how far is the pitching mound from home plate

This is the best team I've ever left Florida with. There's no comparison between this year's team and last year's. The pitching is far superior. The bench strength is super. And you know what? We might not win. Our last 26 games are all against Toronto, New York, Baltimore and Boston."

-- Sparky Anderson, to Sports Illustrated, before the start of the 1985 baseball season

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You don't hear much about the 1985 Tigers anymore. Oh, who am I kidding? You never hear anything about the '85 Tigers. The 1985 Tigers, the presidential election of 1820, are simply not brought up in casual conversation.

Yet they were the last Tigers team, until this year, to try to defend a pennant.

In 1985, as in 2007, the Tigers brought back almost all of their important players.

In 1985, as in 2007, they thought they were even better than the year before.

In 1985, as in 2007, they missed the playoffs.

What happened? Did they have a mid-'80s version of middle reliever Jason Grilli, blowing games at home and complaining when fans booed? Did a veteran 17-game winner get hurt, like Kenny Rogers did this year? Did fans wonder why the manager kept playing the third baseman, as they did with Jim Leyland and Brandon Inge? Did their seemingly invincible relievers from the year before suddenly stop being invincible, like Joel Zumaya and Fernando Rodney did?

Who's on second? Who's on third?

Eight days into the 1985 season, the Tigers were 6-0. They had outscored their opponents an average of three runs a game. When Anderson was asked during that streak if the '85 team was maybe even better than the '84 champs, he didn't hesitate.

"Not maybe," he said. "Definitely."

Definitely?

"We can do more things," he said. "We have better players."

The new kid playing third base, Chris Pittaro, was hitting .300. In spring training, Sparky had declared "Chris Pittaro is my second baseman," which was a surprise to Lou Whitaker, who had made two straight All-Star teams at second base.

Sparky said Whitaker would move to third. He said the decision was "etched in stone, set in cement." Four days later, Whitaker asked to go back to second. Sparky said OK. Sparky put Pittaro at third -- because, he said, Pittaro was "the best young player I've had in 15 years." Sparky said a lot of things.

Not the ring of truth

Forty games into the season, the 1985 Tigers were 24-16. There was nothing wrong with 24-16. That's a 97-victory pace. But the 1984 Tigers had famously started the season 35-5. The 1985 Tigers were already 11 games behind their own ghosts.

"How do you explain a season like 1984?" Anderson asked a reporter for the San Diego Union-Tribune. "That was a date with Bo Derek, a once-in-a-lifetime thing."

And 1985?

"Bo doesn't come around anymore," sighed Anderson, puffing on his pipe. "She doesn't like the atmosphere."

Shortstop Alan Trammel noted the difference between '84 and '85. "Last year was a dream," he said.

The 24-16 start was not the most talked-about Tigers news item of the week. Many of the nation's newspapers picked up on this tidbit:

Relief pitcher Bill Scherrer, acquired shortly before the 1984 trade deadline, noticed his World Series ring was becoming a little tarnished. He took it to a jeweler. The jeweler told him the ring was worth between $90 and $250, and what looked like a diamond was actually just glass.

Tigers president Jim Campbell explained that Scherrer's teammates had voted to give him just a third of a playoff share. The Tigers therefore chose to give Scherrer a down-scaled version of the ring.

"I don't wear it anymore," Scherrer said. "Maybe I'll give it to my parents."

Fading fast in late July

On July 21, the Tigers beat Texas, 6-5, in 15 innings, to pull within 3 1/2 games of the first-place Blue Jays. The winning pitcher was Bill Scherrer. Were the Tigers finally getting hot? Would Scherrer finally get a diamond ring to replace his glass one?

The next day, the Tigers and Rangers were tied, 5-5, in the ninth inning. Aurelio Lopez, a.k.a. "Senor Smoke," was on the mound. Lopez had pitched well for the Tigers the previous two years -- his ERA was under 3.00 both years.

In spring training, Senor Smoke had worn contact lenses on the mound for the first time. It was also the last time.

"I don't need them," he said. "I know where the plate is."

Fans weren't so sure. Lopez was 36 and struggling -- for the year, he would have a 4.80 earned-run average. In this July 22 game, Lopez threw a slider to switch-hitting Texas infielder Wayne Tolleson.

