development, regarding Friday's surgery. But there is zero reason to believe that changes the resolution to use Batista the first time that spot comes up. Down the road, now, the Mets will have to more strongly consider Matt Harvey, or identify another candidate.

Harvey continues to maintain, as he has since spring training, that he is ready for major league duty. Scouts say Harvey needs more refinement, though, noting his fastball up in the strike zone will not have the same success against major league hitters. They also express concern that his reluctance to use a changeup at times will make it easier for advanced hitters to sit on the fastball. Writes Andy McCullough in the Star-Ledger:

Before this week, the Mets were content to give Harvey more time to mature. In an ideal world, explained Paul DePodesta, the club’s vice president for scouting and player development, “we want our young players to force their way on the team.” Harvey has not reached that point, even after he pitched two hitless innings in the Triple-A All-Star Game last night. Club officials cited a need to improve his efficiency and consistency. In an ideal world, he’d spend the majority of this season with Buffalo. “We’re pretty committed to trying to do this right,” DePodesta said last week. “Trying to do the right thing for the long term.” Except this world is not ideal. Tomorrow morning, Gee will undergo a second procedure to repair the damage done by a blood clot in his right shoulder.

Buffalo manager Wally Backman told McCullough: “For me, he’s still not quite there. But he’s close.”

Said Harvey: “If in your mind you don’t believe you’re ready, and don’t believe you belong, then you probably don’t. For me, every time I pick up a baseball, I feel like I’m ready.”

Writes columnist John Harper in the Daily News:

The time and circumstances, then, appear to be right to give Harvey a shot. For the moment, however, the Mets aren't ready to make that move, club sources said on Tuesday. They like the way Harvey is progressing, but GM Sandy Alderson is determined not to rush any of his young pitching prospects. That's a reasoned and prudent approach, particularly for an organization that may still be paying for foolishly rushing Jenrry Mejia two years ago.

But Harvey, by all accounts, is a mature 23-year-old who has spent significant time in Class A, Double-A, and now Triple-A since the Mets made him their first-round draft choice out of the University of North Carolina in 2010. At Buffalo he is 7-3 with a 3.39 ERA and a mid-90s fastball, and Backman thinks Harvey has progressed enough to hold his own in the big leagues. "He'll take a lump or two if they call him up," Backman said by phone on Tuesday. "But his fastball command is much improved. He can help them."

• Rookie Josh Edgin will take Gee's roster spot in Atlanta, joining workhorse Tim Byrdak as a second southpaw option in the bullpen. Edgin's promotion should better gauge for Sandy Alderson how aggressively the GM needs to acquire bullpen help before the July 31 deadline -- assuming the Mets capably navigate this next stretch of games: at Atlanta, at Washington, vs. the Dodgers, vs. the Nats.

Edgin's fastball ranges from 92 to 95 mph. He also throws an 82-85 mph slider. He grew up in rural Three Springs, Pa., and found his way to Ohio State University, where he served as a reliever. In December of his junior year, Edgin then transferred to Division II Francis Marion, where he had the opportunity to start.

“The Ohio State coach wanted to keep me in the bullpen,” Edgin told ESPNNewYork.com last season. “I thought that I needed to start to get drafted. When I was playing summer ball in the Coastal Plains League, I met a guy named David Walters, who is with the Orioles now. He was on my team. We talked. He said, ‘Hey, we’re one good pitcher away from a D-II World Series team.’ Basically I got hooked up with them through him. And it just so happened that one of my catchers from Legion ball when I was in high school actually went to Francis Marion as well. That kind of drew me, and playing baseball in the South.”

Edgin was drafted after his junior year in the 50^th round by Atlanta but did not sign. The Mets then took him in 2010 in the 30^th round on the recommendation of amateur scout Marlin McPhail, who has repeatedly unearthed middle-round gems for the Mets from the Carolinas over the years.

Edgin, 25, was borrowed repeatedly from minor league camp this spring with Byrdak having undergone left knee surgery to repair torn meniscus cartilage. Edgin ended up officially being added to major league camp and ultimately finished with 10 1/3 scoreless Grapefruit League innings. He made 35 relief appearances for Triple-A Buffalo, during which lefties hit .220 against him (vs. .256 for righties). The Mets opened a 40-man roster spot for Edgin when Chris Schwinden cleared waivers earlier in the week.

• Tom Seaver, on hand for the Triple-A All-Star Game, added to the criticism of Reggie Jackson for speaking ill of the credentials of several Hall of Famers, including the late Gary Carter. "Reggie is Reggie. And I like Reggie, but Reggie sometimes turns the logical part of his brain off," Seaver said, according to Mike Harrington in the Buffalo News. "And Reggie loves to talk. It just didn't make very much sense to me."

As for the reception Jackson might get when the Hall of Famers gather for the upcoming induction ceremonies, Seaver added via Harrington: "It will be interesting to see, won't it? Reggie will apologize. He's very diplomatic. The other part of it is he believes very strongly about the institution. He wouldn't be saying that if it was just about himself, I hope. And he's too bright not to be that way."

Read more in the Daily News.

• R.A. Dickey appeared on the "Late Show" on CBS last night. Dickey taught David Letterman the knuckleball grip. Letterman then attempted to catch some knuckleballs, although Dickey gave him a tame version of the pitch. Watch the video here.

The Dickey-featured documentary "Knuckleball!" will be available for order on digital cable beginning Sept. 18, according to Cody Derespina in Newsday. Meanwhile, the All-Star Game ratings peaked about the time Dickey entered Tuesday's game for the sixth, writes Bob Raissman in the Daily News. Read more on the Letterman appearance in the Daily News.

• Jerry Seinfield recently explained to Richard Sandomir in the Times why he has no interest in buying a share of the Mets. "There is no higher level to being a fan,” Seinfeld said. “It’s not a better experience if you own the team. ... It’s like the Empire State Building. If you like it, go there. You don’t need to own it. ... I have enough people yelling at me about things in the street -- ‘Nice play at third base, Jerry; nice pickup’ -- that I didn’t need to add ownership to it."

• Harvey tossed two scoreless innings and Valentino Pascucci reached base four times in the Triple-A All-Star Game before a sellout crowd in Buffalo of 18,025. Meanwhile, Binghamton's Eric Campbell delivered a walk-off RBI single in the Eastern League All-Star Game. Read Wednesday's full minor league recap here.

