Thursday, September 24, 2015

HEADLINES:New York Mets Statements on Yogi Berra:

NEW YORK METS STATEMENT (Press Release) METS MEMORIES OF YOGI BERRA (Press Release) An Amazin' Man: Yogi Berra was once King of Queens for Mets (New York Daily

News) Don Larsen, Reggie Jackson, Cal Ripken, Tom Seaver lead tributes to Yogi

Berra (New York Daily News) Photo of last game at Shea shows Berra and Carter (New York Daily News) The greatest eight there ever was: Yogi Berra's career by the numbers (New

York Daily News) Willie Randolph on Yogi Berra: ‘Made me feel like I was a Yankee’ (New York

Daily News) Yogi Berra earned place in Mets history with one miracle run (New York Post) Yankees and Mets fans alike pay tribute to Yogi Berra (New York Post) Yogi Berra’s legacy: The most beloved man in baseball (New York Post) Berra on Mantle, DiMaggio, Yogi-isms in never-published Q&A (New York Post) Heartbroken Jeter, Hal, baseball world remember Yogi (New York Post) Bobby Richardson’s fondest Yogi memories: One came after brutal Series loss

(New York Post) It meant everything to see Yogi Berra smile: Willie Randolph (New York Post) Yogi Berra, New York Yankees legend, dies at 90 (Newsday)

Those who played for him recall Yogi Berra as being a players' manager (Newsday)

Yogi's Mets years remembered fondly (MLB.com) Baseball mourns passing of Yogi Berra (MLB.com) The city loses a big favorite, but it'll be all right (MLB.com) Mets honor Yogi Berra by holding moment of silence at Citi Field (PHOTO) (NJ

Advance Media) Mets' Curtis Granderson, Terry Collins remember Yogi Berra (NJ Advance

Media) Tom Seaver, Mets stars remember Yankees legend and 'utter delight' Yogi Berra

(NJ Advance Media) Mets remember Yogi Berra: He 'played a key part in our history' (NJ Advance

Media) Yogi Berra's most memorable quote came as Mets manager (NJ Advance Media)

Mets Fall to Braves, 6-3, But Magic Number Reduced to Five: Rapid Reaction: Braves 6, Mets 3 (ESPNNewYork.com) Mets' David Wright 'angry' at Braves' Freddie Freeman, 'but more in a playful

way' (ESPNNewYork.com) Mets lose to Braves again, not making clinching NL East easy on themselves

(New York Daily News) Mets captain David Wright has no issues with Freddie Freeman (New York Daily

News) Mets end dreadful homestand with another loss to lowly Braves (New York Post) Curses! Freddie Freeman gets the better of the Mets — again (New York Post) Where it all went wrong for the Mets and Bartolo Colon (New York Post) Mets fall to Braves, but magic number is reduced to five (Newsday) Braves’ Freddie Freeman Reprises His Role as a Mets Nemesis (New York

Times) Mets stumble late, but magic number cut to 5 (MLB.com) Bartolo Colon flirts with perfect game, but Mets fall to Atlanta Braves, 6-3 | Rapid

reaction (NJ Advance Media) David Wright, Freddie Freeman engage in 'competitive banter' during Mets' loss

to Atlanta Braves (NJ Advance Media) Sore wrist doesn't stop Braves' Freeman from driving in 5 (Associated Press)

Other Mets News: Morning Briefing: Nationals can't take advantage of Mets' poor homestand

(ESPNNewYork.com) Cal Ripken Jr. says Mets pitcher Matt Harvey is in 'no-win situation' (New York

Daily News) Daily News Sports Talk Podcast: Cal Ripken Jr. and Ron Darling talk Matt

Harvey and innings limits (New York Daily News) Mets’ backing-into-playoff approach is dangerous (New York Post) Terry Collins says Mets need to get back to being patient at the plate (Newsday) Mets' bullpen has tough time on homestand (MLB.com)

Rookie Matz can move Mets closer in Cincinnati (MLB.com) Experienced Colon should start in postseason (MLB.com) Mets notes: Bats are quiet (The Record) Mets injury report: How're Juan Uribe, Carlos Torres doing? (NJ Advance Media) Mets prospect Gavin Cecchini talks breakout season, Arizona Fall League (NJ

Advance Media) How does Mets' Terry Collins feel about being a candidate for National League

Manager of the Year? (NJ Advance Media) Autumn Arrives at Citi Field (The New Yorker)

FULL ARTICLES:

METS STATEMENTS ON YOGI BERRANEW YORK METS STATEMENTNew York Mets Press Release

‘Yogi Berra was a baseball legend who played a key part in our history. He was kind, compassionate and always found a way to make people laugh. With us he was a player, coach and managed the 1973 'Ya Gotta Believe' team to the National League pennant. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family."

METS MEMORIES OF YOGI BERRANew York Mets Press Release

TOM SEAVER“They threw away the mold in regards to Yogi. He was one of a kind. He loved the game. As a manager, he never tried to complicate things. He let his players play. He respected what you did on the field. He was an utter delight to be around.” JERRY KOOSMAN“He was a true gentleman. As a manager he was very, very reassuring. When things were bad, he always stayed positive.” RUSTY STAUB“He did so much good for so many people in this world. Every time I think of Yogi I have a smile on my face. That’s the effect he had on people.” ED KRANEPOOL“Yogi was a fun-loving guy who never had an enemy in the world. I dressed next to him for 10 years when I was with the Mets. He was on one side and Joe Torre was on the other. He was a special man.”

An Amazin' Man: Yogi Berra was once King of Queens for MetsMICHAEL O’KEEFE, JOHN HARPER, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

The Mets, down two runs in a 1965 game against the Cincinnati Reds, had loaded the bases when rookie Ron Swoboda came to the plate.

Swoboda hit a long fly that hit a wooden extension the Reds had erected on top of Crosley Field's cement outfield wall to block the glare from construction lights on a nearby highway. Balls that hit the wooden extension were supposed to be home runs, but the umpires called it a hit instead of a grand slam.

Yogi Berra, then the Mets' first base coach, screamed loud and long before he was. Reporters gathered round him after the game - Swoboda remembers the Mets lost by two runs - and asked him what he had said to the umpires to earn the ejection.

"He said, 'If you couldn't hear the ball hit the wood, then you must be blind," Swoboda says.

Berra, who died Tuesday at the age of 90, will rightfully always be remembered as a Yankee icon.

But the Hall of Fame catcher and New York fan favorite also spent a decade with the Mets as a player, coach and manager - and helped turn a team of losers into a contender that went to two World Series in four years.

Berra, in fact, coined one of his most famous Yogiisms - "It ain't over 'til it's over - when he led the barely .500 Mets and to a seven-game World Series against the mighty Oakland A's in 1973.

"It was sometime fairly late in the season when so many people thought we had no chance," says Rusty Staub, who was one of the stars of the 1973 team despite suffering injuries for much of the season. "Everybody appreciated the fact that Yogi refused to say it was over, and I think we believed it when he said it."

Berra joined the Mets in 1965 after the Yankees fired him as their manager after the 1964 World Series and although he was hired as a coach, he appeared in four games for his new team that year. The Mets gave him a locker next to Ed Kranepool, who wound up dressing next to the baseball great for seven seasons until when Berra was named as the Mets manager in 1972.

According to Kranepool, Berra was a powerful antidote to the frustration many Mets players felt in the 1960s, when the club regularly lost 100 games a season.

"Yogi brought his own winning tradition from the Yankees," Kranepool remembers. "That was important for a losing team. It's difficult to go to the ballpark when you lose all the time. Yogi was always upbeat, always positive. He wouldn't let you feel sorry for yourself."

Berra was a member of manager Gil Hodges’ coaching staff when the Mets shocked the world by winning the 1969 World Series. He took the helm when Hodges died in 1972.

The injury-plagued Mets struggled through most of the 1973 season and were 11 ½ games out of first place in early August. But Berra's team surged late in the season, winning 21 of their last 29 games to win the National League East despite a milquetoast 82-79 season. The Mets beat the Big Red Machine to reach the World Series, where they lost to the A’s in 7.

Berra was fired as the Mets manager in August 1975 despite compling a 56-53 record. He returned to the Yankees as a coach, just in time to help George Steinbrenner's Bombers win three straight American League titles.

But former Yankee public relations executive Marty Appel says Berra didn't think about himself as a figure in some kind of baseball drama.

"When Yogi returned to the Yankees in 1976, people would say, 'Is it good to be back?' And Yogi would say, 'Yeah, you only have to pay one toll to get to the Bronx.'"

Don Larsen, Reggie Jackson, Cal Ripken, Tom Seaver lead tributes to Yogi BerraNEW YORK DAILY NEWS

“He was always there for you in the game. Oh, yes, I'll miss him. Anybody would miss Yogi. It was a lot of fun when he jumped in my arms. I thought something was going to happen there. I enjoyed that. We had good times together. It was always fun being around him and with him."

Don Larsen, the Yankee pitcher who worked with Berra for his perfect game in the 1956 World Series:

****

"My family and I very much mourn the passing of Yogi Berra. We of course admired Yogi's contribution to the game. And Yogi and his beloved Carmen and I enjoyed a lasting relationship -- often greeting each other through the years with a humorous exchange of "He was out"/ "He was safe" related to that first game of the 1955 World Series. I extend my love and deepest sympathy to Dale, Tim and Larry and their families. Farewell, dear Yogi."

Rachel Robinson, widow of baseball pioneer Jackie Robinson

****

"Just a great person. He had a seven-year stretch where he was first, second or third in the most valuable player award (voting). That's how I would define him as a player. As a person -- everybody loved Yogi. There were no bad words said about Yogi, and that was because of his character and personality. He had a confidence like all great people, but he never presented it with arrogance, he never presented it with cockiness. The person he exemplified -- every person that met Yogi had admiration for his character and his heart. He goes straight to heaven, straight to 'go.' If God had an example of how to be an exemplary human being, there would definitely be a picture of Yogi. It's not a sad day. It's a day to acknowledge him and a day for

him to be where he should be -- next to God. We watched him and interacted with him and hopefully we've learned something from him along the way."

Reggie Jackson

****

"My favorite Yogi moment was in my first year in '03. We went on a road trip and I must have had a good game on the road and when I got back, I show up at my locker at the Stadium and Yogi was waiting for me. He said, 'Kid, you had a great game. I was watching.' I was like, 'Wow, Yogi knows how I'm doing. I just got a compliment!' I was blown away.

"A lot of Yankee greats are around and it's intimidating and awe-inspiring, but when you're around Yogi for an extended time, he was comfortable to be around.

"Then I also remember in spring training he'd be there and he'd watch the catching drills and whoever was running them would ask his opinion or if he had anything to add. We make things so complicated and overanalyze them, but with Yogi, he was always easy and old-school. It was refreshing to deal with him.

"It was a treat, it really was."

John Flaherty, former Yankee catcher (2003-05) and current YES Network analyst:

****

"My favorite memories of Yogi were from the field. He would be walking around the hallways or stop in the food room and stop me with the same greeting: 'How's it going, slim?' I never understood why - I'm not that tall or skinny, but maybe he thought I was tall compared to him. It would always put a smile on my face. It was always great to see him every time he came around.

"He was always great to the young players, always had a joke to share or a great story to tell. He was nice and respectful to everyone and he brought a great positivity to the clubhouse. He's a legend, so it was just nice to be in his presence.

"I felt like we were instant friends the first time I met him. I felt like I've been around him my whole life. That's how comfortable he made you feel.

"He wasn't the biggest guy, but I wish I'd had been around to see him play. He must have been the toughest, hard-nosed competitor ever. It seems like everyone says he was a bad-ball hitter, which sounds like a nightmare to face."

David Robertson, former Yankees closer

****

"It's a sad day for everyone. It's like losing a parent. You know the end is in sight, and that the last days are nearing, and even though you prepare for it, you're never prepared for it. Yogi was Yogi. He was a character. One of the great highlights in my whole life was meeting Yogi -- I had never met him before I came to the Yankees. Growing up a Yankee fan in Colorado, we didn't

have any major league teams then. The Yankees were the team and Yogi, of course, was a big part of those teams. I often think back on how great it would have been to play on those Yankee teams (in late '40s, '50s and '60s). Ten rings - I mean, you just shake your head. Getting to know him, playing golf with him -- every little conversation you had with him he would come up with a Yogi-ism. One funny story, I was in the back of the plane with (Graig) Nettles one time and Yogi came back to make sure we weren't tearing up the plane or anything. Nettles was going to be a free agent that winter. Yogi came back -- he would always have a couple cocktails with us -- and he asked Nettles about re-signing with Yankees and what kind of money he was looking for. And Nettles said, 'Ah, hell Yogi, just your ear full of nickels and I'll sign,' because Yogi had those big ears. Yogi touched all of our lives and we all loved him dearly. A very, very sad day."

Goose Gossage

***

"Yogi was the Hall of Famer I wanted most to see and sit with. We laughed! We loved each other! It was a bond. A very big void will occur at the next ceremony."

Johnny Bench

****

"Yogi was a not just a Hall of Famer, he was a very special guy. When Yogi spoke, everyone was quiet and hung on every word. He owned the room. He was a legendary figure and will be missed by all of us baseball fans."

Cal Ripken Jr.

****

"We've lost Yogi, but we will always have what he left for us: the memories of a lifetime filled with greatness, humility, integrity and a whole bunch of smiles. He was a lovable friend."

Joe Torre

***

"They threw away the mold in regards to Yogi. He was one of a kind. He loved the game. As a manager, he never tried to complicate things. He let his players play. He respected what you did on the field. He was an utter delight to be around."

Tom Seaver

***

"He was a true gentleman. As a manager he was very, very reassuring. When things were bad, he always stayed positive."

Jerry Koosman

***

"He did so much good for so many people in this world. Every time I think of Yogi I have a smile on my face. That's the effect he had on people."

Rusty Staub

***

"Yogi was a fun-loving guy who never had an enemy in the world. I dressed next to him for 10 years when I was with the Mets. He was on one side and Joe Torre was on the other. He was a special man."

Ed Kranepool

***

"Yogi Berra was an American original - a Hall of Famer and humble veteran; prolific jokester and jovial prophet. He epitomized what it meant to be a sportsman and a citizen, with a big heart, competitive spirit, and a selfless desire to open baseball to everyone, no matter their background. Michelle and I offer our deepest condolences to his family, his friends, and his fans in New York and across the world."

President Barack Obama

***

"We paid tribute to Yogi this morning in our team meeting. We recognized him. I've had an opportunity to meet and be in Yogi's company. Yogi was a very, very nice man, nice to meet, always gracious. I always look at him as a terrific representative of those great Yankee years. I asked Eli (Manning) about him, too, and Eli said he was a very nice man.

"But to imagine the player that he was. I remember him as a kid, obviously. Can you imagine what he accomplished - three MVP's, 10 world championships. How many batting titles? He was unbelievable. And not a big man. He swung that bat and he had that classic (routine) in the on-deck circle the way he did that then threw the bat off to the side. It was a classic.

"And he was in D-Day. He and Joe Garagiola were neighbors in St. Louis when they were kids. But how magnificent for a young kid like that. And the fact that he could stick to his business all those years, when quite frankly, others weren't. And he was devoted to his wife Carmen. He lost her last year. But what a sports icon he was. Did his talking on the baseball field, and that was the key.

"When I was a kid, I was a Dodgers fan. But it was always the Yankees on television. My grandfather, who lived with us, he was a Yankees fan, so the black and white set was always on, it was always the Yankees. So I knew them all."

Tom Coughlin, Giants head coach

***

"He used to walk around the Yankee clubhouse naked. Any clubhouse. That was his M.O. And it was not a pretty picture. The word Sharpei comes to mind. Picture Yogi top to bottom.

He was a great player, we tend to forget that. And Such a nice person.

He was royalty. He was one of those people that go beyond the next level. It's the country's loss.

He had what? A 8th grade education? But he was educated in baseball and how to be nice to people.

Hated to see him without his wife, but their together now."

Rick Cerrone, rormer Yankee Catcher

***

"Yogi as an icon but I never once observed him being disrespectful or short or curt with anyone. He was such a nice man. Yogi was the manager when the Yankees drafted me and the club brought me to the Stadium after I signed. I walked into Yogi's office and he could not have been nicer even though I was a kid just out of high school. He made a reference to a high school game in which I had 32 strike outs (in 13 innings) and said 'Were you able to lift your arm for a week after that?'

"I'm 6-3 and Yogi was maybe 5-8, and he looked me over and said 'You are big enough, you better be able to pitch.' He posed for pictures with my family. That day will always be emblazoned in my mind. Yogi could not have been nicer."

Al Leiter, former Yankee and Mets pitcher, YES broadcaster:

****

"It's just a sad day. We're losing a great man and I'm losing a great friend. He was always a very good friend of mine. All I know is every time I hear the word 'baseball,' I think of Yogi."

Ron Guidry

***

"What an honor it was to have rubbed shoulders with Yogi. He embraced me from the first day I met him. Heck, he embraced everyone he met. Yogi loved talking baseball and sharing stories, and I was always excited to hear them. He was a special man who brought smiles to the faces of an awful lot of people.

He served our country with honor, and I can't think of a better ambassador to have represent this game.

He will be sorely missed, and my heart goes out to his family during this difficult time."

Joshua Raymond, left, holds his son, Max Raymond, 9, while paying their respects at a statue of former New York Yankees hall of fame catcher Yogi Berra outside of the Yogi Berra Museum,

Andy Pettitte

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"When you were around Yogi, he had a way of bringing out the best in you. He made you feel good inside. That was his gift to so many of us, and why people always tended to gravitate to him. I don't care what team you play for or what team you root for, if you love baseball, then you love Yogi Berra.

My prayers go out to Yogi's family, and to the countless people he touched over the years."

Jorge Posada

***

"Yogi Berra was my wonderful, long-time friend. Not only a teammate a lot of my career, but my manager in 1964.