Tolleson had not hit a home run in two years.

He had never hit a home run from the left side of the plate.

Now, against Aurelio Lopez, Tolleson hit a home run -- into the upper deck.

"I don't even remember my last home run," Tolleson said.

The crowd of 36,036 fans booed Lopez.

"The fans need to learn to be behind the team," Lopez said.

Four days later, the Tigers trailed Minnesota, 6-5, in the eighth inning when Barbaro Garbey scored the tying run. At least, they thought Garbey scored the tying run. First-base umpire Ken Kaiser said he had called time-out. He sent Garbey back to third.

The next inning, Lou Whitaker hit a game-winning, two-run homer. At least, they thought it was a game-winning, two-run homer. Minnesota's Kirby Puckett reached up over the fence and caught it.

"This one will top them all," Anderson said afterward.

Would it? Four days later, a low-flying private jet buzzed Tiger Stadium, scaring the heck out of all the players. The Tigers were fielding in the top of the sixth inning at the time. Whitaker started running from his position at second base to the outfield, away from the jet. He was replaced in the next inning by Doug Flynn, then left the park before reporters could talk to him.

Meanwhile, the Blue Jays just kept winning. In the eight days after that 15-inning victory over Texas, the Tigers lost six games in the standings. There were now 9 1/2 back.

A rally, but not enough

On Sept. 9, the Tigers visited Toronto for the start of a three-game series. This was the beginning of that 26-game stretch against the Blue Jays, Orioles, Red Sox and Yankees -- the stretch Anderson had feared at the beginning of the year.

But the Tigers were already 14 1/2 games behind Toronto. Their last day in first place had been April 28. Their last day in second place was Aug. 5. They were now in fourth, behind Toronto, New York and Baltimore.

The Tigers would rally to finish third, at 84-77. They had one rainout, late in the year against the Yankees. There was no need to make it up.

More flash than substance

You don't hear about the '85 Tigers anymore, which means you don't hear that they hit 15 more home runs than the '84 Tigers. Or that they struck out less. Or that their starting pitchers had a better ERA in 1985 (3.64) than they did in 1984 (3.88) -- even though Milt Wilcox, who had won 17 games in 1984, pitched only eight games because of shoulder troubles.

The 1985 Tigers were more flash than substance. They hit the long ball, but Anderson lamented their poor bunting, and they could not hit for average. Trammell dropped from .314 to .258. No Tiger even hit .290. And as a result, the Tigers scored 100 fewer runs than they had in '84.

(And despite his manager's high hopes, Pittaro would hit .221 lifetime with no homers in 95 at-bats.)

Some wondered if the loss of pitching coach Roger Craig after the 1984 season affected Willie Hernandez and Lopez, the best closer/setup-man combo in the game in 1984. Both regressed (Lopez more than Hernandez) and were booed. That is what happened to the '85 Tigers: A lot of little regressions.

"We just didn't seem to jell quite as well the year before," catcher Lance Parrish said this week. "I still think we had the ability to perform better than we did. For us, that just demonstrated how difficult winning is.

"That year (1984) taught all of us what it was supposed to be like. Everybody in city, everybody in the whole state was in such a great mood and loved baseball and loved the Tigers. It made the whole year special."

If 1985 did anything for the Tigers, it taught them all to appreciate the rings they earned in 1984. Even Bill Scherrer.

Jeremy Guthrie could have packed his belongings and returned to his Las Vegas home, his body aching and his pride a little bruised. The 2007 season brought enough personal achievements to satisfy most rookie pitchers, even as it threatened to end sooner than the schedule dictated. There wasn't much reason for Guthrie to keep pushing himself as the Orioles tried to avoid last place, except he wanted to take the ball one more time before letting go.

A strained oblique kept Guthrie off the mound for nearly three weeks, but he fought through the pain until the muscle healed, convinced manager Dave Trembley that he shouldn't be shut down and gave the Orioles five innings last night, along with some much-needed stability for their rotation, in an 8-5 victory over Toronto at Camden Yards.

Defensive lapses left Guthrie with another no-decision after he allowed three runs in the fifth, but shortstop Luis Hernandez made sure the night didn't end in defeat for the Orioles. One rookie trying to pick up another.