Campbell earned MVP honors. Read more in the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin.

• Michael Salfino in the Journal chronicles the Mets' two-out success during the first half. With 48 percent of their runs scored with two outs, the Mets have plated the highest percentage of runners with two outs in the majors in any season since 1974, when Stats LLC started keeping the statistic. Next best: the 1994 San Francisco Giants, at 46.6 percent of their runs scored with two outs. Writes Salfino:

If the Mets this year performed with two outs at a league-average rate of 38%, they would have about 39 fewer runs -- or an estimated four fewer wins. New York went into the break at 46-40 and battling for playoff contention. If not for their two-out magic, though, the Mets would have a losing record. The Mets hit .254 with no outs and .247 with one out, both 21st in baseball. But their .274 average with two outs is third in the majors and would be the highest two-out average in their history. Last year, they were also good when the chips were down, posting a .269 two-out average that's second best in franchise history. This year's two-out charge has been led by David Wright (.386 with 25 RBI), Josh Thole (.357/7), Daniel Murphy (.337/24), Lucas Duda (.320/23) and Ruben Tejada (.320/5).

• Triple-A right-hander Collin McHugh continues to blog about his minor league life here.

• Sheets appears likely to pitch for Atlanta on Sunday against the Mets. It would mark his first major league action since July 19, 2010 with Oakland. Read more in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

TRIVIA: What remembrance from the first game back at Shea Stadium after Sept. 11 did Chipper Jones keep after finding it on the field?

Wednesday's answer: In his second start as a Met, Pedro Martinez opposed John Smoltz in Atlanta on April 10, 2005. Smoltz carried a 1-0 lead into the late innings. But Carlos Beltran delivered a two-run homer in the eighth and Martinez went the distance as the Mets prevailed, 2-1, to snap a season-opening five-game losing streak.

Jon Niese allowed four first-inning runs and ultimately surrendered seven runs in seven innings as the Mets lost to the Cubs, 7-0, at Citi Field on Sunday. The Mets entered the All-Star break with a 46-40 record, exceeding many expectations, but off a series loss to Chicago.

If the playoffs started today, the National League division winners would be Washington (49-34), Pittsburgh (48-37) and Los Angeles (47-40).

Atlanta (46-39) and Cincinnati (47-38) would claim the wild cards, with the Mets as well as St. Louis and San Francisco -- with identical 46-40 records -- a half-game back.

The Mets reassemble for a late-afternoon workout Thursday at Turner Field in Atlanta. They then begin another critical stretch Friday against the Braves. That series will be followed by one in D.C. The Amazin's then return home to face Los Angeles and again the Nats.

As for going 2-4 this season against the Cubs, who are now a half-game better than Houston for the worst record in the majors, Terry Collins said: "They played us really well. Maybe it's one of those, it's a bad matchup for us." The Mets also were swept in Houston a month into the season.

Monday's news reports:

• The Mets and Rockies are discussing a trade involving righty-hitting catcher Ramon Hernandez. The deal could be expanded to include left-handed reliever Matt Reynolds, a baseball source told ESPNNewYork.com. The source added that players who interest the Rockies include Justin Turner as well as prospects Matt den Dekker, Jacob deGrom, Josh Edgin, Chase Huchingson, Jack Leathersich, Domingo Tapia and Wilfredo Tovar. While there was optimism a deal could ultimately be consummated, there was no indication the Mets would agree to include any of those Rockies targets. The Post's Joel Sherman also links the Mets to catchers Kelly Shoppach (Boston) and Miguel Olivo (Boston).

“Sandy [Alderson] and I talk every single day,” Collins said, speaking generally about the trade deadline. “He’s certainly aware of what our needs are. We talk about it. We know where our holes are. We know how to fill them. But the asking price to fill them sometimes isn’t going to be paid. We’re just not going to sacrifice the future for a piece for a month. And I’ve been there before. Believe me. And it’s one of the things I’ve learned -- look, I can’t worry about what I don’t have. I know what we need. Everybody on any team that’s competing right now needs a piece to get better. But I also know it can kill you down the road to give up some of those things that you have to.

"In my past places, some of the asking prices, when you go to the players and go, ‘Yeah, we could have gotten so-and-so, but it would have cost that guy,’ they all say, ‘Well, you can’t move him.’ So we’ll just have to see what happens.”

Writes Sherman about Hernandez in the Post:

It is the kind of incremental improvement they want to make to enhance their postseason chances. One Mets official said, “We are not talking about acquiring Gary Carter in 1985 here.” Translation: It is still a few weeks from the deadline, when teams can ask for big returns, but the Mets will wait for more realistic requests or else not make the purchase.

Alderson, speaking on SNY during Sunday's game, suggested he had been burned in the past by acquiring a catcher midseason. That was the case, he suggested, because of the acquisition's unfamiliarity with the new pitching staff and not providing enough offensive improvement over the incumbent to justify the swap in retrospect. In the current case, Mike Nickeas is hitting .172 with a homer and 13 RBIs in 93 at-bats.

Read more in the Star-Ledger.

• R.A. Dickey, David Wright and Terry Collins departed for the All-Star Game in Kansas City via chartered plane after Sunday's loss. Dickey made one last pitch for the starting nod on the mound for the NL, saying it would be easier for starting catcher Buster Posey if the knuckleballer opened the game, since that would afford the duo extra time to work together during warmups as well. NL skipper Tony La Russa is expected to name his starting pitcher at a 1:30 p.m. ET press conference Monday. Meanwhile, Wright is excited to return to the All-Star Game after a one-year absence. He was not selected for the 2011 game, snapping a six-year streak, because he was sidelined with a stress fracture in his lower back. Read more in Newsday.

• Columnist Tara Sullivan in the Record salutes Wright's first-half performance, writing:

As he stood postgame at his locker trying to remember everything he needed to pack for his upcoming sixth All-Star Game appearance and the six-game road trip that follows, Wright talked about the consistency his team needs to find in the season’s second half. What he never would say is that everyone needs to find it but him. Wright has been the eye in the center of this crazy storm, the steward, the leader, the beacon of consistency amid all that swirls around him. Like a straight line through a swirling mass, he has kept this team on course. “Absolutely carried us in the first half,” manager Terry Collins said.