What can I say about Yogi? He was a friend and a wonderful clutch hitter. He had so many accolades in the world of baseball that it is almost impossible to realize how many. He was a World War II veteran and a great friend. It's a deep loss."

Bobby Richardson

***

"At the end of his life Phil was in a rehab facility in New Jersey and Yogi would visit him twice a week. He would come every Thursday and then Saturday or Sunday. He would kiss Phil before he would leave and tell him that he loved him. He would feed him and hold his hand as they watched Yankee games together. Yogi didn't want anybody to know. They truly loved each other. They were like brothers."

Spencer Lader, sports memorabilia dealer who worked with Phil Rizzuto when he sold his 1950 MVP award and other memorabilia in 2006:

***

"I'm a big Yankees fan. I didn't see him play, but I've seen a lot of highlights and old games on classic networks. And from everything I hear about him, he was an outstanding player and an outstanding human being."

Todd Bowles, New York Jets coach

***

"One of the great legacies of the game and one of the great, tremendous people. My time with Houston I got to know Yogi. He had a great relationship with Matt Galante and (Craig) Biggio. Everything that they say is true: a wonderful man, tremendous player. The game's not as good as it once was today."

Terry Collins, New York Mets manager

Photo of last game at Shea shows Berra and CarterPAUL LIOTTA, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

We've lost two of the greats.

The photo of Yogi Berra and Gary Carter at the last game at Shea Stadium on September 28, 2008 shows two of the game's greatest catchers seeing the stadium they called home for one last time.

All the Mets greats were out that day including Daryl Strawberry, Rusty Staub and long-time announcer Ralph Kiner.

Sadly, the Mets lost the game to the Florida Marlins in the second-straight late season collapse that saw them miss the playoffs.

However, the postgame ceremony was a happier occasion with Mets greats return to say farewell to the beloved stadium after the Mets played there for 44 years.

The ceremony concluded with each player touching home plate and a final pitch from Seaver to Piazza.

Even though the Mets had collapsed again, that ceremony helped fans remember a better time.

Carter played for the Mets from 1985-'89 and was a major contributor to the 1986 World Series championship. He died in 2012 of brain cancer at the age of 57

Berra played four games with the New York Mets in the 1965 season, but would later go on to be a major contributor to the young franchise as a coach and manager.

Berra played 4 games early in the '65 season with his last at bat coming on May 9 of that year. From there he was a Mets coach for the next 8 years, including the 1969 World Series.

He was promoted to manager in 1972 after the sudden death of Gil Hodges in spring training.

Berra would continue to coach with the Mets until the 1975 season. He would continue his career, returning to the Yankees as a coach and manager, and later going on to manage the Houston Astros.

Yogi Berra died Tuesday night at the age of 90

The greatest eight there ever was: Yogi Berra's career by the numbersSCOTT CHIUSANO, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Yogi Berra captured the hearts of fans with his unique wit and charm, as well as his presence behind the plate.

In memory of the beloved Yankees catcher, here is a look back at his career in eight numbers.

.285

Yogi's career batting average dropped off due to some unproductive years towards the end of his playing days, but he was above or near .300 for the majority of his 19-year career.

In his first 11 seasons in the league, his lowest mark was .272 in 1955.

10

From 1947-1953, the Yankees had a monopoly on World Series rings, and Yogi was right in the thick of it.

As a player, manager and coach for the Yankees and Mets, Yogi won 11 pennants between 1960 and 1985.

He compiled 10 World Series titles as a player, including five consecutive ones between 1949 and 1953.

This is the highest count for any player in MLB history, one ahead of another Yankee legend, Joe DiMaggio.

67

This is Yogi's height (in inches), which is surprising for a guy who had some pop in his bat.

Reportedly the shortest current MLB player is Jose Altuve at 5-foot-6.

While baseball players tend to be taller now than they were in Yogi's day, the beloved Yankee catcher is lucky he never had to stare down Randy Johnson. The height differential between the two would have been 15 inches.

30

Not known for being the most fleet of foot, this was Yogi's career stolen bases total.

He was by no means the slowest of catchers in MLB history, though. His numbers put gold-glover Bengie Molina - who stole just three bases over a 13-year career - to shame.

XXIII

Yogi once met Pope John XXIII, and shared a memorable moment with the pontiff that he recalled in an interview.

This is how Berra remembered the conversation:

Yogi: "You know, he must read the papers a lot, because he said, 'Hello, Yogi.'"

Reporter: "And what did you say?"

Yogi: "I said, 'Hello, Pope.'"

11

Between 1960 and 1985, this is the number of pennants for which the New York Yankees and Mets combined (granted; only two of them can be credited to the Mets).

Yogi was a player, coach or manager in every single one of those pennant races.

8

This number will forever conjure up memories of Yogi.

His jersey was retired by the Yankees in 1972, only seven years after he stopped playing baseball.

Berra also won his first AL MVP award on November 8th, 1951.

9

On May 9, 1965, Yogi made his last appearance in a major league game.

He did it as a player-coach with the Mets, and he was three days away from turning 40 at the time.

Willie Randolph on Yogi Berra: ‘Made me feel like I was a Yankee’ANTHONY MCCARRON, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

The last memory is what Willie Randolph is trying to cling to through the sadness about Yogi Berra’s death, the pain of missing the man Randolph says “always treated me like he had known me forever.”

Randolph was seated at a table with Berra during Berra’s annual golf tournament over the summer, a charity event to benefit the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center. Randolph and the others there tried to get their friend to laugh and did, delighting when they heard the Yankee great’s deep heh, heh.

“That’s what I want to keep in my mind,” Randolph said Wednesday in a telephone interview. “Sitting there, across the table, getting him to smile a bit and laugh. It made my year.”

Randolph was bereft when he heard of Berra’s death late Tuesday night. “I couldn’t sleep,” he said. “I was talking to (Ron) Guidry about him this morning. We’ve been tight for years. It hit me like a ton of bricks, even though I knew he was struggling.”

Berra first coached Randolph with the Yankees in 1976, when Randolph was “a baby, 21 years old.” Berra, Randolph says, was one of the people who “made me feel like I was a Yankee.

“He had a way of making everyone feel they were important,” Randolph added. “He was always hanging with Elston Howard. I’m sitting there looking at these iconic figures. I can’t believe I’m in their presence. They took me under their wing.”

Randolph brightened while sharing Berra stories, chuckling as he recounted the time the rookie shared a taxi with the legend. He was stunned when the cab pulled up to old Comiskey Park in Chicago and Berra hopped out, leaving Randolph to pay the driver. Berra turned back and gave Randolph a devilish laugh and now Randolph relishes telling the story.

Forever, Randolph says, Berra called him, “Shorty.” Randolph sometimes replied, “Hey, Yogi, I’m taller than you!” Randolph wasn’t sure why he got the nickname. “But it stuck,” Randolph said. “That’s the way he always addressed me. It was our little thing, I guess.”

Berra occasionally got kidded because he never had the most athletic build. “Weird body,” Randolph called it.

“People used to say, ‘You’re the great Yogi Berra?’ Randolph said. “But then he’d shake your hand and you’d be on your knees. It was like putting your hand in a vise. He’d be laughing. He had those big, old freaking meat cleavers, I used to call them.

“He always had fun, always made you feel comfortable.”

When Randolph left the Yankees to become the Mets’ manager – Berra had managed both teams – the icon made a point of going to sit with Randolph in his office during Subway Series games, either at Shea or the Stadium.

“I’d say, ‘Sure you’re not going to get in trouble with George (Steinbrenner)?’ Randolph said. “He’d sit there and talk baseball. He knew he was supporting me even though I was on the other side now, if you will. It touched me to no end that he thought of me as a friend.”

Randolph says he’ll be the co-chairman along with Guidry for the next golf tournament to benefit Yogi’s museum. It’s “an honor” to be part of keeping the man’s legacy going, Randolph said.

“I was hoping and praying silently that he’d be there to see another year,” Randolph said.

“Now he’s with (wife) Carmen. Rest in peace, Yogi.”

Yogi Berra earned place in Mets history with one miracle runDAN MARTIN, NEW YORK POST

Yogi Berra will always be remembered for wearing one shade of Pinstripes, but he also left a legacy on the other side of town.

The Hall-of-Fame catcher, who passed away Tuesday night at the age of 90, played the final four games of his career with the Mets in 1965 and was on the coaching staff for a decade.

As manager, he led the 1973 Mets to the National League pennant, knocking off the Big Red Machine in the NLCS before falling to the A’s in seven games in the World Series.

“He wasn’t scientific, but he had a wealth of knowledge,” said Ed Kranepool, whose locker was next to Berra’s at Shea Stadium for nearly a decade. “It was like with Casey [Stengel], the things he said may have sounded strange, but when you thought about them, they made a lot of sense. And he wasn’t a disciplinarian. If you did your job, he let you do your job.”

Berra’s path to the manager’s job in Queens was sudden and unexpected.

Gil Hodges died of a heart attack at the end of spring training in 1972 and the Mets turned to Berra, which was a relief for a team still reeling from Hodges’ death.

“It was a hard thing to deal with,” Jerry Koosman said by phone Wednesday. “It wasn’t like we could stop and mourn for a year. We had to play. Yogi took over and gave us a sense of quiet and confidence that we could keep going. He was the best person for the job.”

Berra had been with the Mets since 1965 when he joined his old manager Casey Stengel’s staff after being let go by the Yankees following a loss in the 1964 World Series.

“He was an icon, even then,” Koosman said.

And when the team asked him to be a player/coach, Berra agreed and went 2-for-9.

“I think they were looking for publicity,” Kranepool said. “He got two hits one game, but he realized he couldn’t do it anymore. Yogi wasn’t one to embarrass anyone and he also wasn’t someone to be embarrassed, so that was it.”

His “laid-back, winning attitude” suited the Mets well, according to Koosman, especially in the 1973 season, when they were riddled with injuries and in last place as late as Aug. 30.

It was midway through the season that Berra said “It ain’t over til it’s over.”

Still, the Mets were 11½ games behind in the NL East on Aug. 5, but finished the season with 21 wins in their last 29 games to capture the division title despite a record of 82-79 and went on to make a memorable playoff run.

“It was a tremendous comeback,” said Rusty Staub, who came to the Mets in a trade right before the 1972 season began, nearly coinciding with Hodges’ death. “Yogi was a great guy to play for. A great person, period.”

Berra was able to stay positive despite numerous injuries and the rotation of Koosman, Tom Seaver, Jon Matlack and George Stone ignited the comeback.

“It was the most exciting six weeks of my career,” Staub said.

Berra was fired on Aug. 5, 1975 despite a 56-53 record and later went on to become a coach with the Astros.

Staub thought it was fitting that the Pope would be visiting New York City so soon after Berra’s death.

“The Pope might be the only man more loved than Yogi,” Staub said.

“You can’t replace him,” Kranepool said. “It’s the end of an era.”

Yankees and Mets fans alike pay tribute to Yogi BerraDAN BURKE, NEW YORK POST

Midweek foot traffic at the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center is typically light. But Wednesday was not a typical day.

During a week when people from all over the country will flock to New York City hoping to catch a glimpse of Pope Francis, baseball fans from near and far made a pilgrimage of their own to the campus of Montclair State University in Little Falls, N.J., upon learning that Berra, the Yankee icon, had died late Tuesday night at the age of 90.

“I came here today because my heart told me to,” said Bob Groder, a 57-year-old Mets fan from Springfield, N.J., who although a Montclair State alum, had never been to the museum until Wednesday afternoon. “Yogi just stands for kindness and respect. You want respect in life. He gave it. He got it. He was just one of those types of people. … He played in the era when baseball was baseball.”

A steady flow of fans — of the Yankees, of the Mets, of baseball, and of Berra — passed through the 17-year-old museum, which waived its normal admission fee in Berra’s memory. Outside, workers hustled to erect an American flag backdrop behind the statue of Berra that, by midafternoon, had been surrounded with flowers and memorabilia including a baseball, a Yankees cap, and, curiously, a Bobby Richardson trading card. Two bouquets — one carnations, the other roses — rested in the statue’s left arm.

Among those who came bearing gifts were Joshua Raymond and his 9-year-old son, Max, of North Caldwell. Raymond, 46, met Berra when he was 18 and organized a fundraiser at Montclair Kimberley Academy to help fight Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Raymond keeps a photo of himself and Berra, taken in Berra’s dining room, in his cellphone.

“Yogi was very important to me,” he said. “I have always been a big fan, not just because he was a Yankee but because of what he did to help me. Yogi came, he signed autographs and he donated his time.

“I have been here before but it’s been a long time. I wanted to be here today just to pay my respects to the family and to Yogi.”

John Tabor, who was raised in New Jersey, made the trip from Lake Worth, Fla., but the timing was more coincidence than anything. He said he had been planning the trip for about a week.

“He was my favorite player,” said Tabor, 63. “More than Don Mattingly. More than Derek Jeter. … I was hoping he’d go on for a few more years. He had a fantastic career. No one can take that away from him.

“Ninety years. He had a good run.”

David Kaplan, the museum’s director of programs, said he saw Berra earlier Tuesday.

“I’m relieved he’s not in any discomfort anymore,” he said. “He died peacefully in his sleep and I’m glad for that.”

Kaplan said the museum received emails from all over the country once Berra’s death was announced.

“The outpouring has just been outstanding,” he said. “We knew he touched a lot of lives, but nothing like this. … He really transcended the sport. He goes beyond that. He’s one of the few people you can say that about.”

Said Groder: “It’s like losing a member of the family.”

Yogi Berra’s legacy: The most beloved man in baseballMIKE VACCARO, NEW YORK POST

There are a million stories, and you will hear all of them, and you will want to hear more of them, because when a quintessential American such as Yogi Berra reaches his final reward, there are simply not enough hours in the days that follow to properly celebrate, and commemorate.

This was always my favorite, because it says so much about who Lawrence Peter Berra, who died late Tuesday at age 90 — precisely 69 years to the day after making his debut for the Yankees with two hits and a home run — was. And will remain, in memory, for as long as good men are remembered.

For years, Berra could never understand why fellow baseball immortal Bob Feller never seemed to like him. It placed Feller in a distinct minority, of course. You might have been a Red Sox or a Dodgers fan, and never cared for how Berra used to batter your pitchers one bad ball at a time. Maybe you were a Mets fan, and never much appreciated Yogi’s unorthodox ways as the manager of your club.

But who didn’t LIKE Yogi Berra?

Feller, it turns out. And Yogi, who liked being liked, finally asked him one day, point-blank: “Bob, why don’t you like me?”

Feller, maybe one of the bluntest men ever born, said: “You never served your country. I can’t respect a man like that.”

And all Yogi could do was laugh, before telling Feller he was wrong. Not only had Yogi served, he had been a gunner’s mate in the English Channel on the morning of June 6, 1944. He didn’t storm Omaha Beach, but he could sure see it. He wasn’t close enough to see the blue German uniforms, but he could sure hear the damage they were inflicting.

“Good thing,” he would tell me 59 years later, “or else I guess even a kid like me woulda had to be frightened.”

Berra was 19 years old that day. He’d batted .253 for the Norfolk Tars of the Class B Piedmont League the year before. It was hard to even call him a prospect yet. Or, as Yogi himself would put it: “I guess you could say I hadn’t become who I became.”

“I was just a young guy doing what he was supposed to do back then, joining the Navy, serving my country, fighting the war. I wasn’t a baseball player on that boat. I was a sailor.”

Feller was stunned. He’d never been shy about relating his own experiences in the war. Why had Yogi never expounded on his? Yogi told him more: about the 15 days he spent on that 36-foot-long Landing Craft Support Small rocket boat; about how his base ship, the USS Hayfield, was Dwight Eisenhower’s nautical headquarters during the invasion.

When the shooting started, he’d stood straight up in the boat like he was blocking home plate, only to have an officer ask him in the nicest possible way if he wanted to keep his squat body free of holes, just as his throwing hand was grazed by a machine-gunner’s bullet.

“Me and Bob,” Berra grinned, “we were good after that.”

That is what we will remember most about Yogi: his modesty, his humility, his willingness — his desire — to remain one of us even as he lived the final 65 or so years of his life as one of the most famous names, faces and personalities on Planet Earth. He liked things on this side of life’s velvet rope, a visible member of the Montclair, NJ, community, blending in at his sons’ high school football and baseball games, occasionally thrilling visitors to his museum with a handshake and a hello.

He was that rare Yankee who was also beloved by Mets fans, the only man to manage both teams to the World Series, losing Game 7 both times. He was that rare Yankee who was unmoved by George Steinbrenner’s whims and wealth, staying away from Yankee Stadium for 14 years after Steinbrenner fired him 16 games into the 1985 season after promising him a full year.

Steinbrenner lacked the courage to fire Berra himself, and that was a cowardice Yogi couldn’t brook. So he stayed away. For a while, it looked like it might be a permanent boycott, until Steinbrenner made the pilgrimage to the Yogi Berra Museum in early January 1999, extended a hand and an apology, and Yogi shook it and took it.

“People all over the world know him,” Steinbrenner said that day. “And few guys can say, ‘I was a Yankee and I was Yogi Berra.’ He belongs with us.”

And Yogi remained, as always, Yogi. Joe DiMaggio would die a few weeks later, so when Berra arrived for Opening Day, a rainy, raw day, it was pointed out to him that he was now, by acclamation, the Greatest Living Yankee, a title DiMaggio had always worn like an emperor’s sash.

“No,” Yogi said. “I was just a ballplayer. Not a legend or anything like that, like Joe or Mickey. I just played ball.”

He played ball. He sold millions of gallons of Yoo-Hoo. He owned a bowling alley with his fellow Jersey Yankee, Phil Rizzuto. He won 10 championships as a player, was a coach on the ’69 Mets and the ’77-’78 Yankees, even brought a playoff berth to Houston during a brief foray with the Astros working for his friend, John McMullen, who called Yogi “the greatest good luck charm ever.”