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Hernandez hit his first major league homer, a two-run shot off reliever Brian Tallet in the sixth inning that returned the lead to the Orioles, who won for only the 10th time in 36 games before an announced 15,817.

Hernandez's homer, which came after Tallet replaced Severna Park native Josh Banks, was his first at any level this season. He spent most of the year at Double-A Bowie.

"I just tried swinging and hit the ball hard so [Jay Payton] could score from second," Hernandez said. "It was awesome. I hit that ball very good, but I never think it's going to go that far."

Payton hit a two-run homer off Banks in the second and drove in a run with an infield hit in the third, as the Orioles took a 4-0 lead. But his misplay later fueled a Blue Jays rally.

They scored twice off reliever Jim Hoey (3-4) in the sixth to take a 5-4 lead, the tying run crossing the plate when Payton dropped John-Ford Griffin's liner after Aaron Hill's leadoff double. Griffin came around on a single, passed ball and wild pitch.

"It didn't hit the right part of the glove," Payton said. "I was coming pretty hard and it just didn't stick."

Guthrie has gone nine starts without a victory, though he has lost only twice in that stretch. He faced one batter more than the minimum through four innings last night and could have gone beyond the fifth if the Orioles (68-91) had made enough plays behind him. But at least he was pitching again.

"He earned a lot of respect tonight," Trembley said. "He's probably one of the more well-liked guys on this team. He's a rookie in the big leagues and he doesn't pitch like one. He doesn't act like one. He doesn't go about his business like one."

Said Payton: "He didn't have to show me anything. He showed me enough before today."

Guthrie already was cemented in next year's plans, some of which were discussed earlier this week. Trembley met with team president Andy MacPhail on Wednesday to dissect the roster, and they'll engage in more talks by the weekend.

The bullpen will be a priority over the winter, with the club seeking an experienced closer and setup man to replace Chris Ray and Danys Baez, who are expected to miss most, if not all, of the 2008 season.

The Orioles also will attempt to sign or acquire a veteran starting pitcher who can give them innings, and Trembley indicated that he would be content with someone he could put in the third slot in the rotation. Guthrie likely would be No. 2 behind Erik Bedard.

"I think Guthrie could be a two," Trembley said. "I don't think it really matters to him."

Four straight hits and an error on Hernandez, who left second base too soon on an attempted force play, produced three runs in the fifth before Guthrie recorded an out. The first run scored on Griffin's fly ball that eluded Payton's reach and was ruled a double.

"It was really satisfying to be out there," Guthrie said. "I enjoy pitching and it's nice to end the season pitching healthy versus having to walk off the field injured."

? Notes // J.R. House hit his second homer in the eighth after replacing backup catcher Paul Bako two innings earlier. ... The Orioles shut down Corey Patterson, who hasn't played in the past 21 games because of a sprained left ankle. He batted .269 with eight homers, 45 RBIs and 37 stolen bases. "I want to make this clear: Corey wanted to play," Trembley said. "But I said to him, 'If this was during the regular season, I would have to send you out on a minor league rehab.' What were we going to do, fly him down to Sarasota for instructional league for two days and fly him back here to play the last game on Sunday?" Patterson is a free agent after the season. The American League is in order. The National League � not so much.

The Major League Baseball playoffs are tentatively scheduled to begin on Oct. 3. That means the regular season is winding down to its end with about three-four games left per team.

In the National League, all division races remain heated going into the final weekend of the regular season.

Last night, a tie in the NL East formed after the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets suffered a 3-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. The Chicago Cubs managed to break away a bit from the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central and currently have a two-game lead. And in the NL West, the Arizona Diamondbacks possess only a one-game lead in the division. The San Diego Padres are next in line, and they also lead the NL Wild Card by one game over the Mets and Phillies.

Meanwhile, the American League already has its representatives set. Though the New York Yankees could technically still win the AL East, the Boston Red Sox' magic number is one and that should be enough to get them their first division title in 12 years. The Yankees clinched at least the AL Wild Card, though, so there will still be October baseball in the Bronx. The Cleveland Indians and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim clinched the AL Central and the AL West, respectively, on Sept. 23.

Now, since the American League is pretty much set, I think we're looking at an Indians vs. Yankees series and Red Sox vs. Angels series.