• Jon Rauch had a rough beginning to the All-Star break. The reliever revealed via Twitter he was involved in an automobile accident after Sunday's game. He tweeted:

got sideswiped on the way home.....awesome. guy tried to merge into my jeep. Jeep 1 - Benz S-class 0. took 2.5 hrs for police to show up. Entire side of the benz destroyed by the 37" tires and Ace Eng. sliders. Couple dents in the rear door from his mirror. The Jeep is a tank. no injuries. glancing blow to both cars. He's lucky i didn't drive over the top of his hood!! to be honest, felt like i hit a pothole. heard the accident more than i felt it.

Rauch then tweeted a photo of his Jeep pre-accident, which you can view here.

• It turns out Johan Santana's right ankle is not as healed as desired. After twisting it then getting stepped on Friday by Reed Johnson while covering first base, Santana nonetheless was scheduled to start Friday's second-half opener in Atlanta. Now, Dillon Gee will take that start, followed by Dickey in Game 2. Collins said either Santana or Niese will start Sunday's finale at Turner Field, with the other opening the following series at Washington. Chris Young remains the fifth starter out of the break. "He’s fine. Don’t misread anything," Collins insisted about Santana. "We just want to make sure that he’s 100 percent when we come out of the break." Read more in the Post, Record and Daily News.

• Read Sunday's game recaps in the Times, Post, Record, Newsday, Star-Ledger and Daily News.

• Alderson appeared for an inning and a half on SNY. There were no revelations, but the GM did suggest Zack Wheeler would make roughly two more starts for Double-A Binghamton before being promoted to Triple-A Buffalo. And Alderson, without naming Josh Edgin, implied the lefty reliever would be imminently promoted after the All-Star break so the Mets can gauge what they have before the trade deadline. Alderson spoke about multiple relievers coming up, so perhaps Jenrry Mejia is soon to join the Mets as well. "I think you'll see a couple of new faces between now and the end of July," Alderson said on the telecast, referring to promotions. "And we'll take a look at them and see what we think, and at the same time be evaluating what else is available to us."

• Wheeler and fellow Binghamton Met Wilmer Flores participated in Sunday's Futures Game in K.C. Wheeler retired both batters he faced. Flores started at third base for the World team and went 0-for-2. "Amazing," Flores told David Lennon in Newsday about Wheeler. "He's one of the best. He's going to make some money."

Wheeler's Double-A dominance had a brief interruption recently, when he allowed 12 runs (11 earned) on 13 2/3 innings over a pair of starts. But Wheeler got back on track in his most recent outing, which happened to come against the Double-A affiliate of his former organization, the San Francisco Giants. He limited Richmond to one run in 7 1/3 innings Thursday. A runner inherited by the bullpen scored for the only to be charged to him. "Sometimes you can get away with throwing hard and missing your spots," Wheeler told Lennon. "But in those games, I was missing my spots and they were hitting me. That reminded me of what would happen if I was in the big leagues. It was a good learning experience, so actually I'm glad it happened."

Read more on Wheeler and the Futures Game in the Times and Post.

• Ex-Met John Maine surrendered six runs in 4 2/3 innings, including damage on homers by den Dekker and Josh Satin, as Buffalo headed into its All-Star break on a four-game winning streak. Mejia was struck above the right ankle in that game and was pulled. Buffalo hosts the Triple-A All-Star Game on Wednesday. The home run derby, scheduled for today, includes Valentino Pascucci. Read Sunday's full minor league recap here.

• Collins believed Jason Bay (concussion) and Frank Francisco (oblique) both could appear in their first rehab game Wednesday, with Class A St. Lucie at Tampa. The expectation would be both could rejoin the Mets for the series at Washington that begins next Tuesday, after a team off-day. Meanwhile, Andres Torres, who has remained on the active roster despite back woes, hopes to be ready to reenter the lineup the day the Mets open second-half play.

• Francisco has ended up entangled in another Yankees-related controversy, although this time the closer did not call them "chickens" or anything else. Andrew Marchand writes at ESPNNewYork.com about a spat between Boston reliever Vicente Padilla and the Yankees' Mark Teixeira that managed to rope in Francisco. Writes Marchand:

Padilla and Teixeira have had a feud that dates back seven years. In his initial two at-bats against Padilla in 2005, Teixeira hit homers each time. Since, according to Teixeira, Padilla has been head-hunting. ... [Padilla] implied that Teixeira had issues with Padilla and former teammate Frank Francisco because they were Latin. "The problem is he talks about all the wrong things that others have done, but the things he's done -- against the Latinos [on the Texas Rangers] -- he doesn't open his mouth about," Padilla told the website (NESN.com). "He once threatened me and said he was going to hit me with a bat, and that's when we were playing on the same team."

• Jordany Valdespin made his first major league start in center field Sunday. “I guess it was towards the end of the first year I ever saw him, when you saw the athleticism, you almost said, ‘You know what? This guy would make a pretty good center fielder,’’’ Collins said. ”So there was always that thought to put him out there.’’ Valdespin, a natural middle infielder, had made 15 appearances (14 starts) in the minors this season in center field. He also had four Grapefruit League appearances (two starts) at the position this year. Read more in the Star-Ledger.

• Wally Backman again criticized Reggie Jackson for comments critical of Gary Carter's Hall of Fame worthiness, this time in the Daily News.

• Marlins outfielder Logan Morrison tweeted he used to play for the Mets.

• Anthony Rieber provides a first-half recap in Newsday, as does Jared Diamond in the Journal. Mike Kerwick in the Record recommends to believe in the Mets.

• Michael Salfino in the Journal notes that if Ike Davis maintained his .203 average and his current RBI pace, he would have the worst average in baseball history among players who drove in 90-plus runs. It would top Dave Kingman's .204 average and 99 RBIs, which Kingman happened to post in 1982 as a Met.

TRIVIA: Who is the youngest Met ever to have a plate appearance in an All-Star Game?

Sunday's answer: Edgardo Alfonzo was the last Met to appear at second base in an All-Star Game. He went 0-for-2 at Turner Field on July 11, 2000 after replacing starter Jeff Kent.

Jordany Valdespin and Ike Davis homered, Dillon Gee matched a career high by tossing eight innings and Ruben Tejada's over-the-shoulder catch aided Bobby Parnell's second save as the Mets beat the Cubs, 3-1, Saturday.

The Mets now send Jon Niese (7-3, 3.35 ERA) to the mound in the first-half finale against right-hander Ryan Dempster (3-3, 2.11). The Amazin's are looking to match their season high at eight games over .500.