Hanna-Barbera insisted it did not name the character Yogi Bear for Yogi Berra, as implausible as that seems. For a time, Yogi asked for a hearing in court, but ultimately withdrew because the cartoonists insisted it was mere coincidence. And he believed them.

He was a baseball Zelig in so many ways, for so many moments: for Jackie Robinson’s steal of home in the ’55 World Series (into eternity, Yogi will swear he was out); for Bill Mazeroski’s forever blast five years later (as the left fielder, he had the best — or worst — view). He jumped

into Don Larsen’s arms, and 43 years later, he stood and cheered when David Cone threw his own perfecto — on Yogi Berra Day, of course.

Once, with Allie Reynolds about to pitch his second no-hitter of the 1951 season, Yogi circled under a Ted Williams foul pop-up that would’ve been the 27th out. He dropped it, and he was crestfallen.

“Jeez, Allie,” Yogi said, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry, Yogi,” Reynolds said. “We’ll get him again.”

And damned if they didn’t do just that, popping Williams up again. Yogi caught it that time. Because even on those days when things didn’t go just right for him, there always seemed to be someone looking out for the kid from The Hill in St. Louis. On the field. In the dugout. All the way back to the USS Hayfield on June 6, 1944.

Let’s finish this with the day I got my very own Yogi-ism. He was telling so many of the stories he’d told almost nobody until Bob Feller dragged them out of him. And it turns out that in 2004, on the 60th anniversary of D-Day, France sent a delegation to the Yogi Berra Museum in Montclair to say thank you for his small part.

“Have you ever been to Normandy?” I’d asked.

“Why?” Yogi said, shrugging his shoulders. “I was already there.”

Anyway, on the special day, speeches were given, wreaths presented, hugs exchanged.

“And then the leader of the delegation, he kissed me,” Yogi said. “He gave me one of those French kisses.”

Godspeed, Yogi.

Berra on Mantle, DiMaggio, Yogi-isms in never-published Q&ASTEVE SERBY, NEW YORK POST

A never-published January 2013 Q&A with Yogi, whose son Dale assisted by emailing back his beloved father’s answers.

Q: What was it like joining the Mets as player-coach?

A: OK. Glad to stay in New York and be with Casey [Stengel] again.

Q: What was it like managing the 1973 Mets to the World Series? Who were your favorite players on that team? What do you remember about the young Reggie Jackson?

A: We won so it was good, didn’t see Reggie enough, he was in the other league, but we knew to be careful with him.

Q: What were your emotions the day you were inducted into the Hall of Fame?

A: Very proud, I wish my mom and dad could have been there.

Q: How did “It ain’t over till it’s over” start?

A: 1973, we needed to get hot, and I said, “You’re never out of it until you’re out of it,” then the next day I said it ain’t over . . .

Q: How did “It’s getting late early” start?

A: Playing left field in Yankee Stadium in the fall, that sun was a killer going down.

Q: When you came to a fork in the road, was there ever a time you didn’t take it?

A: Not that I can remember.

Heartbroken Jeter, Hal, baseball world remember YogiNEW YORK POST

Yogi Berra was a character, a caricature, a military hero and a baseball giant. He transcended the game, an icon who was as familiar to the baseball-ignorant as the baseball purists.

When news came down in the early hours of Wednesday that the 90-year-old Berra had passed away Tuesday night, people from all walks of life mourned the loss of a Yankees legend, yes, but also an American one.

Derek Jeter, former Yankees shortstop

“To those who didn’t know Yogi personally, he was one of the greatest baseball players and Yankees of all time. To those lucky ones who did, he was an even better person. To me he was a dear friend and mentor. He will always be remembered for his success on the field, but I believe his finest quality was how he treated everyone with sincerity and kindness. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.”

Hal Steinbrenner, Yankees general partner

“Yogi Berra’s legacy transcends baseball. Though slight in stature, he was a giant in the most significant of ways through his service to his country, compassion for others and genuine enthusiasm for the game he loved. He has always been a role model and hero that America could look up to.

“While his baseball wit and wisdom brought out the best in generations of Yankees, his imprint in society stretches far beyond the walls of Yankee Stadium. He simply had a way of reaching and relating to people that was unmatched. That’s what made him such a national treasure.

“On behalf of my family and the entire Yankees organization, we extend our deepest condolences to Yogi’s family, friends and loved ones.”

Ron Guidry, former Yankees pitcher

“It’s just a sad day. We’re losing a great man and I’m losing a great friend. He was always a very good friend of mine. All I know is every time I hear the word ‘baseball,’ I think of Yogi.”

Joe Torre, former Yankees manager

“We’ve lost Yogi, but we will always have what he left for us: the memories of a lifetime filled with greatness, humility, integrity and a whole bunch of smiles. He was a lovable friend.”

Andy Pettitte, former Yankees pitcher

“What an honor it was to have rubbed shoulders with Yogi. He embraced me from the first day I met him. Heck, he embraced everyone he met. Yogi loved talking baseball and sharing stories, and I was always excited to hear them. He was a special man who brought smiles to the faces of an awful lot of people.

He served our country with honor, and I can’t think of a better ambassador to have represent this game.

He will be sorely missed, and my heart goes out to his family during this difficult time.”

New York Mets

“Yogi Berra was a baseball legend who played a key part in our history. He was kind, compassionate and always found a way to make people laugh. With us he was a player, coach and managed the 1973 ‘Ya Gotta Believe’ team to the National League pennant. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”

Tom Seaver, former Mets pitcher

“They threw away the mold in regards to Yogi. He was one of a kind. He loved the game. As a manager, he never tried to complicate things. He let his players play. He respected what you did on the field. He was an utter delight to be around.”

President Barack Obama

“Yogi Berra was an American original – a Hall of Famer and humble veteran; prolific jokester and jovial prophet. He epitomized what it meant to be a sportsman and a citizen, with a big heart, competitive spirit, and a selfless desire to open baseball to everyone, no matter their background. Michelle and I offer our deepest condolences to his family, his friends, and his fans in New York and across the world.”

Rob Manfred, MLB commissioner

“Yogi Berra’s character, talent, courage, extraordinary experiences and inimitable way with words made him a universally beloved figure in Baseball and beyond … Renowned as a great teammate, Yogi stood for values like inclusion and respect during the vital era when our game began to become complete and open to all. ”

Social media lit up immediately with remembrances of the 18-time All-Star catcher, some spilling stories of the good old days, some choosing their favorite Yogi-ism, some simply wishing he rest in peace.

Bobby Richardson’s fondest Yogi memories: One came after brutal Series lossKEVIN KERNAN, NEW YORK POST

The moment Bill Mazeroski hit the home run at Forbes Field to beat the Yankees in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series, second baseman Bobby Richardson looked to Yogi Berra in left field.

“From his expression I knew the ball was out of the park and the game was over,’’ Richardson told The Post Wednesday from his home in South Carolina, remembering Yogi, who died at the age of 90 on Tuesday.

“In the clubhouse,’’ recalled Richardson, who was named the MVP of the Series, “Yogi was not emotional, [Mickey] Mantle was. Mantle was actually crying because he thought we had a much better team and should have won.

“Yogi was already saying, ‘We’ll get them next year.’

“And we did, we won the next two years, world championships.’’

Richardson lovingly remembered Berra as a teammate and later his manager, as a caring man who looked ahead.

“Yogi was with me my whole career, both as a teammate and a manager, and let me just say as a player he was at the top of the rung, three times American League Most Valuable Player Awards.’’

To this day, Richardson, 80, does not understand why the 99-63 Yankees fired Yogi after the Cardinals beat the Yankees in seven games in the 1964 World Series.

“On the plane flying home Yogi sat down with my wife Betsy and I and he said, ‘Tomorrow I am going to ask the Yankees for a two-year contract.’ Most people had one-year contracts at that time,’’ Richardson said.

“My wife spoke up and said, ‘If Bobby hadn’t booted the ground ball that loaded the bases for Ken Boyer to hit the grand slam [in Game 4], we would have won the Series.’

“Yogi laughed a little bit and then the next day he was fired.

“I didn’t understand it at that time and I’m not sure I ever will. I think it was a move that hurt the Yankees over a long period of time.’’

Through the years, Richardson kept in close touch with Yogi.

“We knew the last couple of weeks that he was going downhill,’’ Richardson said. “We were not surprised but we really hated to receive that call.’’

Richardson’s granddaughter Amy graduated Columbia University and is friends with Berra’s granddaughter Lindsay.

After leaving the Yankees at the age of 30, Richardson became a hugely successful coach at South Carolina.

“Whitey Ford’s son was my switch-hitting shortstop, Phil Rizzuto’s son played for me and I told Yogi, whose son was going to decide what to do after high school, I said, ‘You going to send him to play for me’ and he said, ‘No, he’s going right to the big leagues.’

“And then of course, [Dale] played for his dad later on.’’

The Yankees and Mets came to play exhibition games at South Carolina. Yogi managed the Mets.

“I drove the bus to pick up the Mets at the airport,’’ Richardson recalled. “Tom Seaver was on that club and they came over and we were going to play three innings against the Mets, three innings against the Yankees and then they were going to play each other under the lights. We had 15,000 people.

“Yogi said, ‘Something is not right, you’re a college team, you can’t compete, I’m going to pitch for the Mets to your team and I’ll throw it right in there,’ and we beat the Mets. Yogi was pitching batting practice to our team and what a great opportunity for us to look good that Yogi would even think of that.

“For so many years they kept coming and the next year we finished second in the nation for the College World Series. We were 51-6, Texas beat us in the final game. But I consider all that to Yogi.

“Yogi was an American icon. He crossed all boundaries. He represented all aspects of Americanism. Everybody loved him.

“His roommate was Dr. Bobby Brown,’’ noted Richardson. “He’d be reading medical books and Yogi would be reading comic books, and Yogi would always say to Bobby, ‘How’d your story come out?’ ’’

Yes, there was only one Yogi Berra.

It meant everything to see Yogi Berra smile: Willie RandolphWILLIE RANDOLPH, NEW YORK POST

When All-Star second baseman Willie Randolph first came to the Yankees in 1976, Yogi Berra was a coach. The two quickly became buddies, the Hall of Fame catcher later became Randolph’s manager, and their friendship grew through the years, with Yogi often visiting Willie when Randolph became Mets manager. This past summer, Willie was named co-chairman of Yogi’s golf tournament, along with Ron Guidry.

One of my favorite memories of Yogi is from my rookie year.

The Yankees were in Chicago, and the players were starting to congregate in the hotel lobby at around 1 o’clock.

Yogi asked if I wanted to share a cab.

Yogi always called me “Shorty.”

I’d say, “Shorty? I’m taller than you.’’ But that’s what he called me. That was my little nickname, and it stuck.

It was a long ride to Comiskey. We get to the ballpark, pull up out front, kids are there looking for autographs, we jump out — and next thing I know, Yogi takes off. He’s gone.

So I have to scrounge in my pocket to pay for the cab, a rookie paying for the cab.

I still laugh about that to this day, but I’ve often thought about that ride and spending those 25 minutes in a cab with Yogi as a rookie and say, “I would have paid $200 for that cab ride. What a blessing.’’

I was 21 when I came to the Yankees, and Yogi was an icon. It’s Yogi Berra, man. Guys like Joe DiMaggio, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Mickey Mantle, that’s the way I always viewed Yogi. He was part of that legacy.

Yogi was always with Elston Howard. They were like twins. They were always together. And I loved Elston just as much as I loved Yogi. If you were talking to Elston, Yogi was right next to him.

We just formed this bond, and I was always picking Yogi’s brain for advice. He had such a calm demeanor, and I always appreciated that. And as a rookie, I was impressed with the fact that he gave me time and talked to me.

He was such a treasure. He knew baseball in and out.

Yogi kept the game simple, and that’s what I always liked about him. When we spoke about hitting, it was basic stuff: “See the ball, hit the ball, think through the middle. Take the ball to the hands.’’

He was a big eye-hand coordination guy, and I was that way. And Yogi was one of the best bad-ball hitters of all time, so he always had great eye-hand coordination.

Everything Yogi taught me was easy because it was always simple. It wasn’t complicated, and there is a genius in that. He would say little things about your approach that would make it click for you. He had a way of communicating with you because he had been there, done that, and he would always get me back in my rhythm.

He had a way to get me back through the middle. He’d say, “Hey, Shorty, your hands are here or your hands are there. You’re jumping out too quick on the ball, and I was like, ‘OK.’ And it was bam! Right where I needed to be.

That’s the way he was with life too, kept it simple, always upbeat. I was talking to my wife, Gretchen, about him this morning and she spent a lot of time with him, too, and like she said, “Yogi never had a bad word to say about anybody.’’

He was always kidding, too. He’d shake your hand and grab it so hard and have you on your knees, and you’d say, “Yogi, what are you doing? You’re breaking my fingers, man.”

And he’d just laugh at you with that deep laugh, “Ha, ha, ha.’’

His hands were like meat cleavers. I’d be like, ‘Oh, man.’’

In some ways, he reminded me of Zim [Don Zimmer], that walking baseball encyclopedia. If you sat next to him, you could ask him anything. It was just such an honor to be with him to break bread or just have a chat with the great Yogi Berra.

I was from the era where you were seen and not heard, but Yogi always gave me time. He made you feel comfortable, and that friendship continued through the years.

When I was managing the Mets, I used to think it was so cool that when it was the Subway Series, he would always come over to my office to visit with me.

I would say, “Make sure George [Steinbrenner] doesn’t know you’re here. I don’t want to get you in trouble.’’ That was always my concern.

And he’d say, “Shorty, I don’t give a crap.’’

He’d stay for 15, 20 minutes and he would always look out for me. He’d say, “Be yourself. When you make a decision, make sure it’s your decision and it comes from your heart. That’s the way to lead.’’

It gave me goose bumps just to sit with him, and right now, I’m getting goose bumps again thinking about it.

I’m going to miss him. After I heard the news, I couldn’t even sleep. I started thinking about my man, going back and the memories and stuff like that. I was at his birthday party this year, and I just wanted to tell him I love him, and at his golf tournament, it was such an honor for me take on the co-chairman’s role with Gator (Ron Guidry) for next year.

I was hoping so much Yogi would be there. We are all going to keep it going for Yogi.

This year, it was so special to be with him when he came to the dinner and to sit with him at his table.

Yogi didn’t say much, but I got a chance to see him smile.

That was all worth it. It made my whole year just to see Yogi smile again.

— As told to Kevin Kernan

Yogi Berra, New York Yankees legend, dies at 90BOB HERZOG, NEWSDAY

Yankees legend Yogi Berra, one of the most accomplished baseball players and colorful personalities in sports history, died Tuesday at age 90.

Berra, who played 18 years with the Yankees and is baseball's all-time leader in World Series games, at-bats and hits, died Tuesday of natural causes at an assisted living facility in New Jersey, according to Dave Kaplan, the director of the Yogi Berra Museum.

"Yogi Berra's legacy transcends baseball," Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said in statement Wednesday morning.

Berra's death came 69 years to the day of his major league debut -- a career that began with a home run at the original Yankee Stadium.

"Though slight in stature, he was a giant in the most significant of ways through his service to his country, compassion for others and genuine enthusiasm for the game he loved. He has always been a role model and hero that America could look up to," Steinbrenner said. "While his baseball wit and wisdom brought out the best in generations of Yankees, his imprint in society

stretches far beyond the walls of Yankee Stadium. He simply had a way of reaching and relating to people that was unmatched. That's what made him such a national treasure."

In his later years, Berra followed the path of former teammates Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle as the most revered former Yankee and a name that transcended the ballpark.

"To those who didn't know Yogi personally, he was one of the greatest baseball players and Yankees of all time," retired Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter wrote on The Players' Tribune, a website founded by Jeter. "To those lucky ones who did, he was an even better person."

Success on and off the field

Berra was an indelible image in the minds of a generation of baby boomer baseball fans and their parents -- but there was much more to his career and personal life.

There were his years of consistent and clutch hitting in Yankee pinstripes; his development into a top-notch defensive catcher; his seasons managing the Yankees and Mets; his enormous popularity during and after his career; his success as a product pitch man and entrepreneur; and, of course, his penchant for "Yogi-isms," those unintentionally ironic phrases that fractured the English language yet often made sense when the words were re-examined.

"Yogi Berra's character, talent, courage, extraordinary experiences and inimitable way with words made him a universally beloved figure in baseball and beyond," Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement Wednesday.

For decades, scratchy highlight films featured Berra in three memorable scenes from the fabled Yankees-Brooklyn Dodgers October rivalry during an era many believe was baseball's golden age.

In Game 1 of the 1955 World Series, Berra was the catcher when Jackie Robinson stole home in the eighth inning. Berra was so livid he jumped up and down and screamed at the umpire, certain his tag had beaten Robinson's slide.

In Game 7, Berra sliced a fly ball down the leftfield line that appeared to be a certain game-tying double. But Sandy Amoros made a spectacular reaching, running catch in the corner and turned it into a double play. The fielding gem helped the Dodgers win their only World Series as Brooklyn's team.

In Game 5 of the 1956 Series, Berra's uniform No. 8 is clearly visible as the catcher leaped into pitcher Don Larsen's arms after the only perfect game in postseason history. "It was the most excited I ever saw him," Larsen told Newsday in 1996.

People frequently joked about Berra's appearance. He was short and squat. He had large ears and a goofy grin he flashed often. He may have looked to some like a cartoon character, but he was deadly serious about baseball. He did not have blazing speed, but his feet, his bat, his reflexes and his mind were quick and nimble.

Outfielder as well as catcher

He was a capable outfielder early and late in his career, and a defensive stalwart at catcher during his prime years.

Berra had a strong, accurate arm, knowledge of opposing hitters and a deep understanding of the game that inspired confidence in his pitchers.

Most importantly, Berra was a superb lefthanded hitter. He was tough to pitch to because he could hit pitches in and out of the strike zone, and tough to defend because he could spray the ball to all fields.