The Yankees' benefit greatly from a series against the Indians in the ALDS. There's no way they could play the Red Sox in the first round since they play in the same division. So, New York would either have to play Cleveland or Los Angeles. And the Yankees don't have a lot of luck against the Angels.

I'm not trying to say the Indians are pushovers, though. There's little doubt that the Indians will compete and put up a fight against New York in the first round. The Indians have some of the best pitching in baseball right now. C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona give Cleveland a strong start at the top of the rotation for the opening games of the series. But with Chien-Ming Wang and Andy Pettitte slated to get the first two games for New York, the Yankees certainly have a shot. This is especially true considering the Yankees boast perhaps the best offense in the MLB right now. I'm going with the Yankees taking the series in four games and moving on to the ALCS.

The Red Sox vs. Angels series seems pretty fun at first thought. But the Red Sox really outmatch the Angles pretty heavily both in hitting and pitching.

The Angels and Red Sox are both tremendous teams for contact hitting � No. 4 and 5 in the league, respectively. However, the Red Sox have a lot more power to offer at the plate than the Angels. Boston has 42 more team home runs than Los Angeles, and they also have 47 more team RBIs.

The Red Sox are also one of the best teams when it comes to pitching in the Majors. If it weren't for the Padres, they'd probably be the best pitching team in the MLB.

Josh Beckett is not only Boston's ace, but he's also pretty heavily in the running for the AL Cy Young Award. In fact, I'll go as far to say he's my selection for the award.

But Beckett is far from it in Boston pitching.

There's also Curt Schilling, who has playoff experience. There's Daisuke Matsuzaka, who doesn't quite have that same experience but is a 14-game winner in his rookie year and does have some knowledge of how to play in big games. Tim Wakefield can be a dependable arm when the playoffs roll around. And while the Red Sox don't exactly have a sure-fire No. 5 to send out to the mound, that's not entirely necessary in the postseason.

Los Angeles does have the talent to put up a fight, though. John Lackey and Kelvim Escobar are 18- and 17-game winners, respectively. They can more than carry their own. Jered Weaver comes in as a decent third arm, though he's not as clutch as he was last season. But past him, nobody has been all that reliable this season. So, while the Red Sox have at least four starters capable of putting on good performances in the playoffs, the Angels have two or potentially three.

And as long as the Red Sox limit Eric Gagné's game action, I'd venture that Boston also has a better bullpen.

So, with hitting and pitching both favorable for Boston, the Red Sox move on to the ALCS in four games to play the Yankees, in my opinion.

The National League is a bit trickier to figure out since all of its divisions are still up in the air.

For the life of me, I never figured Philadelphia would pull out a realistic possibility of making the playoffs.

The Mets could have avoided this situation by not dropping their last four games to the likes of the Washington Nationals (who swept the Mets) and the Cardinals. While they lost those games, the Phillies managed to take two of three from the Atlanta Braves and three of four from the Nationals. Now, Phillies fans are pretty much growing crazy because one weekend can turn Philadelphia into a city of absolute insanity.

Maybe it's the pessimist in me, but I'm still not buying the Phillies' hype. I believe the Phillies are still the Phillies and will get as close as humanly possible without actually getting there. In other words, I still see no playoffs in Philadelphia.

But hey, this is as close as they've come in quite some time. There really is no strength in schedule between the Mets and Phillies. New York closes out in a three-game set against the Florida Marlins and Philadelphia plays three against Washington. And if any team has the momentum to get some wins, it's the Phillies, who have played better baseball lately.

So it's just going to be a wait-and-see process at this point. Every game matters. And if the Phillies can pull this out, just making the playoffs will be cause of celebration for the team's fans. And the uproar in New York over the Mets will be pretty intense and I'm sure we'll see many calls for Willie Randolph to be fired.

In the NL Central, a two-game lead would seem to be enough of a cushion for the Cubs to make the playoffs this year. With a season-ending series of three games against the Cincinnati Reds, it's not as if it's a very tall order either to end the season with some wins. And with the Brewers playing their final three games against the Padres, I'd say the Cubs have the strength in schedule, bar none. Anything can happen in this final weekend of games, but I'd be willing to bet Chicago has the NL Central wrapped up.