Sunday's news reports:

• Buffalo manager Wally Backman called Record columnist Bob Klapisch to complain about Reggie Jackson's comments regarding '86 teammate Gary Carter. "Who is he to question?" Klapisch, on Twitter, quoted Backman about Jackson. "At least Gary was a complete player. It's unbelievable Reggie would criticize a great guy and great player who's passed away. Show some respect."

Among other derogatory statements, Jackson had told Sports Illustrated: "I didn't see Kirby Puckett as a Hall of Famer. I didn't see Gary Carter as a Hall of Famer. I didn't see Don Sutton as a Hall of Famer. I didn't see Phil Niekro as a Hall of Famer. As much as I like Jim Rice, I'm not so sure he's a Hall of Famer."

• In a Q&A with Steve Serby in the Post, Sandy Alderson offers these tidbits:

On whether the Mets are serious buyers before the July 31 trade deadline: "Well, we’re serious lookers right now. We’ll see where we are as we get closer to the deadline. Right now the market for players is not quite as defined as it will be in the next couple of weeks." Still, Alderson added: "Right now we’re in a somewhat different mode than we were last year at this time."

On acquiring a right-handed bat via trade: "Well, I hope the right-handed bat we have [is] Jason Bay. I know that doesn’t inspire confidence on the part of most Mets fans, but I think Jason has an opportunity to play a big part for us the second half. ... I think we have to keep in mind that Jason could be the biggest addition we could hope to get. No guarantees that he’ll make a big contribution, but he certainly has that potential."

On whether he believes the Mets are a playoff team: "Yeah, I do. There are two things about our rotation -- No. 1, it’s deep. We match up pretty well, regardless of the opposition, with all five of our guys. And, the other thing is that right now we have some real quality at the top end, which can have a very big impact in a short series."

On David Wright's future as a Met: "I think it will be a long one, and hopefully very bright."

On Matt Harvey reaching the big leagues in 2012: "It’s conceivable. I think it’s unlikely, but I think it’s conceivable."

On Zack Wheeler: "It’s very possible that he’ll be moved to Triple-A sometime in the near future. I’d be surprised if he ends up in New York by the end of this season, but he is someone who would have to be protected on the major league roster going into next year, so at the very worst, he’ll be in major league camp next year, and I’m sure he’ll be competing for a rotation spot."

• Columnist John Harper in the Daily News discusses Wright's MVP-caliber season with the third baseman. Writes Harper:

Only two seasons ago, in fact, Wright racked up a whopping 161 strikeouts. Entering the final game before the All-Star break he has only 46 Ks, a reduction that is as astonishing as it is revealing. “It’s funny how it works,” Wright said at his locker on Saturday. “You have some success and all of a sudden your mentality is different. You’re aggressive but also confident that if they pitch you out of the strike zone you’re going to take those pitches. Whereas, there were times the last few seasons I felt I was swinging before the ball was even thrown. I had those at-bats when no matter what the pitcher threw, I knew I was swinging at it."

Wright acknowledges the revised Citi Field dimensions have helped. He tells Harper: “It’s a huge difference. It allows you to relax and know you don’t have to try to hit the ball a mile to see results. And, at the same time, if you do hit the ball well and you see results, instead of a 400-foot flyout, you’re 1-for-1 and feeling good about yourself. There were times the last couple of years I tried to muscle up and hit the ball a mile, and that had something to do with my strikeouts going up, too.’’

• The Mets used an all-homegrown starting lineup Saturday for the second time this season and fourth time in franchise history. Read more in Newsday.

• Read game recaps in Newsday, the Record, Star-Ledger, Times, Daily News and Post.

• Third baseman Wilmer Flores and Wheeler will represent the Mets in the Futures Game in Kansas City at 5 p.m. ET today. The prospect showcase will be televised by ESPN2. Wheeler tossed a scoreless inning in the 2010 Futures Game while a Giants farmhand. Flores actually started at second base and went 0-for-2 in the 2009 Futures Game while a month shy of his 18th birthday.

Flores is hitting .390 with two homers and 11 RBIs in 59 at-bats since a promotion to Double-A Binghamton. With third base also occupied by Jefry Marte with the B-Mets, Flores has appeared at three games at second base and two games at first base in addition to hot-corner duty in Double-A. Flores exclusively was a shortstop in the Mets system until this year, although he had played other infield positions in winter ball.

"He's never been extremely fast. He's never been your typical shortstop," B-Mets manager Pedro Lopez told Lynn Worthy in the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin. "He probably has that type of body -- what you look for from a shortstop, a body like that. But his first step wasn't fit for a shortstop. We all knew that eventually he was going to end up moving. But I had him his first year, in 2008. Watching him in 2008 and watching him play last year every day at short was night and day. He learned how to play that position. He played it well.

"Right now, there are a lot of guys in the big leagues that, No. 1, don't have the arm that he has. They don't have the glove that he has. They're playing second base because of the bat. His bat definitely profiles at second, but he's also a good third baseman. He's got good hands. His arm definitely plays there, if you played at short. I think as a third baseman you don't have as much ground to cover as short. I think he's done a good job."

• Johan Santana, whose ankle was cranky but likely a non-issue a day after twisting it, is scheduled to start the second-half opener in Atlanta on Friday. R.A. Dickey and Niese will round out that series. Gee then starts next Tuesday in Washington, in the series opener against the first-place Nationals, followed by Chris Young. Placing Santana at the start of the rotation to begin the second half is an expression of confidence there are no lingering questions about his shoulder's health since his return from Sept. 14, 2010 surgery to repair a torn anterior capsule. Read more in the Star-Ledger.

• Frank Francisco threw off a mound Saturday for the first time since landing on the DL during the Subway Series with a strained left oblique. He is due to pitch in a rehab game for the first time Wednesday, Terry Collins said.

• Collins said he needs to find a way to get Valdespin into Sunday's game after he homered for the second straight day Saturday. Read more in the Daily News and Newsday.

• Davis' homer tied him with Scott Hairston and Lucas Duda for the team lead at 12. Read more in Newsday and the Post.