"I can't deny that I've always been a bad-ball hitter. I like to swing at anything that looks good to me, as long as I can reach it," Berra said in his autobiography "Yogi" written with Ed Fitzgerald. "A bad pitch isn't a bad pitch anymore when you hit it into the seats."

Opponents feared Berra most in clutch situations. Overshadowed in the Yankees' batting order by DiMaggio or Mantle throughout his career, he was no easy touch. "Berra is the toughest man in baseball, when the game is up for grabs," veteran manager Paul Richards once said. "He is by far the toughest man in the league in the last three innings."

He batted .285 over 18 seasons with 358 home runs, plus another 12 in World Series play, was voted to 15 All-Star teams and was named most valuable player of the American League three times. "He was a great clutch hitter and a smart catcher," shortstop Tony Kubek, a teammate from 1957 to 1964, wrote in his book "Sixty-One." "Basically, Yogi played like a guy who had tremendous insight into the game."

So it was no coincidence that the Yankees won 10 world championships during his career, which culminated with his election to the Hall of Fame in 1972. "Not bad for a kid from The Hill," Berra said of his Cooperstown enshrinement in a 1999 interview.

He was referring to the poor, Italian section of St. Louis, where Lawrence Peter Berra was born on May 12, 1925, and raised. The Hill was a sports-mad neighborhood where Berra and dozens of kids, including boyhood friend Joe Garagiola, a future major league catcher and announcer, played ball year-round.

"Yogi was always the one you wanted with you. He was the best at baseball, the best at football, even the best at pitching horseshoes," Garagiola recalled in "The Wit and Wisdom of Yogi Berra," written by Phil Pepe.

Berra and his friends went to the movies one day, and the short subject was a travelogue about India. The film showed a Hindu mystic known as a yogi, who was sitting with his arms folded and his knees crossed, looking sad. One of Berra's friends thought the character "looked just like I used to look, sitting down after a ballgame," Berra told John Tullius in the book "I'd Rather Be a Yankee." From then on, Lawrence Peter Berra became Yogi Berra.

And soon after, he became a Yankee farmhand. His American Legion manager recommended that a Yankee coach who lived in St. Louis, Johnny Schulte, check out Berra, which eventually led to him signing for a $500 bonus.

Served in Navy during WWII

He joined the Yankees' farm team in Norfolk, Virginia, for the 1943 season where he showed promise. He spent 1944 and 1945 in the Navy, serving at D-Day. In 1946, he had a terrific season playing for the Yankees' Newark farm team in the International League, before the Yankees promoted him late that season.

Berra became a Yankee for good beginning in the 1947 season. He was a raw backup catcher and adequate outfielder in '47 and '48. During those two seasons, he learned the intricacies of catching from Yankees coach Bill Dickey, who had retired after the 1946 season. By 1949, he

was the team's regular catcher, wearing Dickey's old No. 8, which was later retired in honor of both players.

"Berra improved more as a defensive catcher . . . than any catcher I ever saw. He became one of the all-time great catchers," Dickey told Anthony Connor in the book "Voices From Cooperstown."

Berra was one of 12 Yankees who played for manager Casey Stengel on consecutive World Series winners from 1949 to 1953. He batted a career high .322 with 124 RBIs in 1950 and won the first of his three MVP honors in 1951 when he batted .294 with 27 homers and 88 RBIs. He also won MVP honors in '54 and '55.

In 1956, Berra hit .298 with 30 HRs and 105 RBI. He blasted three homers to help the Yankees win the final Brooklyn-New York World Series. Though Yogi's '56 season was overshadowed by Mantle's Triple Crown and Larsen's perfect game, he called the latter "the highlight of my career. It's never happened before or since. The glove I used in that game is the only thing I saved from my career. It's in my museum."

Berra remained a productive hitter until his playing days with the Yankees ended after the 1963 season. He managed the team to the 1964 pennant but was fired when the Yankees lost the Series to St. Louis.

Berra rejoined his old boss Stengel as a Mets coach in 1965, even playing four games for New York's young National League team. He was promoted to manager in 1972 and won a come-from-behind pennant in 1973, making him only the third man in history to that point to have managed a pennant-winner in both leagues.

"Yogi Berra was a baseball legend who played a key part in our history," the Mets said in a statement Wednesday. "He was kind, compassionate and always found a way to make people laugh. With us he was a player, coach and managed the 1973 'Ya Gotta Believe' team to the National League pennant. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family."

Berra was fired by the Mets in 1975 and returned to the Yankees as a coach under manager Billy Martin in 1976. He managed the Yankees for a second time in 1984 and for 16 games in 1985 before being fired by owner George Steinbrenner.

The proud and loyal Berra was so outraged by Steinbrenner's act that he refused to come to Yankee Stadium for 14 years. He did return to coaching with Houston from 1986 to 1989, but appeared miscast wearing the rainbow-burst Astros' uniform of that era.

Two sons played pro sports

Off the field, his life was always an unqualified success. He had a long and happy marriage to Carmen Berra that produced two sons, Dale, who played major league baseball, and Tim, who played in the National Football League. Carmen died in 2014.

"While we mourn the loss of our father, grandfather and great-grandfather, we know he is at peace with Mom," the Berra family said in a statement. "We celebrate his remarkable life, and are thankful he meant so much to so many. He will truly be missed."

During his playing days, Berra showed shrewd business sense by rising to the presidency of the company that made Yoo-Hoo, a popular chocolate soft drink. He had successful ventures in bowling alleys, racquetball clubs and product endorsements, earning millions more than he ever

did as a player. He opened the Yogi Berra Museum on the campus of Montclair State University in New Jersey in 1998, another rousing success story.

"He found good advice and he took it," second baseman/teammate Bobby Richardson said of Berra's financial acumen.

But many family members and friends felt his life was incomplete without a return to Yankee Stadium. Prospects appeared grim for most of the 1990s, but as Berra himself once said in a classic Yogi-ism, "It ain't over 'til it's over."

With the help of Yankees broadcaster Suzyn Waldman, who intervened, Steinbrenner and Berra reconciled in the winter of 1999, setting the stage for one of the most memorable days in the history of the franchise.

On July 18, 1999, Yogi Berra Day at Yankee Stadium attracted a crowd of nearly 42,000 who witnessed the reunion of Berra with Yankee teammates like Phil Rizzuto, Whitey Ford, Larsen, Gil McDougald, Richardson and even a player he managed from 1984 to 1985, the popular Don Mattingly.

In the game that followed, David Cone pitched a perfect game against Montreal, conjuring up images of the Larsen masterpiece that Berra had caught 43 years earlier. "Nothing bad happens when Yogi Berra is around," Yankees manager Joe Torre said that day.

Kubek echoed those sentiments when he wrote in his 1987 book: "The fact is that people just like Yogi. I don't know if it's because of his nickname, his looks, or because of the things he says . . . I only had to be around Yogi for a few minutes to be reminded that he remains one of the most popular men in sports."

Funeral arrangements had not been announced. The Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center will host a news conference Thursday to honor Berra. Members of Berra's family, and representatives of the museum and Major League Baseball are expected to attend.

Those who played for him recall Yogi Berra as being a players' managerSTEVEN MARCUS, NEWSDAY

When Yogi Berra retired as a player in 1963, it didn't take him long to find his next job in baseball.

Berra immediately took over as manager of the Yankees, leading the team to the 1964 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. He lasted one season in that role, but moved across town to become a coach with Mets in 1965. Berra became manager of the Mets in 1972 and managed the team to the 1973 World Series.

His playing career had an important impact on him as a manager. Berra was a players' manager long before the term was popularized.

Berra wasn't a wordsmith, Jon Matlack, a starting pitcher on the 1973 Mets said.

"He was a very laid back, relaxed manager who pretty much said, 'Here are the bats and balls, boys. Go play, make me proud,' " Matlack said. "Under that environment he allowed people to

flourish. He created an environment where you wanted to excel rather than you were under the gun to excel."

That started in 1964 when he was a rookie manager with the Yankees, Joe Pepitone recalled.

"When Yogi gave his speech he said, 'Let's go get 'em,' " Pepitone said. "It wasn't a long speech like some of these college grads would say. He didn't talk in that type of language. He just played the game like it was played."

Some of the Mets later learned the same when Berra managed them to the World Series in 1973.

"He obviously didn't come out with those Yogi-isms in the locker room," said Ed Kranepool, who was a first baseman and outfielder on the 1973 Mets. "He was very serious talking baseball."

Berra had a successful season with the 1964 Yankees, finishing 99-63 and capturing the American League pennant. But Berra was fired after losing a seven-game World Series to the Cardinals.

"He was the one manager that knew me better than anybody, so when I came in feeling [ill] he said, 'You're playing, you're playing,' " said Pepitone, who batted .281 with 28 home runs and 100 RBIs in 1964. "I had my best year."

The Mets finished 82-79 under Berra in 1973, winning the NL East by a game and a half. The Mets were under .500 until late September.

"He was basically thanking us for his job," Matlack said. "He thought had he not turned it around that he potentially could have been fired."

The Mets upset the heavily favored Cincinnati Reds in the National League Championship Series, but lost to the Oakland A's in seven games in the World Series.

"They threw away the mold in regards to Yogi," Tom Seaver, who went 19-10 and won his second NL Cy Young Award in 1973, said in a statement. "He was one of a kind. He loved the game. As a manager, he never tried to complicate things. He let his players play. He respected what you did on the field. He was an utter delight to be around."

The slogan for the 1973 Mets was "Ya Gotta Believe." The players put their trust in Berra.

"He was a true gentleman," said Jerry Koosman, a starter for the 1973 Mets. "As a manager he was very, very reassuring. When things were bad, he always stayed positive."

Berra was fired by the Mets in 1975. He didn't manage again until 1984 when he returned to the Yankees.

Berra had a lasting impact on the players he managed.

"He did so much good for so many people in this world," said Rusty Staub, who played for Berra on the 1973 Mets. "Every time I think of Yogi I have a smile on my face. That's the effect he had on people."

Yogi's Mets years remembered fondly

ANTHONY DICOMO, MLB.COM

Rummage for a photograph of Yogi Berra in uniform, and the interlocking "NY" on his cap will typically shine white on a dark blue background. Berra, who passed away Tuesday at age 90, has always been and will always be a Yankee.

But Berra also spent a number of colorful years with the Mets, where he won a pennant and ingrained himself into franchise lore. The Mets released the following statement upon Berra's passing:

"Yogi Berra was a baseball legend who played a key part in our history. He was kind, compassionate and always found a way to make people laugh. With us he was a player, coach and managed the 1973 'Ya Gotta Believe' team to the National League pennant. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family."

The Mets held a moment of silence for Berra and played a video tribute before their game against the Braves on Wednesday night.

"One of the great legacies of the game, one of the most tremendous people," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "In my time with Houston I got to know Yogi. He had great relationships with Matt Galante and [Craig] Biggio. He would come in the clubhouse a lot. As I've been reading about today, everything they say is true. Wonderful man. Tremendous player. The game is not as good as it once was today."

"I thought, 'Wow this is Yogi Berra,'" said Mets right fielder Curtis Granderson, who has also played for the Yankees. "With all the championships and the accolades he has, he came up to me and introduced himself to me. He made me know he was approachable and that I could talk to him all the time. He also joked around with you, let you know you need to be loose and relaxed even though you're in the Major Leagues.

"... The number of people I saw commenting on social media today that were not athletes was amazing to me, and speaks to how he was known as a figure."

A year after retiring as a player and serving as Yankees manager for the first time in 1964, taking them to the World Series, Berra joined the Mets as a player/coach. The player part did not last long; Berra, who had appeared in 2,116 games for the Yanks, the second most in history at that time, played in just four for the Mets. He hung up his spikes for good just shy of his 40th birthday.

But Berra stayed in Queens as a coach under such legendary managers as Casey Stengel and Gil Hodges, before taking over as manager himself in 1972 -- the same summer he was elected to the Hall of Fame. A year later, Berra guided the Mets to the National League pennant in the aforementioned "Ya Gotta Believe" season, never changing the personality quirks that furthered his legend. Berra finished his Mets managerial career with a 292-296 record over four seasons.

"They threw away the mold in regards to Yogi," Hall of Famer Tom Seaver, a member of the Mets during all four of Berra's managerial years there, said in a statement. "He was one of a kind. He loved the game. As a manager, he never tried to complicate things. He let his players play. He respected what you did on the field. He was an utter delight to be around."

Other former Mets had similar compliments to offer. Jerry Koosman called Berra "a true gentleman" who was "very reassuring" and "always stayed positive." Rusty Staub, who took part

in a 2008 ceremony alongside Berra after the final game at Shea Stadium, described him as someone who "did so much good for so many people in the world."

"Every time I think of Yogi, I have a smile on my face," Staub said in a statement. "That's the effect he had on people."

Baseball mourns passing of Yogi BerraSPENCER FORDIN, MLB.COM

The baseball community reacted with shock and sadness to the loss of a giant Wednesday morning, when word emerged that Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra had passed away. Berra, a 10-time World Series champion as a player, celebrated his 90th birthday in May and left an enormous legacy.

Berra was named the American League's Most Valuable Player Award winner three times and was inducted to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972, his second year of eligibility. His death, coincidentally, came late in the evening on Tuesday -- 69 years to the day after his big league debut on Sept. 22, 1946.

Major League Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. issued the following statement:

"Yogi Berra's character, talent, courage, extraordinary experiences and inimitable way with words made him a universally beloved figure in Baseball and beyond.

"Born to Italian immigrant parents in St. Louis, Lawrence Peter Berra grew up to serve his country on D-Day as a member of the U.S. Navy. Upon his return from his service, he often played in the substantial shadows of Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle, and yet he quietly became no less than one of the most accomplished players in baseball history himself. The slugging catcher was an anchor of 10 World Championship Yankee teams, a three-time American League Most Valuable Player and a 15-time All-Star. The Hall of Famer played on more World Championship and pennant-winning clubs than any player in the history of our National Pastime.

"Renowned as a great teammate, Yogi stood for values like inclusion and respect during the vital era when our game began to become complete and open to all. With his trademark humility and good humor, Yogi represented only goodwill to baseball fans. His proud American story will endure at the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center in Little Falls, New Jersey.

"Yogi Berra was a beacon of Americana, and today Major League Baseball and all of its Clubs stand together in mourning his passing and celebrating his memory. On behalf of the game he served with excellence and dignity, I extend my deepest condolences to Yogi's children and grandchildren, his many friends throughout our game and his countless admirers."

Berra played for the Yankees from 1946-63 and later came back to manage his beloved franchise, and his former team issued a touching note of condolence on Wednesday morning.

"Yogi Berra's legacy transcends baseball," Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said in a statement. "Though slight in stature, he was a giant in the most significant of ways through his service to his country, compassion for others and genuine enthusiasm for the game he loved. He has always been a role model and hero that America could look up to.

"While his baseball wit and wisdom brought out the best in generations of Yankees, his imprint in society stretches far beyond the walls of Yankee Stadium. He simply had a way of reaching and relating to people that was unmatched. That's what made him such a national treasure.

"On behalf of my family and the entire Yankees organization, we extend our deepest condolences to Yogi's family, friends and loved ones."

President Obama took to Twitter to reflect on Berra: "Yogi Berra was an American original - a Hall of Famer, jovial prophet, & a humble veteran. We'll miss you, Yogi, but your legacy ain't over."

Yogi Berra was an American original - a Hall of Famer, jovial prophet, & a humble veteran. We'll miss you, Yogi, but your legacy ain't over.

— President Obama (@POTUS) September 23, 2015

Berra, one of the most beloved Yankees of all time, was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1972 and honored with a plaque at Yankee Stadium's Monument Park in '88. Several members of the Yankees family took time to share their thoughts on his life and his passing as Wednesday progressed.

"We lost Yogi, but we will always have what he left for us," said former Yankees manager and fellow Hall of Famer Joe Torre in an official statement. "The memories of a lifetime filled with greatness, humility, integrity and a whole bunch of smiles. He was a lovable friend."

Longtime Yankees captain Derek Jeter paid tribute to Berra on The Players' Tribune.

"To those who didn't know Yogi personally, he was one of the greatest baseball players and Yankees of all time. To those lucky ones who did, he was an even better person. To me he was a dear friend and mentor. He will always be remembered for his success on the field, but I believe his finest quality was how he treated everyone with sincerity and kindness. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends."

Former Yankees star and current Dodgers manager Don Mattingly also shared his thoughts on what Berra meant to him and to countless other people Berra had encountered throughout a lifetime in the game.

"Yogi was such a great inspiration for so many people and treated everyone with respect and kindness," said Mattingly. "He epitomized what it really meant to be a New York Yankee. His legendary achievements on the field was only outdone by his humility off the field. It's been an honor to call you a friend, we will all miss you Yogi."

#Dodgers Tweets: Don Mattingly on the passing of Yogi Berra. pic.twitter.com/xSTCXK7gnQ #MLB http://t.co/Ix2D9EdN7r

— LA Dodgers (@dodgerszone) September 23, 2015

Berra, who caught Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series, became famous for the colorful ways he expressed himself and was beloved by multiple generations of the baseball family.

"The Major League Baseball-playing fraternity has lost one of its most cherished members," said Major League Baseball Players Association executive director Tony Clark. "A champion on and off the field, Yogi was one of the most beloved individuals to have ever worn the uniform.

Although he will be terribly missed by so many, his contributions to the game have established a legacy that will live on forever in the hearts and minds of the entire baseball community. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Yogi's family, friends, former teammates and his legion of fans."

The Mets -- for whom Berra played his final four games in 1965, coached during their Amazin' '69 season and managed to a National League pennant in '73 -- issued the following statement:

"Yogi Berra was a baseball legend who played a key part in our history. He was kind, compassionate and always found a way to make people laugh. With us he was a player, coach and managed the 1973 'Ya Gotta Believe' team to the National League pennant. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family."

Several players from the team Berra managed to the pennant in 1973 shared their thoughts, including Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, Rusty Staub and Ed Kranepool.