The NL West is a bit more open. It's not exactly the first place tie the NL East has, but Arizona has only one win in its last four games. Meanwhile, the Padres have won three of their last four. So, the Padres have a little bit more momentum, and are only one game back. The Padres close out the season against the Brewers, so that's going to be a tight series with two teams that have an agenda. But the Padres seem to have a strong shot at winning the series, which they are already one-game up in. The Diamondbacks, on the other hand, have to play the Colorado Rockies, which I think is a tougher opponent than Milwaukee.

So both teams are playing tough competition, but I think the Diamondbacks have it a bit harder. And so, I think the Padres will be able to somehow squeak out enough games to overcome the Diamondbacks' lead and take over the NL West.

I think Arizona will still make the playoffs as the Wild Card winner. But at this point, that would be a bit of a letdown.

WASHINGTON ― With his New York Mets teammates in the midst of a five-game losing streak and feeling the breath of the charging Philadelphia Phillies on their necks, Pedro Martinez strolls from the dugout to the left-field corner at RFK Stadium before a game with the Nationals last week. Adoring fans yell, "Pedro! Pedro!" as he makes his way toward the bullpen entrance and places his cleats on the outfield grass.
If Pedro is feeling the heat, he's masking it well. In Martinez's case, that might be the Yoda mask he threatens to pull from his locker for yuks.

Martinez strums along with Bryan Adams' Summer of '69, high-steppin' it along the way, then finishes his impromptu karaoke act with a make-believe pitch delivery.

By the time he bounces to the bullpen mound he's run his sprints, played long toss, dodged a batting practice fly ball into the pen and is ready for a 40-pitch side session.

If ever a team could use an ace in the hole, it's the New York Mets. As luck would have it, manager Willie Randolph's ace of diamonds appears to be rounding into form.

FIND MORE STORIES IN: MLB | Philadelphia Phillies | Pedro Martinez | Willie Randolph | Orlando Hernandez | Pedro J Martinez | Guy Conti
MARTINEZ, SIDELINED for nearly a year after shoulder surgery, is not only pitching but winning. Since his Sept. 3 return, he has become a huge part of the Mets' clubhouse and rotation.

Along with Tom Glavine, Orlando Hernandez and Billy Wagner, Martinez helps give the Mets a battle-tested pitching staff with experience and a track record to rival any team's in the postseason.

If the Mets can only get there.

The pressure of the pennant race is squarely on them. During last week's three-game series in Washington, they committed seven errors and blew four-run leads on consecutive nights.

It got worse in the first game of their final road series of the year when Jorge Sosa, subbing for Wagner (who had back spasms) as the closer, squandered a three-run lead in the ninth inning of an 8-7, 10-inning loss at Florida.

The Mets can't help but hear rumblings that they could become the first team to fritter away a seven-game division lead after Sept. 12. It doesn't help their cause that stalwarts Hernandez (bunion), Carlos Delgado (hip flexor), Moises Alou (quad) and Carlos Beltran (knee) have had injury issues.

So perhaps it's symbolic that a healthy Martinez helped them preserve their division lead with five innings of seven-strikeout ball at Florida Sept. 21. In his first four starts this season, Martinez was 3-0 with a 2.57 ERA.

Pennant push aside, for Pedro it's a relief just to be back in the majors. It's fun for him to be anywhere but Port St. Lucie, Fla., the Mets' spring training home that became rehabilitation central for Martinez.

"When you're in Port St. Lucie, my God, I don't wish that on anybody," he says. "I testify to everybody, stay healthy, pitch in the big leagues and don't go to Port St. Lucie."

Martinez had about had it with his rehab boot camp regimen as much as the humidity along Florida's east coast.

"Coming back to pitch erases all the (pain of) the hard work and makes you feel positive about it," he says. "My rehab was very long, very intense. It takes a lot out of you physically. I was never 'off' and I'm still not 'off.' You know what? I'm more beat up at this time than I would normally be. I'm probably as tired as the guy who's playing the whole season because my rehab is probably double the work I had to do if I didn't get hurt."

Chris Correnti, Martinez's personal trainer who was alongside Martinez during his heyday with the Boston Red Sox, has been his taskmaster, laying out the strength- and endurance-training regimen to get the three-time Cy Young Award winner back in pitching shape.

"They just committed to this with absolute determination ― and I'm talking four to five hours a day," says Mets bullpen coach Guy Conti, who also has been intimately involved in Martinez's rehab process. "This wasn't easy. It was major rehabilitation.