• Columnist David Lennon in Newsday has some early thoughts about Tuesday's All-Star Game, in which neither Wright nor Dickey may start. Writes Lennon:

What complicates things now is that the fan balloting, which used to involve folksy punch cards distributed at ballparks, has evolved into a powerful online gateway for advertising revenue and website hits for MLB.com, a huge money-making enterprise. Not that there's anything wrong with that. This is, after all, an entertainment business. But as a result, there will be some inequities -- [Pablo] Sandoval starting over Wright, for instance -- and that tends to hurt the integrity of the overall message. It also puts a burden on the All-Star Game managers to balance that showcase element with some sort of competitive mindset.

• Dickey tells Mike Puma in the Post it would be unfortunate if he is disqualified from starting the All-Star Game because he is a knuckleballer. “I feel like [the decision] is probably being over-thought on a lot of different fronts,” Dickey told Puma. “Anybody would love to start the game, so if you’re asking me, of course I would like to start it. That doesn’t mean I’ll be insulted if I don’t. There are plenty of candidates that are worthy. But I do think the knuckleball angle, as far as that being a deterrent, is a little bit blown out of proportion. Simply because I’ve worked with so many guys who have been able to get it, basically. And I’ve gotten one wild pitch this year and I think my strikeout-to-walk [ratio] probably speaks for itself -- as far as the control aspect goes -- so I don’t see the real issue with that.”

• Buffalo right-hander Collin McHugh, whose blog entries periodically are reprinted at ESPNNewYork.com, discusses the transition from Double-A to Triple-A in his latest entry. McHugh is an under-the-radar prospect who is starting to get attention. He has drawn comparisons to Gee.

• SNY is advertising in the Bronx, at the subway stop by Yankee Stadium, according to Richard Sandomir in the Times. “This isn’t about the Mets’ network trying to co-opt Yankee fans," SNY president Steve Raab told Sandomir. "This is a regional sports network that has always positioned itself as the home of all things New York sports taking the program that is most representative of that positioning and going for sports fans.”

Yankees president Randy Levine offered this reply to the Times: "There’s no such thing as any kind of turf. But I give SNY credit. When you’re a consistent No. 3 network, you shoot for No. 1.”

• Matt den Dekker had a three-run homer and Justin Hampson resurfaced for the save with Buffalo. Cory Mazzoni tossed seven scoreless innings for Binghamton. Jimmy Fuller tossed five no-hit innings for Savannah. Read the full minor league recap here.

TRIVIA: Who was the last Met to play second base in the All-Star Game?

Saturday's answer: Dempster pitched for the Marlins and Reds before being released by Cincinnati in November 2003 and signing later that offseason with the Cubs.

Through 40 games, David Wright is hitting .399 with four home runs, 26 RBIs and a 1.099 OPS.

It is one of the best 40-game stretches in Mets history, though there are a few that surpass it. With the help of the Elias Sports Bureau and Mets historian Greg Prince, we remember a half-dozen of the other top 40s in Mets history:

Frank Thomas, 1962
The Mets were terrible but lovable in their early days, and thanks to playing in a Polo Ground ballpark where cheap home runs were commonplace, they had an immediate star with a hitter who tallied impressive numbers in his first 40 games of 1962.

Thomas hit .333 with 13 home runs and 31 RBIs in his inaugural 40 as a Met, setting a standard for others to follow.

Cleon Jones, 1969
Jones hit .378 with seven home runs, 32 RBIs, and 32 runs scored in his first 40 games. The start would launch Jones to set a Mets record with a .340 batting average, a mark that would last for multiple decades.

The year would end well for Jones as well. He would catch the final out of the World Series.

Keith Hernandez and Gary Carter, 1985
We list Hernandez and Carter together because they are forever linked by a championship in 1986. But a year earlier, the two closed the season with a pair of amazing runs.

Hernandez's final 40 games of 1985 were marked by a series of huge hits. He hit .354 and reached base 74 times via hit, walk or error as the Mets fell just shy of the NL East title.

The big moments included a game-winning, ninth-inning home run in San Francisco against the Giants and a walk-off hit on Sept.12 against the Cardinals that put the Mets in first place against their then archrivals.

Carter matched Hernandez for big hits and then some.

Over the 40 games he played from Aug. 23 to the next-to-last day of the regular season, he hit .325 with 15 home runs, 38 RBIs and a 1.048 OPS. He had 15 go-ahead RBIs in that stretch, four more than any other player in the majors over that time period.

Darryl Strawberry, 1990
Strawberry struggled to hit in the first 40 games of the 1990 season, and was hitting just .230 with five home runs coming into a May 26 matchup with the Padres.

A Strawberry eighth-inning home run against Calvin Schiraldi was the finishing touch for the Mets offense in an 11-0 win over the Padres and started arguably the best barrage in Mets history.

Over the 40-game stretch from May 26 to July 14, 1990, Strawberry hit .372, with 18 home runs and 42 RBIs. He had as many home runs in that stretch as he did strikeouts. No Met hit more in a 40-game span than this one.

John Olerud, 1998
On July 11, 1998, Olerud went 4-for-4 with a pair of home runs in an 8-4 win over the Expos. This would begin his most torrid 40-game stretch as a Met, one in which he hit .408 with 10 home runs, 29 RBIs and a 1.148 OPS.

Olerud would carry his hot streak all the way through to the end of the season, as the Mets fell one game shy of the NL wild card. He'd finish the season with a Mets-record .354 batting average.

Mike Piazza, 2000
Piazza seemingly had a bunch of of these 40-game bursts in each of his first four seasons with the Mets. You can take your pick from a couple that look alike.

We'll look at one from the NL pennant-winning 2000 season.

On April 14, 2000, Piazza went 5-for-6 with two home runs and four RBI in a 12-inning win in Pittsburgh.

That started a tear that lasted beyond 40 contests, but at the point at which we cut it off, Piazza had a .383 batting average, 12 doubles, 14 home runs, 33 RBIs and a 1.254 OPS.

The most memorable of his hits would be a game-winning home run against Padres reliever Trevor Hoffman, though two days after this stretch concluded, he’d hit a grand slam against Roger Clemens.

Five days after Lenny Dykstra and Roger McDowell were traded from the Mets to the Philadelphia Phillies for Juan Samuel, they returned to Shea Stadium as division rivals in 1989.

“I was excited to see them, but it obviously was a different mindset,” recalled Mets third base coach Tim Teufel, who started at second base for the Mets in Dykstra and McDowell’s reunion game. “It was all good hellos early, and then it was war after that. The reception was great for Lenny. Lenny especially got a big ovation. He’s a fan favorite here. And Roger, with the job he did with [Jesse] Orosco in the bullpen, both of them got great ovations. It was a little bit different, knowing it was so quick a turnaround. But the fans reacted well.”