"They threw away the mold in regards to Yogi," said Seaver, a fellow Hall of Fame inductee. "He was one of a kind. He loved the game. As a manager, he never tried to complicate things. He let his players play. He respected what you did on the field. He was an utter delight to be around."

"He was a true gentleman," said Koosman, who won 14 games during the 1973 campaign. "As a manager, he was very, very reassuring. When things were bad, he always stayed positive."

"He did so much good for so many people in this world," said Staub, a six-time All-Star. "Every time I think of Yogi, I have a smile on my face. That's the effect he had on people."

"Yogi was a fun-loving guy who never had an enemy in the world," added Kranepool. "I dressed next to him for 10 years when I was with the Mets. He was on one side and Joe Torre was on the other. He was a special man."

Hall of Famer Dave Winfield, who played under Berra with the Yankees, also remembered his friend on Wednesday.

"No! Say it ain't so," he wrote on Twitter. "He was a good man, my former manager and friend! RIP Yogi."

No! Say it ain't so. He was a good man, my former manager and friend! RIP Yogi. https://t.co/X5SauCYQty

— Dave Winfield (@DaveWinfieldHOF) September 23, 2015

Winfield wasn't the only Hall of Famer to react to the gigantic loss Wednesday. Johnny Bench, thought by many to be Berra's chief competition as the greatest catcher of all-time, also issued a statement.

Justice: Yogi remembered for kindness, wisdom

"Say it ain't so!" said Bench on Twitter. "I loved ya Yogi. RIP. Say hello to my Dad. Have a catch!"

@MLB say it ain't so! I loved ya Yogi. RIP. Say hello to my Dad. Have a catch!

— Johnny Bench (@Johnny_Bench5) September 23, 2015

The messages came in from all over baseball, starting in Berra's hometown of St. Louis and radiating out over the entire community. The Cardinals issued a message on Twitter, stating that their thoughts and prayers are with Berra's family and friends, and many baseball greats reacted to the news.

Angels manager Mike Scioscia shared his thoughts on what Berra meant to the game.

"He was really diverse. It wasn't just baseball that drove him," said Scioscia of Berra's legacy. "He was a great humanitarian. He went to fight for the [military]. A very humble man for accomplishing probably more than anybody who ever played the game, when you think about the World Series appearances, World Series titles, managing a team to the World Series. And when you got a chance to talk to him, it was like you were talking to your next-door neighbor. He was so down to Earth. Just a great man."

"My thoughts & prayers are with the Berra family today," wrote home run king Barry Bonds in a tweet. "A baseball legend, American hero and great man #YogiBerra #RIP"

My thoughts & prayers are with the Berra family today. A baseball legend, American hero and great man #YogiBerra #RIP

— Barry L Bonds (@BarryBonds) September 23, 2015

"Sorry to hear of the passing of one of baseball's greatest!" wrote Chipper Jones, the former Atlanta Braves great, on Twitter. "Words can't describe what he meant to the game and city of New York."

The Astros released a quote on their Twitter account from Craig Biggio, the recent Hall of Fame inductee who was coached by Berra when Biggio was a catcher early in his career with Houston.

"He lived his life the right way," wrote Biggio. "He helped me more as a person than as a baseball player."

"He lived his life the right way. He helped me more as a person than as a baseball player." - #Astros HOFer Craig Biggio on Yogi Berra

— Houston Astros (@astros) September 23, 2015

"A true legend in this game. #RIPYogiBerra," wrote Boston slugger David Ortiz at his Twitter handle.

A true legend in this game. #RIPYogiBerra pic.twitter.com/e0b7GCOWXr

— David Ortiz (@davidortiz) September 23, 2015

The city loses a big favorite, but it'll be all rightMARTY NOBLE, MLB.COM

For days, electronic signs on the FDR Drive, the Major Deegan, the West Side Highway and the Grand Central Parkway have carried warnings, alerts and reminders: "Expect delays" ... "Leave extra time" ... "Avoid Manhattan" ... "Take mass transit." We are in the midst of a week of travel

paralysis here in the Big City. Rush-hour nightmares will extend the "hour" to 120 minutes -- with luck. Grand gridlock is a given.

It is New York City at the best of times and the worst of times. Two tales of a city. Today is Yom Kippur; it thins the traffic. The United Nations has its general assembly meeting. The Giants played at home on Sunday and again on Thursday night. The Mets were at Citi Field on Monday and Tuesday nights and play again Wednesday night. And the Pope is visiting. He's going to bounce like a Spaldeen from JFK to St. Patty's to Harlem to the U.N. to the 9/11 Memorial to Madison Square Garden to Central Park to the delight and fascination of millions.

What other city could handle this?

NYC, in its most uneventful week, can be everything from challenging to brutal to worse. But it gets by. Sometimes it even prospers. And sometimes it's brought to its knees.

It was in that position that the great city found itself Wednesday morning when word of the death of Yogi Berra spread. The Empire State Building shed a tear. Gracie Mansion sobbed, the Hudson temporarily suspended its flow and the suspension cables on GWB momentarily sagged. And two ballparks, neither of which had served as Yogi's place of employment, donned black.

The city and its vast satellite communities will get through this, too, because almost any mention of Lawrence Peter Berra prompts smiles from most folks. It's been that way for decades. Yogi was the personification of a punchline. He made us chuckle. Reaction to his death at age 90 is, in some ways, akin to reaction to the assassination of John Lennon. After the horror of that night in December 1980 subsided, the radio stations wore out their Beatles albums. Listeners tapped their feet. The healing process began almost immediately.

It's already begun here for Yogi.

Today, the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center on the campus of Montclair State University in Little Falls, N.J., opens its doors a little wider. Folks undoubtedly will flood it for the next month or so. Yogi was so proud of it.

He greeted me at its entrance one day in 1990-something and noted some of his favorite displays. But his pride was most evident when he ushered me to a wood-paneled room with grandstand seating, a replica of the Yankee Stadium scoreboard, circa 1960 -- No. 20, Marv Throneberry, was identified as the Yankees' first baseman -- and several original World Series championship banners that had been hung from the frieze at the old place on River Avenue.

Yogi pointed to none of the nostalgia. Instead, he pointed to the paneling and said "I got all the wood in here for free." The Great Depression had sculpted some of his values.

* * * * *

Reared in an Italian household -- his mother called him Lawdie because Larry was too challenging for her linguistics -- Berra became quite the American. He responded to his draft notice without hesitation in 1943. He became a Navy man, Seaman 2nd Class Larry Berra. He eventually volunteered for duty as a rocketboat man because "'rocket' appealed to him in a Buck Rogers' kind of way," said Dave Kaplan, director of the Berra museum. "He thought it had an adventurous sound to it."

Following rocketboat training in Norfolk, Va., Berra was shipped out for World War II duty. "I thought we were going to Japan," he said years later. Instead, he was part of the Normandy invasion on June 6, 1944. Though his landing craft never charged the shoreline, Berra and his colleagues fired weapons from sea to shore to soften German resistance. And they, in turn, attracted fire.

He recalled hearing his commanding officer yell, "Berra, keep your head down," but Yogi wanted to watch. "You can observe a lot by watching" he famously said years later.

The D-Day experience and others during an invasion of Italy bolstered his courage. Decades later, he was irritated by but unafraid of George Steinbrenner. "You're not a smart guy if you have Yogi as an enemy," Steinbrenner said after he had apologized to Berra, 14 years after he had fired him and a day after Berra had ended his boycott of the Boss and Yankee Stadium.

"I wanted Yogi back in the family," Steinbrenner said that day. "It was wrong for him not to be here for Old-Timers' Day and any other day he wants to come. New York deserves a means to see its great players. We're restocking our eventual Old-Timers' Day rosters every year now. And we've lost some great ones. But as long as we have Whitey [Ford] and Yogi, we have a link to the great teams that were here."

And now Yogi's gone. But the Pope is coming and the general assembly is meeting. The Mets are in first place, and the Yankees are close again. New York City will be back on its feet shortly. But for now, watch the Yogi videos, recall him as the master of malaprops, chuckle, and for God's sake, take mass transit.

Mets honor Yogi Berra by holding moment of silence at Citi Field (PHOTO)MARIA GUARDADO, NJ ADVANCE MEDIA

The Mets honored baseball icon and Yankee great Yogi Berra by holding a moment of silence before Wednesday's series finale against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field.

Berra passed away on Tuesday night at the age of 90.

Berra spent the majority of his Hall of Fame baseball career with the Yankees, but he also played four games with the 1965 Mets, going 2-for-9 with a run scored. Berra went on to manage the Mets from 1972-1975 and led the 1973 team to the World Series, where they fell in seven games to the Oakland Athletics.

Tributes to Berra poured in from all sectors of society on Wednesday, ranging from the political sphere (President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton) to the sports world.

Mets' Curtis Granderson, Terry Collins remember Yogi BerraMARIA GUARDADO, NJ ADVANCE MEDIA

Curtis Granderson still remembers feeling starstruck the first time he met Yankees legend and baseball icon Yogi Berra.

"First thing that popped up to me is, 'Wow, this is Yogi Berra,'" said Granderson, who spent four seasons with Yankees before joining the Mets. "All the championships that he has and all the accolades, he still came up to me and introduced himself to me. Made me know that he was approachable, that I could come and talk to him at any time."

Granderson took time to reflect on his favorite memories of Berra, who passed away at the age of 90 on Tuesday night, prior to the Mets' series finale against the Atlanta Braves. Though saddened by the news of Berra's passing, Granderson said he was touched to see the flood of tributes to the legendary catcher on social media.

"Anytime you get to see someone who's impacted the sports world, teammates, family members and they end up being taken away from us, it's sad," Granderson said. "But he lived 90 great years. A lot of memories, a lot of people talking. I saw a lot of comments and pictures and especially quotes from him today via social media and beyond. And rightfully so. Definitely a great individual, somebody that will be missed."

One of Granderson's fondest recollections was when he got the opportunity to ask Berra about the time Jackie Robinson famously stole home during the 1955 World Series between the Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers. The umpire called Robinson safe, but Berra clearly thought he was out and immediately launched a heated protest.

"I asked him about it, and he says, 'You know he was out,'" Granderson recalled. "And that's all he says to me, which is great."

"He'd always come up and just have funny comments with you. And even as he got older he was still ready to challenge you. He always thought he could take you, which was a fun thing."

While best known for his career in pinstripes, Berra also played in four games with the 1965 Mets, going 2-for-9 with a run scored. He later managed the Mets from 1972-1975, helping the club clinch the 1973 National League pennant before falling to the Oakland Athletics in seven games in the World Series.

The Mets will hold a moment of silence prior to Wednesday's game to honor Berra's legacy.

Manager Terry Collins, who got to know Berra during his time with the Houston Astros organization, said Berra left an indelible mark on the game.

"Certainly one of the great legacies of the game and one of the great, tremendous people," Collins said. "As I've been seeing on all the stuff I've been reading about him today, everything that they say true. Wonderful man, tremendous player. The game is not as good as it once was."

Tom Seaver, Mets stars remember Yankees legend and 'utter delight' Yogi BerraMIKE VORKUNOV, NJ ADVANCE MEDIA

This entire day has served as a running eulogy of Yogi Berra. The Yankees legend passed away Tuesday night at 90.

While Berra is mostly known for his time with the team in the Bronx, he did have a significant amount of time with the Mets. He played there (not too long though) and managed the team from 1972-75. He was the manager of the 1973 team that made the World Series. That's when he uttered his famous quote, "It ain't over till it's over."

A few of his old charges offered their memories of Berra Wednesday.

Tom Seaver

"They threw away the mold in regards to Yogi. He was one of a kind. He loved the game. As a manager, he never tried to complicate things. He let his players play. He respected what you did on the field. He was an utter delight to be around."

Jerry Koosman

"He was a true gentleman. As a manager he was very, very reassuring. When things were bad, he always stayed positive."

Rusty Staub

"He did so much good for so many people in this world. Every time I think of Yogi I have a smile on my face. That's the effect he had on people."

Ed Kranepool

"Yogi was a fun-loving guy who never had an enemy in the world. I dressed next to him for 10 years when I was with the Mets. He was on one side and Joe Torre was on the other. He was a special man."

Mets remember Yogi Berra: He 'played a key part in our history'MIKE VORKUNOV, NJ ADVANCE MEDIA

The Mets remembered an integral part of their franchise's history Wednesday. Yogi Berra, one of the bright lights of baseball for the last 60-plus years, died Tuesday night. He was 90.

While Berra was a star for the Yankees and an organizational pillar, he is also a vital part of the Mets' past. He managed the 1973 team that reached the World Series -- the season during which he uttered his most famous quote -- and even played four games for them in 1965.

Here's what the Mets had to say Wednesday morning about Berra's passing:

"Yogi Berra was a baseball legend who played a key part in our history. He was kind, compassionate and always found a way to make people laugh. With us he was a player, coach

and managed the 1973 'Ya Gotta Believe' team to the National League pennant. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family."

Yogi Berra's most memorable quote came as Mets managerMIKE VORKUNOV, NJ ADVANCE MEDIA

Yogi Berra will always be remembered as a Yankees star, and rightfully so. He's one of the greatest in the franchise's history. But he had a pretty memorable Mets career too.

Berra, who died Tuesday night at 90, was one one of baseball's greatest philosophers and he uttered what just may be his best Yogi-ism while with the Mets.

He managed the club from 1972-75 and in 1973, they were scuffling before making an unexpected run to the World Series. Sometime that summer of 1973, as the Mets tried to stay afloat, he said a line that will live on.

"It ain't over till it's over."

A classic Berra truism. Classic Yogi

METS LOSE TO BRAVESRapid Reaction: Braves 6, Mets 3ADAM RUBIN, ESPNNEWYORK.COM

Time to panic ... maybe just a little?

After opening the game on the bench with wrist discomfort, Mets nemesis Freddie Freeman ultimately produced five RBIs. The damage included a tiebreaking three-run homer in the ninth inning against Jeurys Familia as the Atlanta Braves beat the New York Mets 6-3 on Wednesday at Citi Field.

Familia had allowed one run over his previous 25 innings. His 0.36 ERA since July 31 had been the lowest in the majors during that span (minimum 20 innings).

The Mets lost consecutive rubber games to the Miami Marlins, New York Yankees and Braves and went 3-6 on their homestand.

The Amazin's (85-67) magic number dropped to 5 and their lead atop the National League East remained at 6½ games thanks to the Washington Nationals’ loss to Baltimore Orioles.

With consecutive losses to the Braves, the Mets finished the season series with an 11-8 record against Atlanta. That matches the most wins in Mets history in a single season against the Milwaukee/Atlanta franchise. The Mets went 11-7 against the Braves in 2006.

Freeman had delivered a two-run double in the seventh against Addison Reed that had staked the Braves to a 3-2 lead.

David Wright answered a half-inning later with a two-out RBI single against Brandon Cunniff to even the score. Wright appeared to bark a profanity at Freeman upon reaching first base.

Seventh swoon: Bartolo Colon retired the first 14 batters he faced and seemed destined to match Pedro Martinez for the second-most wins in MLB history by a Dominican-born pitcher. Then things quickly unraveled in the seventh inning.

Colon allowed three singles in a four-batter span to open the frame. Reed then entered and allowed all three inherited runners to score as the Braves took a 3-2 lead.

Colon had been perfect until Jace Peterson slapped a two-out infield single to shortstop in the fifth.

In the seventh, Michael Bourn greeted Reed with an RBI single. Freeman followed with a pinch-hit, two-run double as the Braves took the lead.

Although he has now tossed 12 2/3 scoreless innings since arriving in a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Reed has now allowed all five inherited baserunners to score.

Until the meltdown, Colon had been in position to achieve a pair of notable distinctions. A win would have given him 219 career victories, which would match the ex-Met Martinez for the second-most by a Dominican-born pitcher in major league history. Only Juan Marichal (243) has produced more wins. Colon also was bidding to secure his second straight 15-win season. He would have become the first Mets pitcher with 30 wins over a two-season span since Al Leiter in 1998 (17) and 1999 (13).

Odds & ends: After getting a day off, Travis d'Arnaud returned to the starting lineup Wednesday and snapped an 0-for-18 skid with second-inning single. … Daniel Murphy staked the Mets to the early lead with a first-inning solo homer against Williams Perez. Murphy's 13th long ball of the season matched his career high. … Tyler Clippard plunked leadoff batter Pedro Ciriaco on the left side in the eighth, but Clippard ended up tossing a scoreless frame. He had allowed nine earned runs and four homers in his previous 8 2/3 innings. … Juan Uribe had a pinch-hit single in the ninth in his first action since suffering a chest bruise.

What's next: Steven Matz (4-0, 1.80 ERA) opposes right-hander Josh Smith (0-2, 7.71) as the Mets open a four-game series in Cincinnati on Thursday at 7:10 p.m. ET.

Mets' David Wright 'angry' at Braves' Freddie Freeman, 'but more in a playful way'ADAM RUBIN, ESPNNEWYORK.COM

After New York Mets captain David Wright produced a game-tying RBI single in the seventh inning, he blurted an expletive to nemesis Freddie Freeman upon arriving at first base.

Wright and Freeman both downplayed the exchange afterward as friendly banter.

Freeman had just produced a game-tying, two-run double in the top half of that inning. He also delivered a tiebreaking three-run homer in the ninth against Jeurys Familia as the Atlanta Braves rallied to beat the Mets 6-3 in Wednesday's rubber game at Citi Field.

Freeman, who started the game on the bench with wrist discomfort, now has 15 homers and 61 RBIs against the Mets since the start of the 2012 season. That long ball total matches Miami's Giancarlo Stanton for the most against the Amazin's during that span. The RBI total is the most against the Mets during that four-year period by a sizable margin. Philadelphia's Ryan Howard is second with 48.

"I have animated conversations with a lot of people," Wright said about his exchange with Freeman. "Freddie is a thorn in our side. It's fun to get that competitiveness back and forth. I wasn't expecting to see him tonight. He comes off the bench and kills us again. So I'll be glad to get rid of him and Andrelton Simmons and everybody else that beats us up over there. Freddie came in and singlehandedly beat us tonight. That's why he is who he is. It just seems like he elevates his game against us."