"He's doing something that no one's ever done. It's incredible. You've got elbow surgery named 'Tommy John.' They may name this 'Pedro Martinez' rotator-cuff (surgery). He's in uncharted territory. This usually takes 16 to 18 months to recover."

Not that Martinez was enthralled with his daily routine, which worked his entire body. There was plenty of leg work to accompany countless strength-building tugs on rubberized elastic tubing.

"What I did," Martinez says, "I'll switch any time ― the hard work and rehab against pitching a whole season. Believe me, I'll trade it without hesitation."

At 35, he says he wouldn't go through it again. "If anything goes wrong: Hasta la vista, baby," he says.

Martinez says the drain from rehabbing is mental as well as physical.

"You're working but you're also stranded in the same place. You're not moving. You're not winning ballgames, you're not doing anything ― just getting your body in shape. You look at it sometimes, and it (seems) for nothing. 'Where am I going? Am I going to Double-A or anywhere to pitch?' No, you're stranded for the next day and the next day, and the next day it's the same.

"They give you a day off, and you're getting ready for the next day to get beat up again. It's not easy. You don't get four days (between starts) where you just run and get your body in shape. No. It's beating up your body (with) what you're doing in rehab."

Conti kept in touch with Martinez via phone, if not in person.

"Every video I saw his arm coming up, higher and higher," Conti says. "He was freer and freer, looser and looser. So we knew he was on the right track.

"We had two other pitchers in Florida that I told, 'Get with Pedro for a couple of days and see what he does.' They said, 'We can't do this. This is too much.' They were amazed at what he was doing. But that's what he's done his whole life."

MARTINEZ OPTED FOR his surgery last October after it became painfully obvious he could not continue to pitch.

His return couldn't come at a more opportune time for his teammates. Even in his one no-decision in his four starts this season, Martinez held the Phillies to one run in six innings.

"When we came into the season, what we hoped for was (his addition) at the (July 31) trading deadline," Mets pitching coach Rick Peterson says. "If you could acquire one guy who could make an impact on your club and you could go out and acquire a healthy Pedro Martinez, I don't know if there would be anyone else at the top of that (wish) list."

Peterson says it's a little premature to assume that the wish has been granted.

"He's only had a handful of starts, but I think you can say that where he is right now, he feels great. His bullpens are great; his recovery stages are great, his ability to locate his pitches on both sides of the plate. You look at his competitive spirit and how he feels about himself ― about where he is."

Peterson says that watching Martinez enjoy himself while working himself back into shape is a barometer to gauge the success of his return.

"People who are Hall of Fame type people, No. 1, and Hall of Fame-type performers, No. 2, one of the skills that they have at the highest level is that they can evaluate themselves very accurately," he says. "They know where they are right now, where they want to go and where they want to be ― and Pedro is where he wants to be."

Martinez is probably his own harshest critic. He would like to be the pitcher who has gone 6-2 in the postseason, averaging more than a strikeout per inning. But he's also realistic.

"I'm not that close to the pitcher I used to be, but I can't really compare (to his performance in past seasons)," he says. "Remember the Pedro Martinez you used to see? I cannot even look at that right now because that would be pushing myself this year.

"You can't build in 11 months what you had for 14 to 15 years in the big leagues. It doesn't work that way."

But Martinez might not be that far away from his former self. Hall of Famer Don Sutton, a Nationals broadcaster, has followed Martinez's starts on TV and says that he's mixing speeds with all his pitches, the curveball, changeup and fastball that have been his bread-and-butter.

"Pedro had gone from 69 to 90 (mph) and touched every mileage," Sutton says. "All he's really got to do is get them to the backside of the ballgame and (because) I think they're set up very well down there (in the bullpen)."

Wagner says the Mets will take whatever Martinez has to offer.

"He's probably about 80% of what he's capable of doing," Wagner says, "but that 80% is probably better than most guys' 100%. He gives you that leadership, and he thrives on that competition. I think that helps him when he has to pitch that big game."

Conti says Martinez is still making progress.

"Every outing he's getting better," says Conti, who predicts the "real" Pedro won't re-emerge until eight starts into next season. "Every outing is part of a five-step plan. His final step will be against St. Louis (a likely start Sept. 27). At that point we'll evaluate everything."