Just has Dykstra stepped into the batter’s box as the leadoff hitter on June 23, 1989 for the opposition, so too will Jose Reyes do so for the Miami Marlins on Tuesday night, facing Johan Santana -- albeit with Reyes having departed as a free agent rather than via a trade.

In fact, other than Darryl Strawberry and Reyes, most reunions occurred without the returnee willingly having chosen to leave New York. (And in Reyes’ case, it’s debatable if he actually had a choice, since the Mets never made an offer.)

“I’m sure Jose’s going to get a mixed reaction,” Teufel said.

Here’s a roundup of notable returns to Flushing by ex-Mets:

• Mike Piazza, Padres, Aug. 8, 2006: Piazza got royal treatment in his first game back in Flushing, after being forced to leave as a free agent. "Just from start to finish, it was one of those things that I didn't want to end," Piazza said that day, after going 1-for-4. "I just can't explain how honored I am, because you just don't see that a lot." Said manager Willie Randolph at the time: "That's how you treat heroes."

Piazza drew wild cheers the second he emerged for batting practice. He placed a finger to his lips, as if his "shhhh" would silence the Shea faithful. Later, when the crowd rhythmically chanted "Mike Pi-azz-zza," Piazza lifted his cap while shaking his head.

When Piazza settled into the batter's box to lead off the second inning, the public-address system blared the familiar guitar riff he used during his Shea heyday. A 23-year-old David Wright turned to third base ump Chuck Meriwether and told him, "This is pretty cool."

"We both agreed," Wright said that day, adding: "All the former Mets that come back usually don't get too warm a reception."

The following day, Piazza homered twice, both off Pedro Martinez.

• Al Leiter, Marlins, April 16, 2005: Leiter had denied reports that he badmouthed New York while successfully courting Carlos Delgado to join him with the Marlins. He also differed with Omar Minaya and the new Mets regime about whose fault it was that he did not return. Then the southpaw, who was roughly treated by the crowd in his return, allowed one run and three hits in seven innings, but got a no-decision in the Mets’ 4-3 win while starting opposite Martinez.

"I don't know what they were booing at,” Leiter said that day. “One guy in the bullpen said, 'Al, we love you and I think you're great, but I'm still going to boo you.' You have fans that root for the marks and logos of their teams. You root for the fabric and I understand that. That's probably what it is."

Paul Lo Duca, Leiter’s batterymate with the Marlins that day, told Newsday after the game: "When I went back to L.A., it was emotional. I asked him yesterday. He didn't want to pitch. For him to do what he did, I don't think people realize how hard it is. You have that anxiety and you want to do too much. You want to hit a ball eight miles. You want to throw a ball 100 miles an hour, because there's part of you that sort of wants to shove it up you-know-what."

• John Franco, Astros, April 11, 2005: Yes, the Mets displayed a tribute video on the Shea scoreboard before the start of the second inning. And, yes, Franco was warmly cheered by the Flushing crowd pregame, after being forced to leave as a free agent the previous offseason.

Franco actually surrendered a key two-run single to Cliff Floyd that accounted for the final runs in the Mets’ 8-4 win. He was booed upon entering as a reliever. “The crowd treated me nice," Franco said after that game. "[The boos] don't bother me. That's just part of it. I played 15 years here and probably heard a lot of that. There are people who like you and people who don't like you."

• Darryl Strawberry, Dodgers, May 7, 1991: Unlike many of the other departures via trade or free agency, Strawberry left mostly of his own volition, to sign a five-year, $20.25 million deal with L.A. And he often has said of late he regretted the decision.

Strawberry, mired in a 1-for-23 slump and prolonged long ball drought, belted a two-run homer against Frank Viola in his return. But Straw also grounded out to end the game while facing Franco with the potential tying run on third base. The Mets won, 6-5.

Fans lustily jeered and chanted “Dary-llll, Dary-lll.” According to the Associated Press report, extra security was positioned in right field, but the only issue was some strawberrys being chucked at the slugger in the on-deck circle. Said Franco, according to the Times: "Everybody says they hate him. But then why do they come out to the ballpark? It's because they admire him. Hey, they got their money's worth."

• Gary Carter, Giants, May 8, 1990: The aging Carter hit .183 in 50 games with the Mets in 1989, so the organization decided to go with Barry Lyons and Mackey Sasser behind the plate the following season. The Mets also parted with Keith Hernandez that same offseason. That prompted Carter to sign with the Giants to platoon with Terry Kennedy. San Francisco manager Roger Craig sent Carter out to exchange lineup cards with Davey Johnson, and Kid was given a prolonged standing ovation by the Shea faithful. He started the game and went 1-for-2 with a single and walk in seven innings.

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David Wright went 3-for-5 with a homer in his return to the lineup with a fractured right pinkie, Jon Niese tossed 6 2/3 scoreless innings and the Mets blanked the Phillies, 5-0, Saturday at Citizens Bank Park. The Mets already have clinched the series win. They had been 1-7-1 in their past nine series at Philly. Mike Pelfrey opposes Cole Hamels this afternoon, with the Mets aiming for their first sweep in Philly since June 13-15, 2006.

Today is Jackie Robinson Day across MLB.

Sunday's news reports:

• Terry Collins said that on Friday he believed Wright almost definitely would land on the disabled list this weekend. The Mets even flew in Josh Satin to be prepared for that seeming eventuality. Yet Wright returned to the lineup and blasted his 16th homer at Citizens Bank Park, the most by any visitor at the stadium since it opened in 2004. Read more in Newsday.

• Read game recaps in the Times, Star-Ledger, Newsday, Post, Daily News and Record.

• Steven Marcus in Newsday inquires about why the Mets have retired only one player's number -- 41, for Tom Seaver. Casey Stengel's 37 and Gil Hodges' 14 as well as the universally recognized Robinson's 42 also are retired. The Mets placed Gary Carter's No. 8 on the outfield wall for this season -- appearing as it does on the patch on the Mets' uniforms.

"I think the general point of view is we don't want to get to the point where it's somewhat gratuitous and you've got dozens and dozens of people whose numbers are retired,'' Mets executive VP Dave Howard told Marcus. "Historically, from a Mets perspective, this is a very high honor. Certainly from a player standpoint, it's only been Tom Seaver. He's in a class by himself.''