Told it looked as if the expletive he said to Freeman was said in anger, Wright grinned and added: "In what? In anger? I am angry at him. He hit a two-run double and then a three-run homer. I am angry at him, but more in a playful way. Freddie and I, we go back and forth every now and then. It's nothing more than just competitive banter."

Manager Terry Collins said he was caught off-guard when Freeman pinch hit in the seventh inning against Addison Reed and delivered a two-run double that tied the score at 3.

"We heard before the game that his wrist is really bothering him and they didn't think he was going to play," Collins said. "So I'm going to fire that scout, I'm going to tell you that."

Said Freeman: "The wrist has been bothering me for a couple of weeks now, and it's gotten progressively worse. I'll be playing through pain for the next nine days."

As for the three-run homer in the ninth, Familia simply left a splitter up in the zone. Familia had allowed only one earned run in his previous 25 innings.

"I wanted to throw it lower," the closer said. "I missed a little in the zone. And he made good contact. That's all."

Said Collins: "His split has been outstanding. He left it up to Freddie. If the ball is down, he gets a double play or gets a groundball or gets a swing and miss. He left it up in the hitting area, and he did what good hitters do."

Mets lose to Braves again, not making clinching NL East easy on themselvesCHRISTIAN RED, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

It may not be Panic City yet, but the Mets are starting to give their long-suffering fans some late-season agita after Wednesday night’s 6-3 loss to the Braves at Citi Field.

Freddie Freeman, who was not in Atlanta’s starting lineup due to a sore wrist, crushed a tie-breaking, three-run homer off Mets closer Jeurys Familia in the top of the ninth, after socking a two-run double in the seventh that tied the game, 3-3. Freeman had five RBI on the night.

“Matter of fact, we heard before the game that (Freeman’s) wrist was really bothering him and they didn’t think he was going to play. So, I’m going to fire that scout. I can tell you that,” said Terry Collins, prompting laughs in the postgame press conference.

Asked if the intel on Freeman truthfully came from a scout or a tweet or elsewhere, Collins said in what seemed a half-joking way: “It was from a source. I fired him still.”

Despite the loss, the Mets’ magic number to clinch the National League East dropped to five since the Nationals lost to Baltimore, 4-3. But it was an ugly home stand for the Mets (85-67), who went 3-6 against the lowly Marlins, playoff-contending Yankees and pitiful Braves in front of the Flushing faithful.

“It’s been a rough home stand. We’ve got to find a way to win series,” David Wright said. “We’ve got some of those young horses going in Cincinnati, so hopefully we can go win a series, get that much closer. Right now, we’re not giving our pitchers much room for error. Freddie’s a thorn in our side. I’ll be glad to get rid of him. Freddie came in and single-handedly beat us tonight.”

Wright did his part to send the home crowd into a frenzy when he tied the game with a seventh-inning RBI single. Collins had said before the game that giving Wright a day off – which he did Monday – was doing wonders for Wright’s performance since the third baseman came off the disabled list Aug. 24. Wright is batting .353 (12-for-34) with five doubles, one home run and six RBI over his last nine games.

“I told a lot of people, one of the things we’re seeing is how well (Wright) has played after he’s had a day off. His bat speed is outstanding, which tells you he’s healthy,” said Collins.

The Mets observe a moment of silence in honor of Yogi Berra who dies at age 90. The Hall of Famer player managed the Mets to the NL pennant in 1973.

Mets starter Bartolo Colon was pitching a perfect game when Jace Anderson hit an infield single with two outs in the fifth. Colon departed with the bases loaded and one out in the seventh, and the game soon unraveled for reliever Addison Reed.

Michael Bourn hit an RBI single off Reed. Freeman then pinch-hit and launched a sky-high blast to right that Curtis Granderson misjudged. The double scored two more runs as the Braves took the lead, 3-2.

After Wright tied the score, Atlanta clawed back in the ninth, with Cameron Maybin hitting a one-out infield single and Bourn drawing a walk. Freeman then launched an 0-1 pitch into the left-field stands.

“His split’s been outstanding,” Collins said of Familia (2-2). “Left it up in the hitting area, and (Freeman) did what good hitters do.”

Wright said he and his teammates saw the final score of the Nationals’ game back in the clubhouse after the Mets’ loss, and that while it was “nice” to get that much closer to the postseason, the Mets would prefer to rack up wins.

“Ultimately we’d like to play better,” Wright said, “and have that magic number shrink because we’re winning.”

Mets captain David Wright has no issues with Freddie FreemanCHRISTIAN RED, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

David said any jawing with Freddie Freeman Wednesday night was all in good fun, even if television cameras caught Wright appearing to launch an expletive at the Braves slugger in the seventh inning, when Wright hit an RBI single to tie the game.

“I have animated conversations with a lot of people. It’s fun to kind of get that competitiveness back and forth. I wasn’t expecting to see him tonight. He comes off the bench and kills us again,” said Wright. “I am angry at him. He hit a two-run double and then a three-run homer. But more in a playful way. Freddie and I go back and forth every now and then.”

Wright said he didn’t even look at Freeman in the ninth, after his three-run homer buried the Mets. “I had already been disgusted with him at that point,” Wright said.

NOT TERRY CONCERNED

Slump? What slump? Terry Collins said he had no worries about the dipping batting averages on his team during this home stand. “We go up and down, every team does. One of the things we’re getting away from — our chase rate is up a little bit, which is something that we have not been doing,” said Collins. “For six years I've said (Citi Field) is not an easy place to hit. Never has been.”

HONORING YOGI

The Mets held a moment of silence for Hall of Famer Yogi Berra before Wednesday’s game. A photo of Berra in his Mets uniform and the years of his birth and death were shown on the jumbo screen during the moment of silence. Berra, who died Tuesday night at age 90, was the skipper for the 1973 Mets team that went to the World Series and lost to the A’s.

GREEN: NO ’07 REPEAT

Shawn Green, who played on the 2007 Mets team that collapsed down the stretch and missed the playoffs, says this year’s Mets club won't falter in the same manner. “We were feeling the tension in the clubhouse,” Green told the Daily News. “This is a much different team. Their strength is in pitching, where it needs to be.” ... Infielder Juan Uribe had a pinch-hit single in the ninth. He hadn’t played since Sunday against the Yankees, when he made a diving play that resulted in a deep bone bruise in his chest. … Collins said right-hander Carlos Torres will need more time to recover from a left calf strain, adding “We’ll find out more (Thursday).”

Mets end dreadful homestand with another loss to lowly BravesDAN MARTIN, NEW YORK POST

Maybe it’s best the Mets are headed out of town — because Citi Field isn’t doing them any good.

They finished an ugly homestand with a 6-3 loss to the Braves on Wednesday night. It ended a 3-6 stint in Queens, as the Mets dropped all three series they played.

Wednesday night’s defeat was especially painful, as Jeurys Familia allowed a three-run homer in the ninth to Freddie Freeman, who began the game on the bench with a stiff wrist, to break open a tie game.

“It’s been a rough homestand,” David Wright said after the Mets saw their lead in the NL East stay at 6 ½ games thanks to another loss by the dreadful Nationals. “Lately, we’ve played really well on the road. Hopefully we continue to be those road warriors.”

The Mets are now just 6-12 in their last 18 at home after starting the year 42-18. They closed their last trip on a seven-game winning streak and are now left to look to recreate that success starting Thursday in Cincinnati.

“Let’s go back and get on the road and see if we can rekindle some energy and have a good road trip and finish this off,” manager Terry Collins said.

That would be fine, but this certainly wasn’t the way they wanted to leave town, with series losses to the Yankees, as well as the lowly Braves and Marlins.

“We’ve been in that situation, where you’re playing for pride,” Collins said. “There’s no nicer feeling than going on that plane, knowing you’ve spoiled somebody’s party. We’ve done that before to other teams.”

Actually, a better feeling would probably be knowing you’re the team having the party — which is what the Mets are supposed to be doing.

And for a while on Wednesday night, it seemed like they were up to the task.

Bartolo Colon started with a flourish. It wasn’t until Jace Peterson hit a slow roller with two outs in the fifth that the Braves had a base runner and Colon still looked strong going into the seventh.

But three singles later, Colon was gone and the bases were loaded with one out for reliever Addison Reed. Reed gave up an RBI single to Michael Bourn and then a pinch-hit, two-run double to Freeman for a 3-2 Braves lead.

The Mets had squandered some chances to build on their two-run advantage, but left runners in scoring position in the second, third and fourth innings.

“We got to them early, we just weren’t able to tack on runs,” Wright said.

And it came back to haunt them, especially after Wright’s single tied the game at 3-3 in the seventh and then Familia left a pitch up to Freeman in the ninth.

“It happens,” Wright said of Familia’s mistake. “All the best pitchers in the world are going to go out there and give up runs every now and then.”

Even Familia, who had surrendered just one earned run in his last 25 innings and hadn’t given up a homer since July 30.

“It’s tough heading down the stretch,” Wright said. “You know games are going to be close. The intensity level is high, so it’s nice to be able to have a little cushion, where they don’t have to worry about making a perfect pitch every time.”

Perhaps the best tonic will be a trip to Cincinnati to visit the last-place Reds, who have lost four in a row.

“You can’t take anybody for granted,” Collins said. “We’re still in a good spot. We’ve got to make it work.”

Curses! Freddie Freeman gets the better of the Mets — againZACH BRAZILLER, NEW YORK POST

Freddie Freeman’s right wrist remains painful — about as painful as his two mighty swings were to the Mets Wednesday night.

Coming off the bench because of the wrist issue, Freeman singlehandedly beat the Mets, driving in five runs in two at-bats, as the woeful Braves stunned the Citi Field crowd with their second straight win over the NL East-leading Mets, 6-3, to cap a dismal 3-6 homestand.

It wouldn’t have been possible without the ailing Freeman, who stroked a pinch-hit two-run double off the right-field fence in the seventh that gave the Braves a lead and hit a mammoth three-run shot to the opposite field in the ninth off closer Jeurys Familia to provide the winning margin.

“We heard before the game his wrist was really bothering him and they didn’t think he was going to play,” Mets manager Terry Collins said. “So I’m going to fire that scout.”

Before the game, in fact, Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez told reporters he wanted to avoid using Freeman. But with the Mets up a run, the bases loaded and one out in the seventh, Gonzalez called upon the left-handed slugger, who told his manager he would deal with the pain if the situation called for him to be used. Freeman, who said he feels a shooting pain in his wrist on every swing, launched a double off reliever Addison Reed, giving Atlanta the lead.

It didn’t sit well with David Wright.

When Wright pulled the Mets even with a two-out run-scoring single in the seventh, he dropped an F-Bomb on Freeman upon reaching first base.

“F— you,” Wright was caught saying on video.

Both players, good friends, said it was in jest. The cameras missed both of them smiling after the remark, according to the Braves first baseman.

“They caught that on TV?” Freeman, his right wrist heavily wrapped, asked sheepishly. “They don’t need to blow that. It’s all in fun.”

They didn’t share any words when Freeman gave the Braves the lead for good in the ninth, blasting a three-run shot off Familia, the first home run the closer has given up since July 30, a span of 27 outings.

“I didn’t even want to look at him,” Wright said with a slight smirk. “I had already been disgusted with him at that point. I like Freddie. I enjoy watching him beat other teams. I don’t like it when he does it to us.”

Freeman’s struggles this season against the Mets were bound to end at some point, despite his frustrating injury-plagued season. He has owned them since 2012, blasting 15 home runs and 61 RBIs, equal to or more than any other opposing player has against the Mets. And he got a lasting memory in what has been a forgettable 2015 season.

“It’s been one of those years that hasn’t gone the way we all wanted it to go,” he said. “But when you have a game like this, you get down early and come back against a first-place team, it’s definitely a good feeling.”

Where it all went wrong for the Mets and Bartolo ColonDAN MARTIN, NEW YORK POST

For four innings on Wednesday night, Bartolo Colon was nearly unhittable.

He retired the first 14 batters he faced, needed just 32 pitches (26 strikes) to get through four innings and Atlanta looked like it wanted no part of being at Citi Field.

Just as quickly, though, Colon faltered in the seventh.

After giving up his first hit — an infield single with two outs in the fifth to Jace Peterson — and a pair of base runners in the sixth, Colon left the game with the bases loaded in the seventh.

Colon ended up surrendering three runs in 6¹/₃ innings, as Addison Reed allowed all three runners to score in a 6-3 loss.

“I didn’t see many good swings the entire night,” Collins said. “He was outstanding. … Just all of a sudden he gave up some hits. I went to a guy who was pitching brilliantly.”

The same could have been said of Colon, whose status for the postseason hasn’t been determined.

“I haven’t talked to anybody,” Collins said. “We’ve got business to attend to first.”

Lucas Duda has been trying to break out of the funk that has plagued him since he returned from the disabled list on Sept. 7.

Perhaps a double and a pair of walks in a 1-for-2 night was a positive sign for the first baseman, who entered the game in a 6-for-39 slump since returning from a bout of lower-back stiffness.

“He’s trying to get back in a groove a little bit,” Collins said before the game. “With him it’s reps. How many? I don’t have a number in mind. There’s nothing to really gauge it on. He hit early again.

“I hope he begins to catch fire here right now. This next week we’re going into two places that are great hitters’ parks [in Cincinnati and Philadelphia].”

Duda wasn’t the only Met to shake off a slide, as Travis d’Arnaud snapped an 0-for-18 drought with a single to center that sent Duda to third with no one out in the second. He went 2-for-4.

David Wright looked to have a key single when he tied the game in the seventh, but it didn’t stay that way for long.

Nevertheless, Wright continued his effectiveness at the plate since his return from the disabled list. He’s 12-for-34 with five doubles, a home run and six RBIs in his last nine games.

Juan Uribe, who suffered a deep chest bruise while diving for a ground ball on Sunday, was held out of the starting lineup again but came on to get a pinch-hit single to start the ninth.

“Having Juan down has hurt the past couple of days,” Collins said.

Carlos Torres remained out with a left calf strain. He is expected to go through fielding drills to see if he’s healthy enough to cover bases and return Thursday. … Daniel Murphy tied a career-high with his 13th homer of the season.

Yoenis Cespedes went into the game mired in a 4-for-26 slump.

“I don’t want to put it on one guy,” Collins said of Cespedes, who went 1-for-4 with a third-inning triple. “He eased the pressure on the other guys when he was red hot. We have to protect him. He’s been doing it for other guys, so we need to pick him up a little bit.”

Mets fall to Braves, but magic number is reduced to fiveGREG LOGAN, NEWSDAY

The Mets continued slouching toward the playoffs Wednesday night as Freddie Freeman came off the bench to drive in five runs, including a three-run, ninth-inning home run off closer Jeurys Familia to give Atlanta a 6-3 victory at Citi Field.

The loss completed a 3-6 homestand for the Mets, who have lost six of their past eight games. It might be time to panic except that the Nationals lost for the second night in a row to reduce the Mets' magic number for clinching the NL East to five and maintain their lead at 6 ½ games.

"That's nice," David Wright said of the Nationals' loss. "It's good when your magic number shrinks. But we'd like to play better and have it shrink because we're winning."

The game began as a tour de force for Mets starter Bartolo Colon, who retired the first 14 Braves he faced before giving up an infield single to Jace Peterson in the fifth inning. The Mets

had staked Colon to a 2-0 lead on a solo home run by Daniel Murphy and an RBI single by Ruben Tejada.

But Freeman, who was not expected to play, was inserted as a pinch hitter in the seventh and capped a three-run rally with a two-run double for a 3-2 lead. Wright tied it at 3 with a run-scoring single in the bottom of the seventh.

But Familia gave up a one-out infield single and then walked a batter in the ninth before Freeman sent a fastball soaring into the leftfield seats for the 6-3 lead.

"He made good contact," Familia understated. "I was feeling great. I just had a bad day."

It marked the first losing homestand of the season for the Mets, but at least manager Terry Collins still had his sense of humor.

"I heard before the game that Freeman's wrist was bothering him. I didn't think he was going to play. I'm going to have to fire that scout."

Wright exchanged barbs with Freeman as he rounded third base but later said it was all in fun.

"Freddie has been a thorn in our side," Wright said. "I wasn't expecting to see him. He came in and single-handedly beat us. I didn't want to look at him [on the homer]. I was already disgusted."

Colon was the model of efficiency, throwing 75 pitches through 61/3 innings before leaving to a standing ovation from much of the crowd of 28,931. But after giving up just two hits in the first six innings, Colon yielded three singles in the seventh, leaving the bases loaded for reliever Addison Reed.

Michael Bourn drove in the Braves' first run with a single before Freeman's first big hit.

"Colon was tremendous up until the seventh," Collins said. "He was outstanding."

Rather than dwell on the poor homestand, Collins and Wright chose to look forward to a seven-game road trip that begins Thursday night in Cincinnati and then moves to Philadelphia, both of which are considered hitters' parks.

"We're looking at a situation where we've played real well on the road," Collins said. "Let's see if we can finish it off."

Wright faulted the Mets for not taking full advantage of all the scoring opportunities they had.

"We had chances to tack on runs and let them off the hook," Wright said. "We're not giving our pitchers much room for error."

Fortunately for the Mets, that Nationals are giving them room for error.

Braves’ Freddie Freeman Reprises His Role as a Mets NemesisDAVID WALDSTEIN, NEW YORK TIMES

David Wright settled into first base after knocking in the tying run in the seventh inning, looked over at Atlanta first baseman Freddie Freeman and appeared to say something unprintable.

After the game, which the Braves won, 6-3, thanks almost entirely to Freeman, Wright was asked about the invective he had unleashed, because it looked as if he were genuinely angry at Freeman.

“I am angry at him,” Wright said. “He hit a two-run double and a three-run homer. I am angry at him.”