THE METS HOPE TO evaluate their postseason rotation soon, too.

"We've got to make it first," Randolph says. "If he pitches the way he's pitched, he's going to be a big part of our rotation. Pedro has thrown the ball well his first few times out."

Mets general manager Omar Minaya doesn't downplay the impact of Martinez's return.

"It's huge," he says. "He is a charismatic, future Hall of Famer. He's a competitor, and he brings everybody else's game up."

Also important for the Mets is the intimidation factor Martinez brings and what his presence can do to psychologically alter a series.

Says Minaya: "The opposition knows, 'We've got to win today because we know we've got to face Pedro tomorrow.' "

Or Glavine. Martinez aside, perhaps the Mets' only given in the team's playoff rotation is the veteran left-hander, who was unbeaten since July 2 and had won 13 of 19 decisions heading into the season's final days.

The Mets can only hope for more solid outings from Oliver Perez, who delivered eight innings of two-run ball in Saturday's victory in Florida, and that they will have a healthy Hernandez and effective John Maine pitching in the playoffs.

Hernandez threw on flat ground Monday after the boot protecting his sore right foot was removed. He was day-to-day and a question mark for the postseason. Hernandez missed last year's postseason with a calf injury.

Maine was New York's best starting pitcher early in the season but has hit a rough stretch. He bottomed out with his start at RFK last week, surrendering career-highs in hits (11) and runs (eight), and he was unable to hold a 5-1 lead. Although he had won 14 games, that performance pushed his ERA above 4.00.

"If we get into the playoffs, we have some veteran pitchers that know and understand how to pitch in playoff games," Minaya says. "Those veterans know how to handle the moment. They don't get outside themselves. They know it's about making quality pitches and those guys ― they'll keep their emotions in check.

"I hope we get in because if we get in, I think we can be a good team in the playoffs."

Randolph refuses to panic. "I believe we're going to get it done," he says.

Randolph stuck with Maine, even when it was evident he didn't have his "A" game in the loss at Washington.

"He's one of our better pitchers, (so) you let him go, let him ride," Randolph said after the game. "The three-run homer (by Ronnie Belliard) happened fast. We were looking for a quality start ― six or seven innings. It didn't look like he was losing it. He just made some bad pitches at the wrong time."

Maine went 1-0 with a 2.63 ERA in three starts in last year's playoffs. He filled in as an emergency starter for Hernandez in Game 1 of the Division Series. The Mets won the game and the series, then advanced to Game 7 of the NL Championship Series, losing to the St. Louis Cardinals.

"You like experience," says Randolph, a postseason veteran as a player and coach with the New York Yankees. "You want guys who have been there and kind of done it a little. These guys know how to handle themselves. They have a certain feel for where they are."

Glavine has appeared in 24 postseason series, winning 14 games.

"Any time you can have a situation where you have guys that are proven winners and guys that have won in the postseason, that's a huge help," he says. "If you could have your choice of guys who are winners and experienced in the playoff situation vs. guys who are not, you're going to opt for that experience every time."

Martinez says he's going to do whatever it takes to be ready for October. His preparation work for each start far exceeds what he needed to do before his surgery.

"Before a game you have to do a lot more than you normally would do," he says. "After the game ― let's not even talk about it. You go home, go to sleep, and the next day you know you're going to get your body another beating.

"I wouldn't want to do it again. I'd much rather pitch here all six months, including October and November if I have to, but no more rehab."

WHEN THE METS WIN to escape D.C. with a 2 1/2-game lead on the Phillies in the National League East (a lead they had maintained entering the week), it's Martinez's voice that is heard bellowing around the cramped visiting clubhouse. "Five minutes," he yells. "Bus in five minutes."

As the clock ticks, reporters still crave comment on the end of the Mets' five-game losing streak and 8-4 victory crafted chiefly on the arms of rookie right-hander Mike Pelfrey and Sosa.

"I didn't pitch," Martinez reminds them. "All I did was practice. You want to talk to me about practice?"

Martinez buttons his fresh, white shirt over his sleeveless tee, slips into his finely-tailored traveling suit and reminds anyone within earshot that the bus now leaves in two minutes.

He also reminds a reporter that the Yoda mask remains within easy reach.