Added Keith Hernandez to Marcus: "Too many teams are retiring too many numbers. They lose their import. So I'm in the camp that it should be something that is special, it shouldn't be marginalized. Who wouldn't want to have their number retired? But it's not something that I think about.''

One obvious number to consider is Mike Piazza's No. 31. Newsday's David Lennon tweeted earlier this year that the Mets are expected to retire Piazza's number after he is inducted into Cooperstown.

• Columnist John Harper in the Daily News discusses the ramifications of Wright's speedy return and Saturday's series-clinching win. Writes Harper:

Injuries are a delicate subject around the Mets, after all the problems they’ve had in recent years. In some cases they made matters worse by allowing the likes of Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran and even Wright last season, with his broken back, to play hurt, so now they tend to proceed with extreme caution. That’s why it was a bit surprising, even for Collins, to hear him say on Wednesday that he had a “gut feeling” Wright would play with his broken finger here on Friday.

Even if it wasn’t the manager’s intent, that put a certain pressure on his star player. If Wright couldn’t play, he would look less than tough, at least in the eyes of many fans who took Collins’ gut feeling to heart. Perhaps that’s why Wright sounded a bit defensive when he couldn’t play on Friday, repeatedly saying he couldn’t “functionally” grip or swing a bat because of the swelling in his finger. But then it felt good enough on Saturday to try it, and in a way he made his manager look like a prophet with his big day that raised his batting average to .588.

• Columnist Kevin Kernan in the Post writes that Wright's leadership is clear:

David Wright sent a message to his teammates yesterday: Play hard, play through pain, or go home.

• Mike Kerwick in the Record says Citi Field spectators should not boo Jason Bay. Writes Kerwick:

Here's my advice to Mets fans: Shackle your venom. And give the guy some space. Was it just a coincidence that Bay hit no homers in six games at Citi Field, then blasted one during his first at-bat in a visiting park? Possibly. On Friday night, he said the first week of games was not enough to cause his shoulders to slump. But he has also admitted he hears the boos. Bay is a decent person. And most decent people sag when exposed to this degree of enmity. I can't help but think the booing, on some subconscious level, penetrates his psyche.

• Bobby Parnell recorded the ensuing four outs after Niese departed, including covering the eighth inning for a second straight day. Between the Grapefruit League and regular season, Parnell has not allowed a run in 17 1/3 innings. Read more in the Record.

• Niese has carried a scoreless effort into the seventh inning in both of his outings. Read more in Newsday and the Post.

• In the court filings made late Friday regarding the settlement of the lawsuit against Fred Wilpon and family over Bernard Madoff accounts, one reason trustee Irving Picard cited for settling was the Mets owners' tight finances made getting more money via further litigation dicey. Writes Anthony M. Destefano in Newsday:

In federal court filings late Friday night, trustee Irving Picard said the "restrictive" cash flow, as well as the owners' obligations to banks that lent them money, contributed to doubts that further litigation against Fred Wilpon , Saul Katz and their partners in Sterling Equities would produce a bigger payout. "We have become satisfied that defendants' cash flow and lender covenants would not have enabled me to recover more for the [Madoff] customer fund in the foreseeable future by litigating to the point of judgment," Picard said in an affidavit. The settlement "is a practical and fair compromise" that avoided "a protracted and expensive trial and lengthy appeals," Picard explained in a statement.

Richard Sandomir in the Times also notes the trustee's language in expressing concern about collecting debt from the Wilpons.

• Domingo Tapia tossed seven scoreless innings as Savannah won via shutout for the second straight day. Read the full minor league recap here.

• On the club's 50th anniversary, there is an excerpt in the Daily News about the creation of the Mets from the book, "The Mets: A 50th Anniversary Celebration," written by Andy Martino and Anthony McCarron.

TRIVIA: Johan Santana and Niese started the Mets' two shutouts at Citizens Bank Park. Which Mets pitcher started the last shutout at Veterans Stadium, the home of the Phillies through 2003?

Saturday's answer: Jason Bay's homer Friday against Cliff Lee was the outfielder's 19th long ball as a Met.

Jon Niese has a new contract that guarantees him $25.5 million over five years. He has a new nose, courtesy of cosmetic surgery paid for by ex-teammate Carlos Beltran. And on Sunday, Niese had the franchise’s latest flirtation with the first no-hitter in Mets history, carrying the bid into the seventh inning before Atlanta’s Freddie Freeman singled.

The Easter performance came on what would have been Gary Carter’s 58th birthday. That may be fitting, given Carter’s modest role in Niese becoming a Met.

A post-draft recruiting call to Niese by Carter -- who had been inducted into the Hall of Fame only two years earlier -- helped sway the southpaw to sign with the Mets out of Defiance (Ohio) High School, despite Niese slipping all the way to the seventh round, recalled Toronto Blue Jays scout Russ Bove, who ran the draft in '05 for the Mets.

Niese, who happened to be born on the day Carter won the World Series with the Mets on Oct. 27, 1986, had committed to the University of Cincinnati and was viewed as unsignable by many organizations.

Niese had been holding out for early-round money.

“I go down to Port St. Lucie to meet all of the new signees,” Bove recalled. “And Gary Carter says to me, ‘How is Niese doing?’ It hit me like a lightning bolt. I said, ‘Gary, if I call the kid, will you talk to him?’ He said absolutely. So Gary Carter got on the phone and he said, ‘I was projected to be a first-round pick. I was taken in the third round. I took my disappointment right to the Hall of Fame.’ He said, ‘You come and play for me, you’ll have fun. You’ll work hard. And you’ll win.’ He really gave him a pep talk.”

Minutes later, Bove’s phone rang. Oscar Suarez, Niese’s agent at the time, had called.

“We want to get Jonathon Niese done,” Suarez told Bove.

Niese on Monday downplayed Carter’s influence, but said he certainly appreciated the call.

“I wanted to sign anyway, but that call was kind of neat,” Niese said. “It took me by surprise. It was really neat to get a call from a guy like that.”

Niese’s rise has cemented that once-panned 2005 draft as a solid one for the organization. In fact, seven years later, the story of that draft has turned out quite differently from the early, negative reviews. Bove was reassigned after running the '05 draft -- a decision he felt was political, with new employees disparaging the holdovers.