Wright went on to explain that the anger was playful in spirit, just competitive banter between divisional rivals. But he had reason to feel some level of disgust toward Freeman. The Mets are trying desperately to win a few games and clinch the National League East. Freeman, with nothing to play for except professional pride, hit a go-ahead, pinch-hit, two-run double in the seventh inning, then broke a 3-3 tie in the ninth with his three-run shot off Jeurys Familia, the Mets’ closer.

Wright described his adversary as a thorn in the Mets’ side.

Since 2012, Freeman has 15 home runs against the Mets, tied with Giancarlo Stanton for most against the Mets in that time frame, and 61 R.B.I., numbers reminiscent of Chipper Jones, the former Brave who battered the Mets so routinely that he named one of his children Shea, after their old stadium. Over all, Freeman has 16 home runs in 88 career games against the Mets, with 25 doubles and 69 R.B.I.

His level of productivity against them has been potent, but on Wednesday it was freakish, with five R.B.I. and six total bases in two plate appearances.

“Freddie came in and single-handedly beat us tonight,” Wright said. “That’s why he is who he is, and it seems like he elevates his game against us.”

The loss was the Mets’ sixth in their last eight games at home, and even though the Washington Nationals lost again, too, the Mets are not playing like a team worthy of winning a division and going to the playoffs.

Neither are the Nationals, who were defeated by the Baltimore Orioles, 4-3. That shaved the magic number for the Mets to win the division down to five, with 10 games to play. But if not for Freeman, who played only three innings Wednesday, the Mets might have been able to pretty much put the race away.

The Mets did not even expect Freeman to play. Word had filtered over to their side of the stadium that he had a sore wrist, and he was left out of the starting lineup against Bartolo Colon, who pitched brilliantly through six innings.

“We heard before the game that his wrist was really bothering him and he wasn’t going to play,” Mets Manager Terry Collins said of Freeman. “So I’m going to fire that scout, I can tell you that.”

Colon did not allow a base runner until Jace Peterson’s slow infield single with two outs in the fifth, and looked as perfect as a pitcher can be through the first four innings, requiring only 32 pitches to that point. But in the seventh inning he loaded the bases with one out and was replaced by Addison Reed, who allowed all three runners to score.

The big hit was Freeman’s pinch-hit double off the wall in right field that barely eluded Curtis Granderson’s glove, and the Braves went ahead, 3-2. Wright evened the score in the bottom of the inning with his single that scored Eric Young Jr.

But as Wright stood at third base in the top of the ninth inning, he saw Freeman do even more damage after Cameron Maybin reached on an infield single and Michael Bourn walked. Familia grooved a split-fingered fastball, and Freeman walloped it into the seats in left-center field. This time, Wright had nothing to say to Freeman as he rounded third.

“I didn’t even want to look at him,” Wright said.

The night before, Collins said the Mets were playing tight. He said they swung their bats better in this game, but the result was the same, another loss when they could have left the Nationals at the threshold of elimination.

Instead, the Mets essentially backed their way forward.

“It’s always good when that magic number shrinks,” Wright said. “Ultimately, we’d like to play better and have that magic number shrink because we’re winning, not because they are losing.”

Mets stumble late, but magic number cut to 5MARK BOWMAN, JOE TREZZA, MLB.COM

The Mets had to begin the day thinking, at least this once, Freddie Freeman wouldn't hurt them. The slugger started the day on the bench to rest his right wrist. But by the end of the night, Freeman had provided two deciding blows in the Braves' 6-3 series-stealing win on Wednesday at Citi Field.

Freeman's pinch-hit two-run double gave Atlanta a lead in the seventh, and his tiebreaking three-run homer off Jeurys Familia in the ninth ensured the Mets finished their homestand 3-6, but their magic number to clinch the National League East was reduced to 5 as the Nationals lost to the Orioles.

"We heard before the game his wrist was really bothering him and they didn't think he was going to play," Mets manager Terry Collins said of Freeman.

"I'm going to fire that scout, I'll tell you that," Collins added jokingly.

Familia allowed an infield single to Cameron Maybin and walked Michael Bourn to set the stage for Freeman, who clubbed his 16th career home run against New York in 86 games. Freeman's five RBIs gave him 69 over the last five years against the Mets, more than any other player. By taking two of three from New York this week, the Braves claimed their second road series victory since the All-Star break and put themselves in a spot where they have to win just one of their final nine games to avoid a 100-loss season.

"We haven't laid down as bad as it's been and as tough as it's been," Maybin said. "I enjoy showing up every day and playing with these guys because we've got no quit in this group. We believe we have a chance every day. You play 27 outs for a reason."

The Mets appeared poised to notch their 40th comeback win of the season when David Wright tied the game at 3 with a seventh-inning RBI single off Brandon Cunniff. That wriggled Bartolo Colon off the hook after he allowed three runs over 6 1/3 innings. Colon took a perfect game into the fifth before his pace and location lagged in the seventh, when three singles loaded the bases to end his night. That brought on Addison Reed for the biggest situation of his young Mets career. Reed allowed all three inherited runners to score.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Wright stuff: The Mets averaged 2.55 runs per game on this homestand, but Wright hit .353. One of his biggest hits came off Cunniff in the seventh, when he lined a 94-mph fastball into left-center for a clutch single to score Eric Young Jr. with the tying run.

Healthy enough to deliver: With an off-day scheduled on Thursday, the Braves took advantage of a chance to allow Freeman to rest his previously sprained right wrist, which has occasionally bothered him over the past few weeks. But when the situation presented itself with the bases loaded in the seventh, Freeman came off the bench and delivered the go-ahead two-run double. His mammoth opposite-field homer in the ninth capped the fourth five-RBI game of his career, three of which have come at the Mets' expense.

Freeman originally injured the wrist while taking a swing at Citi Field on June 13. Less than a week later, he began a five-week stint on the disabled list.

"It's just been one of those years that hasn't gone the way we wanted it to go," Freeman said. "But when you have a game like this where you get down early and come back against a first-place team, it's definitely a good feeling." More >

Holding steady: Williams Perez surrendered Daniel Murphy's first-inning homer and allowed singles to three of the first four batters he faced in the second inning. But despite encountering frequent threats, he allowed just two runs over six innings. The Braves rookie, who has a 2.91 ERA over his past four starts, benefited from a Colon sacrifice-bunt attempt that resulted in a double play to end the fourth inning.

QUOTABLE

"[Former Braves manager] Bobby Cox did it all the time. When you give your [top] players a night off, it's almost better because you can put them in a game at any point that you want. He came up with the bases loaded and then came up again [in the ninth] with guys on first and second in a clutch situation." -- Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez, on Freeman

"I wasn't expecting to see him tonight. He came off the bench and killed us in the end. We're glad to get rid of him and Andrelton Simmons and everyone else who beats us up over there." -- Wright

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Wright's game-tying single stands as the only hit Cunniff has allowed against the last 19 batters he has faced.

Pinch-running for Ruben Tejada in the seventh, Young swiped his second base since rejoining the Mets on Sept. 1. That put him in scoring position for Wright. Young doesn't have a hit in September, but he's now scored nine runs. That ties the record for runs scored in September/October by specialty pinch-runners, set by Allan Lewis in 1973.

YOGI TRIBUTE

The Mets played a pregame video tribute to Yogi Berra on the scoreboard and observed a moment of silence for the baseball legend before the first pitch. Berra, who died Tuesday at age 90 of natural causes, managed the Mets for four seasons in the 1970s.

WHAT'S NEXT

Braves: Atlanta will enjoy an off-day on Thursday and then begin a three-game series at Marlins Park on Friday at 7:10 p.m. ET. Rookie Ryan Weber will oppose Jose Fernandez in the series opener. The Braves have won each of the previous six games played in Miami this year.

Mets: New York's magic number sits at 5 as the Mets open a four-game series in Cincinnati on Thursday. Left-hander Steven Matz starts for the Mets against the team he beat in his Major League debut on June 28.

Bartolo Colon flirts with perfect game, but Mets fall to Atlanta Braves, 6-3 | Rapid reactionMARIA GUARDADO, NJ ADVANCE MEDIA

The Mets wasted an early two-run lead and a brilliant effort by Bartolo Colon on Wednesday night, allowing the sub-.500 Atlanta Braves to rally and emerge with a 6-3 win at Citi Field.

With the game tied, 3-3, Freddie Freeman crushed a go-ahead, three-run bomb to left field off Mets closer Jeurys Familia in the top of the ninth, lifting the Braves to victory in the rubber game of the series.

Despite not being in Atlanta's starting lineup, Freeman finished the night with five RBI and also delivered a two-run double in the seventh, which gave the Braves a 3-2 lead at the time.

Captain David Wright leveled the game with an RBI single off Brandon Cunniff in the bottom of the seventh, but the club ultimately failed to recoup the lead.

The Mets have now dropped three consecutive series after going 3-6 during this nine-game home stand.

Even so, they got some help from the Baltimore Orioles, who defeated the Washington Nationals, 4-3, on Wednesday, bringing their magic number down to five with 10 games left to play.

STARTING PITCHER:

For four innings, Bartolo Colon was perfect. Colon retired 14 consecutive batters to open the game before giving up a two-out infield single to Jace Peterson in the fifth. The 42-year-old tossed six shutout innings but ran into trouble in the seventh, when he allowed the Braves to load the bases with one out.

Addison Reed was then summoned from the bullpen to protect the Mets' 2-0 lead, but he gave up an RBI single to Michael Bourn, followed by a two-run double to Freeman, which put the Braves ahead, 3-2.

All three runs were charged to Colon, who gave up seven hits, walked one and struck out one over 6 1/3 innings.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Daniel Murphy crushed a solo shot to right-center off Braves starter Willams Perez to give the Mets a 1-0 lead in the first inning. It was Murphy's 13th home run of the season, which ties a career high.

• The Mets tacked on another run in the second via Ruben Tejada's RBI single, scoring Lucas Duda from third.

• Travis d'Arnaud singled in the second, snapping an 0-for-18 slump. He finished the night 2-for-4.

LOWLIGHTS:

• Though he has yet to allow an earned run since joining the Mets on Aug. 30, Reed allowed all three inherited runners to score in the seventh, which erased the Mets' 2-0 lead at the time.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

The Mets held a moment of silence prior to the game in honor of Yankee legend Yogi Berra, who passed away Tuesday at the age of 90.

INJURY REPORT:

• Juan Uribe took batting practice on Wednesday and steadily recovering from the deep bruise in his chest cavity. He entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the ninth and smacked a leadoff single.

• Carlos Torres was unavailable for Wednesday's game, as his strained left calf is still an issue. He is scheduled to perform pitcher's fielding exercises on Thursday to see if he's capable of covering first and backing up bases.

UP NEXT:

The Mets head to Cincinnati to open a four-game series with the Reds on Thursday. Lefty Steven Matz (4-0, 1.80) will start the opener for the Mets and oppose Josh Smith (0-2, 7.71 ERA).

David Wright, Freddie Freeman engage in 'competitive banter' during Mets' loss to Atlanta BravesMARIA GUARDADO, NJ ADVANCE MEDIA

Freddie Freeman's bat was all it took for the Atlanta Braves to roll over the Mets, 6-3, on Wednesday night at Citi Field.

Freeman, who was kept out of Atlanta's starting lineup due to a bothersome wrist, came off the bench in the seventh inning and subsequently became a one-man wrecking crew. With the Braves down, 2-1, Freeman smacked a two-run double to erase the Mets' tenuous edge and give his club its first lead of the night.

Though David Wright knotted the game with an RBI single in the bottom half of the inning, Freeman then delivered the knockout blow in the ninth by clubbing a go-ahead, three-run homer off closer Jeurys Familia, lifting the Braves to a 6-3 win.

Freeman finished 2-for-2 with five RBI, matching a career-high.

"We heard before the game that his wrist was really bothering him and they didn't think he was going to play," manager Terry Collins said. "So I'm going to fire that scout. I'll tell you that."

Freeman has established himself as a bonafide Mets killer in recent years, as he has 15 home runs against the club since 2012, which is tied with Miami's Giancarlo Stanton for the most against New York in that span. Freeman has also collected 61 RBI in that time frame -- the next highest is Philadelphia's Ryan Howard with 48 RBI.

"Freddie is a thorn in our side," Wright said. "It's fun to kind of get that competitiveness back and forth. I wasn't expecting to see him tonight, so he comes off the bench and kills us again. I'll be glad to get rid of him and Andrelton Simmons and everybody else that beats us up over there. But Freddie came in and singlehandedly beat us tonight. That's why he is who he is. Seems like he elevates his game against us."

After he singled to tie the game, 3-3, in the bottom of the seventh, Wright was caught on camera directing profanity at Freeman.

(Warning: The GIF below contains explicit language.)

"I am angry at him. He hit a two-run double and a three-run homer," Wright said of the exchange at first base. "I am angry at him, but more in a playful way. Freddie and I, we go back and forth every now and then. It's nothing more than competitive banter."

Still, unfortunately for the Mets, Freeman got the last laugh in the ninth when he smoked an 0-1 splitter from Familia to left field.

Did Freeman offer a verbal response to Wright as he rounded the bases?

"No," Wright said. "I didn't even want to look at him. I had already been disgusted with him at that point. Like I said, I like Freddie. I enjoy watching him beat other teams. I just don't like him playing like he does against us."

Sore wrist doesn't stop Braves' Freeman from driving in 5ASSOCIATED PRESS

Freddie Freeman's right wrist looked just fine.

The Braves slugger was supposed to get Wednesday night off to rest his sore joint. Instead, he matched a career high with five RBIs, hitting a tiebreaking, three-run homer in the ninth inning after doubling in two as a pinch hitter in the seventh to lead Atlanta to a 6-3 win over the New York Mets.

"The wrist has been bothering me for a couple of weeks now and it's definitely worse," Freeman said. "I just have to muster up and play through it, and I told Skip before the game that if a big situation comes up, I'll go up and hit."

He got two huge hits after the Braves fell behind 2-0 against Bartolo Colon. Atlanta beat the Mets for the second straight night, giving the Braves five wins in 26 games away from home since July 27.

Manager Fredi Gonzalez hoped to give Freeman two days off — the Braves have an off day Thursday — before opening a series at Miami. Freeman spent more than six weeks on the disabled list this summer because of a wrist injury.

"Our training staff did a terrific job," Gonzalez said. "We gave him enough time to get warmed up when we had to use him."

David Wright had a tying, two-out single off Brandon Cuniff in the seventh after the Braves scored three times in the top half to take a 3-2 lead. But closer Jeurys Familia failed in the ninth as the NL East leaders finished 3-6 on their penultimate set at Citi Field.

New York stayed 6 1/2 games in front of second-place Washington, whose 4-3 loss to Baltimore trimmed the Mets' magic number to five for clinching the division title.

Freeman had a two-run double and Michael Bourn singled in a run off Addison Reed after Colon was lifted with the bases loaded and one out in the seventh.

Mets manager Terry Collins brought in his closer to maintain the tie, but Familia gave up a one-out single to Cameron Maybin and walked Bourn.

Freeman, who appeared to have a testy conversation with Wright at first base in the bottom of the seventh after the New York captain's hit tied it, launched a drive deep into the stands in left-center for the first homer off Familia (2-2) in 28 appearances.

"Freddie is a thorn in our side," Wright said. "It was fun to get that competitiveness back and forth. I wasn't expecting to see him tonight and he comes off the bench and kills us again."

Said a smiling Freeman: "I have no idea what was said. It was in a very playful manner, I promise you that."

Edwin Jackson (2-2) got one out for the win. Arodys Vizcaino worked the ninth for his seventh save.

Colon held the Braves without a baserunner until there were two outs in the fifth, but A.J. Pierzynski and Andrelton Simmons started the seventh with singles off the 42-year-old right-hander. After an out, Maybin singled to chase Colon.

Reed has not yielded a run for New York since being acquired on Aug. 30, but he's allowed all five inherited runners to score.

Colon was charged with five hits and three runs in 6 1-3 innings. He was looking to reach 15 wins for a third straight season in his 40s.

Braves starter Williams Perez gave up two early runs, a homer to Daniel Murphy in the first and an RBI single to Ruben Tejada an inning later, but settled in through six.

The Mets helped him out, though, stranding Yoenis Cespedes following a two-out triple in the third. Colon bunted into a double play in the fourth.

HONORING YOGI

Braves first baseman Nick Swisher, who played four seasons for the Yankees, had No. 8 written on the side of his hat in honor of Yogi Berra, who died Tuesday night.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Mets: RHP Carlos Torres (left calf) will do fielding drills off the mound Thursday to see how close he is to being available again out of the bullpen.

UP NEXT

Braves: Ryan Weber began the season in Double-A. On Friday, he makes his fourth big league start, at Miami. Jose Fernandez will be trying to improve to a major league-record 17-0 at home to start his career.

OTHER METS NEWSMorning Briefing: Nationals can't take advantage of Mets' poor homestandADAM RUBIN, ESPNNEWYORK.COM

FIRST PITCH: At least the Washington Nationals seem incapable of taking advantage.

The New York Mets completed a 3-6 homestand with a loss to the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday. Still, the Amazin’s maintained a 6 ½-game lead atop the National League East and watched their magic number dip to five thanks to the Nats’ 4-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.

The Mets now head to Cincinnati and then Philadelphia, aiming to wrap up the division before an Oct. 2-4 season-ending showdown against the Nats at Citi Field.

“It’s always good when that magic number shrinks,” captain David Wright said after the team’s latest loss. “Ultimately we’d like to play better and have that magic number shrink because we’re winning, and not have to have it shrink because they’re losing.

“I think this is our first losing homestand all year. We’ve played well at home. Lately we’ve played really well on the road. So hopefully we continue to be those road warriors.”

Steven Matz (4-0, 1.80 ERA) opposes Reds right-hander Josh Smith (0-2, 7.71) in Thursday’s 7:10 p.m. ET series opener in Cincinnati. The Mets also will pitch Noah Syndergaard, Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom during that four-game series -- albeit Harvey for an abbreviated period.