Despite the Mets forfeiting their second- and third-round picks because they signed Pedro Martinez and Beltran the previous offseason as free agents, five players drafted and signed by the Mets in ’05 have appeared in the majors: Mike Pelfrey (first round), catcher Drew Butera (fifth), Niese (seventh), Bobby Parnell (ninth) and Josh Thole (13^th).

The Mets also took catcher Luis Martinez in the 11^th round and Pedro Beato in the 17^th round, but neither signed. Beato was drafted the following year in the first round by Baltimore and signed with the Orioles. He ended up back with the Mets in the Dec. 2010 Rule 5 draft.

Butera and Martinez, both catchers, made their major league debuts elsewhere, with the Minnesota Twins and San Diego Padres.

Niese’s upside particularly has made that draft quietly successful. Carter, along with the other minor league managers at the time, had watched video of Niese in the draft-preparation room and were enamored.

“Gary loved Niese from the video,” Bove said. “He was a strong-bodied left-hander. I compared him to Jerry Koosman. He had that real thick, strong body, and we liked the way his arm worked. And, of course, we really liked the curveball. A left-hander with a good curveball.”

The recruiting call from Carter that Bove believes prompted the call from Suarez to get the deal done was not the only late hurdle. The commissioner’s office was adamant that teams not go over the recommended signing bonuses for the round in which the amateur was selected. Fred Wilpon and family, loyal to Bud Selig, were not going to be the first to go over the prescribed slot.

The Texas Rangers handed another seventh-round pick -- high school right-hander Jake Rasner -- $250,000, though. That gave Bove the ammunition to convince his bosses to hand Niese $175,000.

“We had to wait until somebody else went over. So the kid was holding out,” Bove said. “We were waiting to see when somebody else went over so we could up the ante. … As much as I’d like to, I won’t blame that one on the Wilpons. That was the commissioner’s office. Of course, the Wilpons would never have been the first ones to go over.

“After we took him, and we got him signed, I got calls from some of my buddies saying, ‘How the hell did you sign this guy? We have him as unsignable.’”

Niese, though, said Monday he really did want to turn pro rather than pitch in college.

Meanwhile, there was one other wrinkle to that ’05 draft, which nearly changed the complexion even further: Had one of the first eight teams to pick in the first round selected Pelfrey, the Mets already had agreed to a prearranged deal with the agent for Jay Bruce to take the outfielder ninth overall out of high school in Beaumont, Texas, according to Bove. But Pelfrey was still around when the Mets selected, and Bruce ultimately went 12^th overall to the Cincinnati Reds instead.

“You know what? He was the guy we wanted,” Bove said about Pelfrey. “I really, really liked him. But if we didn’t get Pelfrey, we were going to take Jay Bruce. We did have a deal cut with Bruce’s agent, if Pelfrey wasn’t there. We would have got Bruce signed right away.”

As for the recruiting call from Carter to Niese, here’s the kicker:

“The funny part of the story, when I called Jonathon and said, ‘Hey, a guy wants to talk with you, Gary Carter,’ he had no idea who Gary was,” Bove said. “But, of course, when he heard the Hall of Fame, then he came to life.”

Said Niese: “I got to thinking and looked him up and realized who it was and was like, ‘Wow.’ … I’m happy how it worked out.”

"In-depth" appears Tuesdays during the regular season.

David Wright has always been viewed as a classy ballplayer.

His latest gesture isn’t about to change that.

The Mets third baseman told reporters following Thursday’s 1-0 Opening Day victory over the Braves that he’s sending his game-used jersey to Gary Carter’s family.

Carter, the Mets Hall of Fame catcher who died on Feb. 16 following a 10-month battle with brain cancer, was honored prior to Thursday’s game.

The Mets are wearing patches to commemorate his legacy, and his No. 8 jersey was hanging in their dugout.

“You look at [the jersey], and it reminds you of the player he was, and what he meant to the city,” Wright said.

A sellout crowd of 42,080 -- the largest crowd in Citi Field history, according to the Mets -- was on-hand and chanted Carter’s name during the pregame ceremony.

"The crowd gave him the recognition he deserved," Wright said.

Wright provided all the offense the Mets needed, with a sixth-inning RBI single to left-center field. He went 2-for-3 and has hit in seven of eight openers since making his first Opening Day roster in 2005.

The Mets’ previous high for single-game home attendance was 42,042 against the Yankees on July 2, 2011.

“It was exciting,” Josh Thole said, “especially in the big situations, you could really feel it. You miss that a little bit last year when you’re not winning for them, and they want you to win, so to get the crowd back in the game really meant a lot to us.”

The Mets honored the memory of Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter -- who died Feb. 16 following a 10-month battle with brain cancer at the age of 57 -- prior to Thursday's Opening Day game against the Braves at Citi Field.

The Mets will wear "KID 8" home-plate logo patches on their right uniform sleeves throughout the season. That same logo was unveiled by Carter's family on the left-center field wall next to the 385-foot marker.

The Mets have Carter's No. 8 jersey hanging in their dugout. They all wore his blue No. 8 jersey during pregame workouts.

"In all trueness and fairness, I wish I could've lived like him," Darryl Strawberry said in a media conference before the game. "I really do. I really wish I could've lived my life like him as a player and as a person."

Carter played with the Mets from 1985-89, hitting .249 with 89 home runs and 349 RBIs. He was a vital cog on the 1986 World Series championship team, and is perhaps best known for starting the Mets' unfathomable 10th-inning rally in Game 6 with a two-out single.

Most of the Mets players hated Carter when they played against him, Mookie Wilson said. But Carter quickly endeared himself to his New York teammates both on and off the field.

"He really cared about his team," Wilson said. "Yes, he loved the camera, yes he did, but he was genuine."

Carter made an immediate impact in his first game as a Met, drilling a 10th-inning walk-off home run off Cardinals reliever Neil Allen on Opening Day in 1985.

"In your gut, you knew we had just turned the corner," Strawberry said.

Carter's nickname -- "Kid" -- was a fitting one.

"He was happy among a bunch of animals," Strawberry said. "He never said anything negative or bad about anybody. How do you do that?"

Carter's wife, Sandy, son D.J., and daughters Kimmy and Christy and their families were out in the outfield to help unveil the hope plate logo.

There was a moment of silence for Carter before the game.

Fans held signs that said "We will never forget" and "We love you Gary" and chanted "Ga-ry Car-ter!" during the ceremony.

Even though Carter was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003, his number hasn't been retired by the Mets.