“It’s a poor homestand, but we’ve got some of those young horses going in Cincinnati,” Wright said. “So, hopefully, we can go win a series and get that much closer.”

The Mets scored 23 runs during the nine-game homestand -- an average of 2.6 runs per game.

Manager Terry Collins hopes heading to hitter-friendly ballparks in Cincinnati and Philadelphia will revive the Mets’ offense. That proved to be the case when the Amazin’s had consecutive series at Colorado and Philadelphia in late August and scored 73 runs in seven games.

“These are two good-hitting parks,” Collins said. “We seem to swing pretty good in some of these parks that are a little more hitter-friendly. Hopefully we get it going.”

As for summing up losing two of three to the Braves, Collins added late Wednesday: “This is the big leagues. And you can’t take anybody for granted. You’ve got to go play, and play well. Nobody rolls over in this league.

“We’re going to get on the plane tonight, catch our breath, get up tomorrow and go play as hard as we can against Cincinnati.”

THURSDAY’S NEWS REPORTS:

Freddie Freeman came off the bench to produce five RBIs, including a tiebreaking three-run homer in the ninth against Jeurys Familia, as the Braves beat the Mets, 6-3, in Wednesday’s rubber game at Citi Field. Wright, who tied the score at 3 in the seventh with an RBI single, uttered a profanity to Freeman upon arriving at first base. However, Wright insisted postgame that it was playful banter. Bartolo Colon retired the first 14 batters he faced. He departed with the bases loaded and one out in the seventh and the Mets leading 2-0. Addison Reed allowed all three inherited runners to score. Read game recaps in the Post, Daily News, Times, Newsday and at MLB.com.

The Mets remembered the late Yogi Berra with a moment of silence before Wednesday’s game. The team will not wear a patch. Read more on Berra’s passing from columnist Tara Sullivan in the Record and from news stories in the Times, Post, Daily News, Newsday, Journal and at MLB.com.

Juan Uribe had a pinch-hit single in the ninth on Wednesday in his first action since suffering a deep chest bruise diving for a groundball on Sunday. Reliever Carlos Torres was unavailable because his balky left calf issue has compromised his ability to field his position. He is due to test the leg on Thursday in Cincinnati by doing fielding drills.

Read more on the Mets’ recent offensive struggles in Newsday.

From the bloggers … Faith and Fear remembers Berra as both lucky and good.

BIRTHDAYS: Hubie Brooks turns 59. ... Bernard Gilkey is 49.

Cal Ripken Jr. says Mets pitcher Matt Harvey is in 'no-win situation'BILL PRICE, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Cal Ripken Jr., a man who didn’t take a day off for 16 years, was in town Wednesday with Ron Darling promoting TBS’ coverage of the National League playoffs.

When asked about the controversy surrounding Matt Harvey and his innings limits, baseball’s Iron Man said the Dark Knight of Gotham is in a “no-win situation.”

“It’s gotta be really, really hard for him,” Ripken said on the lastest episode of the Daily News SportsTalk podcast. “The only way he can win is if he pitches maybe once in each series and the Mets go on to win the World Series, then the story has a happy ending.”

He added that if he were Harvey, he would get as much info as he could from the doctors and then decide if he should “assume the risk,” especially with the Mets so close to the postseason.

“To me, the sad part about it is when you are right here on the edge of making the playoffs, you don’t know if you are going to be back in that situation again,” said Ripken, the 19-time All-Star. “Your team is fighting to try to win the World Series, they feel this is their best opportunity and you want to try to put your best foot forward, so it’s a really difficult situation to be in.”

Darling, also an analyst for SNY, said it’s been hard to watch Harvey go through this, especially when no one knows for sure if/when an injury can occur.

“You never know when an injury is going to happen, does it happen on pitch 92 or 102? You don’t know,” said Darling. “I find it hard to watch Matt go through this, he’s in a difficult place. I’m not saying he didn’t play a part in it, but he’s 26 years old and all of us would love to have the mistakes we made at 26 years old back.

“And as Cal said, a couple of wins in postseason repairs all of this.”

Daily News Sports Talk Podcast: Cal Ripken Jr. and Ron Darling talk Matt Harvey and innings limitsNEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Matt Harvey’s innings limits have been the talk of the town this week, and on Wednesday baseball’s Iron Man, Cal Ripken Jr., and former Mets pitcher, Ron Darling weighed in on the whole situation.

Ripken and Darling, who will be calling the National League playoffs for TBS this October, sat down with Daily News sports editor Bill Price for our weekly Daily News sportstalk podcast to discuss Harvey, the passing of Yogi Berra and the upcoming NL playoffs.

Mets’ backing-into-playoff approach is dangerousKEVIN KERNAN, NEW YORK POST

The Mets would be wise to heed the words of Yogi Berra.

Berra passed away late Tuesday and the Mets had a moment of silence for their former manager Wednesday night at Citi Field.

Considering what happened in their 6-3 loss to the lowly Braves, the Mets still have work to do before they start making postseason plans.

Like Yogi said: It ain’t over ’til it’s over.

This isn’t Panic City, yet, but it’s not a good vibe around the Mets as they dropped two straight to the Braves and head out to play two more terrible teams — the Reds and Phillies — before finishing the season at home with a three-spot against the Nationals.

The Mets can be thankful the Nationals continue to be chokers.

Washington dropped a 4-3 decision to the Orioles to lower the Mets’ magic number to five.

The highlight of the night for the Mets happened in the food room. That’s where they saw the Nationals lose.

“It’s always nice when that magic number shrinks,’’ David Wright said. “Ultimately, we’d like to play better and have that magic number shrink because we’re winning.’’

That would be nice. Right now, backing into the postseason is the favored mode of transportation for the Mets.

If the Mets don’t clean it up, they could be scrambling instead of setting up their postseason plans to perfection.

“It was a poor homestand, but we have some of those young horses going in Cincinnati so maybe we can go win a series and get that much closer,’’ Wright said.

Wright singled in the seventh to tie the game at 3-3, but Freddie Freeman’s three-run home run in the ninth off closer Jeurys Familia was the difference. It was the first home run Familia had allowed since July 30.

Freeman also ripped a pinch-hit double to drive in two runs in the seventh to put the Braves on top, 3-2.

“Freddie is a thorn in our side and I wasn’t expecting to see him [because of a wrist injury]. So he comes off the bench and kills us again,’’ Wright said. “I’ll be glad to get rid of him and Andrelton Simmons and everybody else that beats us up over there.

The Braves, by the way, are 62-91 so it’s not like they are any good — though Wright and manager Terry Collins talked them up like the Greg Maddux Braves.

The Mets have lost five of their last six series at home and are 6-12 in their last 18 games at Citi Field dating to Aug. 14. It’s a home horror show.

Maybe the Mets shouldn’t grab home-field advantage in the NLDS.

Right now the Mets are a team that has lost its edge. They don’t look or act like a playoff team. There is no swagger to the Mets, other than Yoenis Cespedes.

As an offense, it looks like they are just going through the motions, when they should be going for the kill. They have lost their killer instinct and they need to get that back. They also have been playing without much emotion of late.

Until the Mets get rid of the Ghosts of 2007-08, this will be a team with self-doubts.

When the Mets get to Cincinnati, perhaps they will have T-shirts at their lockers proclaiming: “Finish the job!’’

On Wednesday night, the Mets allowed Freeman, the only true power hitter in the Braves lineup, to do them in and he didn’t even start the game.

Since 2012, Freeman has 15 home runs and 61 RBIs against the Mets.

The Mets could use a little offense like that before it’s too late.

Wright said he knows it’s a problem.

“We need to do a better job offensively of tacking on runs — we had chances and let them off the hook,’’ he said.

Again, it’s the Braves.

The Dodgers in the playoffs will be another story — especially facing Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke, who was scratched from Wednesday night’s start because of a sore calf.

“Right now we’re not giving our pitchers much room for error,’’ Wright said.

Heed Yogi’s words Mets, and get this over.

Terry Collins says Mets need to get back to being patient at the plateGREG LOGAN, NEWSDAY

Hitting might be cyclical, but Mets manager Terry Collins believes the recent drop-off in production during the nine-game homestand that ended Wednesday night can be attributed to a recent increase in strikeouts.

"One of the things we're getting away from is our chase rate is up a little bit, which is something we have not been doing," Collins said before the rubber game against the Braves. "We've been

making pitchers bring the ball in the strike zone. Look at what we did on the road. You've still got to be patient enough to make sure you're getting balls you can handle."

Collins also acknowledged the Mets hit better on the road after their previous two homestands, so, he's hopeful the tide will turn during a seven-game road trip to the hitter's parks in Cincinnati and Philadelphia.

"For six years, I've said this is not an easy place to hit," Collins said of Citi Field. "It never has been. It's a big park still, even though we've made adjustments to it. There's wind factors a lot of times. We live and die with power, and this is a tough place to have power."

Rest helping Wright

David Wright's home run Tuesday was his first at Citi Field since returning from the disabled list on Aug. 24. His average in those 22 games entering Wednesday night was .297 with nine extra-base hits, eight RBIs and 16 runs scored.

"I think he's swinging great," said Collins, who is giving Wright regular days off. "When he plays three or four in a row, he gets that general body stiffness.

"I told him today the difference in the day after the day off is unbelievable. His bat speed is so much different and the energy level. I just know that, after this winter, he's going to be healthy."

Extra bases

The Mets held a moment of silence before the game to honor the passing of Yogi Berra . . . Relief pitcher Carlos Torres (leg) will perform pitcher's fielding drills Thursday . . . Juan Uribe (sore chest) took batting practice Wednesday after sitting out a couple of games.

Mets' bullpen has tough time on homestandJOE TREZZA, MLB.COM

Like a hungry man salivating at the sight of a hamburger commercial, Terry Collins watched on television and wanted what he saw. He'd seen it for years, teams riding rock-solid bullpens to October success, each arm thriving in their specific role. What the three-headed monster of Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis and Greg Holland did for Kansas City last postseason comes particularly to mind.

"We thought we had that scenario when we left Spring Training," Collins said recently.

Much has changed. In March, Collins figured Jeurys Familia and Bobby Parnell would supply a solid bridge to Jenrry Mejia in the ninth. As October approaches, Mejia has been suspended twice, Parnell marooned to mop-up duty and it's been Familia handling the ninth, for months now. He's been brilliant, the three runs allowed in Wednesday's 6-3 loss to the Braves aside.

But the Mets still don't have an automatic bridge, despite the early returns of Tyler Clippard, Addison Reed and other acquisitions. This homestand, over which the Mets limped to a 3-6 record against the Marlins, Yankees and Braves, only reinforced that.

"It's the same thing we talked about last night," Collins said Wednesday.

Collins has been talking about it all week. And while most of the conversation has yo-yoed between New York's suddenly struggling offense and its starting-pitching restrictions, the bullpen woes are beginning to creep to the surface again after weeks on the back burner.

Mets relievers posted a 6.42 ERA in 28 innings this homestand, over which eight different pitchers were touched for multiple-run innings. That number doesn't include Reed, who allowed all three runners he inherited Wednesday to score (those were charged to starter Bartolo Colon).

Who it does include is every other pitcher Collins will rely on to get big outs if the Mets make the postseason, which would be his first as a manager and the Mets' first since 2006. Hansel Robles struggled Sunday night against the Yankees, and his own errant throw to third base was the only reason just one of his five runs allowed was earned.

Clippard, who allowed two runs Tuesday before working a scoreless frame Wednesday, has given up six runs over his past five innings. Carlos Torres, Erik Goeddel and Sean Gilmartin qualify as offenders. And Wednesday the virus spread even to Familia. He had allowed just one earned run over his last 25 innings before surrendering Freddie Freeman's go-ahead three-run homer in the ninth.

"That's about as uncommon as anything we've seen in a long time," Collins said.

"You like it when your seventh-, eighth- and ninth-inning guys have a lead, hopefully a couple of runs to play with, so they don't have to be so perfect and so fine," Mets third baseman David Wright said.

The good news for the Mets is, they still have time. Clippard allowed just one run over his first 20 appearances with New York, and Reed has still technically not allowed a run since coming over from the D-backs on Aug. 30. They'll have to rebound if the Mets plan to make a deep October push, because no more reinforcements are on the way.

Collins' quote from Tuesday about the starting rotation rings true for his relievers as well: "These are the guys we got," he said.

Rookie Matz can move Mets closer in CincinnatiJOE TREZZA, MLB.COM

The Mets' magic number will sit at five when Steven Matz opposes Josh Smith to start a four-game series in Cincinnati on Thursday, which means champagne mixed with skyline chili could be on the horizon.

New York would prefer not to wait until returning home Oct. 2 to clinch its first postseason berth since 2006, especially since it still sports a 6 1/2-game lead on the Nationals in the National League East despite losing six of nine.

The Reds enter play having lost four straight. Thursday will mark the second start for Smith (0-2, 7.71) after two relief appearances followed his callup from Triple-A Louisville on Sept. 8.

For the Mets, it begins a seven-game road trip and represents a return to normalcy of sorts. After a month of skipping, pushing and holding back their young frontline starters, New York will feature its four most dynamic arms in succession. Matt Harvey (starting Saturday) and Noah

Syndergaard (Friday) remain on pitch and innings limits to varying degrees. But Matz (4-0, 1.80) should face few restrictions when he toes the rubber Thursday for his sixth Major League start.

Things to know about this game

• When Smith takes the mound, it'll mark the 54th consecutive game that Cincinnati has started a rookie pitcher. The Reds have already set the Major League record for such a streak, bypassing the 1902 Cardinals in September.

• The Mets are 23-15 all-time at Great American Ball Park, good for a winning percentage (.605) better than any other NL team, including the Reds (.525).

• Matz made his Major League debut June 28 against Cincinnati, dazzling with 7 2/3 strong innings and four RBIs at the plate.

Experienced Colon should start in postseasonBARRY M. BLOOM, MLB.COM

The Mets will undoubtedly win the National League East and make the postseason even though they are limping to the finish line.

And when they get there, manager Terry Collins and the baseball operations team is going to have to figure out how to fit the seemingly ageless Bartolo Colon into the rotation.

"That, is a big question," Juan Uribe said after the Braves stunned the Mets, 6-3, on Freddie Freeman's three-run, ninth-inning homer off closer Jeurys Familia on Wednesday night at Citi Field.

With all the controversy surrounding young starters Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard, Colon simply takes the ball every five days and pitches. At 42, the right-hander looks like he should be pitching in a beer league, but he's tossed a staff-high 188 2/3 innings so far this season.

And nobody is worried about his pitch count, cumulative innings pitched or his arm falling off. Colon has 10 postseason starts on his resume. The other five starters have a grand total of zero. That's the kind of experience a team wants and needs when it gets to the postseason.

"I know what you're saying," Uribe said. "But I'm just a player. I'm not the manager. I don't make those decisions."

On Wednesday night, Colon allowed only one infield single through the first five innings and pitched unscathed out of a first and third, one-out situation in the sixth. Collins came out and got him with the bases jammed and one out in the seventh.

When he left in lieu of Addison Reed, the Mets had a 2-0 lead. Two batters later, including a two-run, pinch-hit double by Freeman, that lead was gone and the Mets were behind by a run.

Colon had tossed just 75 pitches at the time and Collins might as well have given him another chance to wiggle out of the situation. It couldn't have turned out any worse.

"He was tremendous," Collins said when asked about Colon's performance. "I didn't see too many good swings against him the entire night. Just, all of a sudden, they got some hits and I went to a guy who has been pitching brilliantly. [Colon] was outstanding."

That's the point, isn't it? Colon spots the ball well and doesn't walk many batters, 24 on the season. He gives the Mets a chance to win, which is all a manager can ask.

The Mets will probably face the Dodgers in the NL Division Series, barring a historic collapse in the last 10 days by either of the teams. Despite a disappointing homestand in which the Mets lost six of the nine games, they hit the road for four in Cincinnati and three in Philadelphia with a 6 1/2-game lead and 10 to play.

The Nationals have picked up three games in the standings since the homestand began with a Mets win over the Marlins on Sept. 14. It could have been much worse if Washington hadn't lost to the Orioles the last two days while the Braves were beating the Mets.

Still up for grabs is home-field advantage in the best-of-five series with the Dodgers, who now hold the narrowest of leads.

Collins knows the Mets will face Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke in the first two games regardless of whether the series opens in New York or Los Angeles. If the Mets can somehow split those two games, they'll have an advantage.

"If they start Harvey, deGrom and Syndergaard you have to like their chances," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said before the game.

You'd figure those young right-handers will indeed get the first three games even if their innings are limited by either performance or overuse.

It would make sense to have the lefties, Steven Matz and Jon Niese, in the bullpen for immediate backup and give the Dodgers a different look in the middle innings. That way Dodgers manager Don Mattingly will exhaust his bench early.

Thus, Colon is a perfect choice for Game 4, tossing his funky offspeed stuff after the bevy of hard throwers. But right now, there's a little matter of nailing down the division title. The magic number for that to happen is any combination of five Mets wins and Nationals losses.

"I told you before the game that I haven't looked there. I haven't investigated, I haven't even talked about [the postseason rotation] to anybody," Collins said. "We have business to attend to first. [Colon] has one more start left and I need him to pitch as well as he did tonight in that start."

Mets notes: Bats are quietCHRIS ISEMAN, THE RECORD

Bats quiet

While trying to clinch the NL East, the Mets' offense fell into a slump at an inopportune time.

They entered this nine-game homestand on a seven-game winning streak, and the powerful lineup was beating up on opposing pitchers.

In the last eight games at Citi Field entering Wednesday, though, Terry Collins' team hadn't been as productive.

With the final week of the regular season approaching, it can't afford to fall into an extended offensive malaise.

Collins said one thing he's noticed is that his hitters have been chasing pitches out of the strike zone, straying from their typical disciplined approach.

"We've been pretty much making pitchers bring the ball into the strike zone," Collins said.

Duda's power outage

Right around the time the Mets bolstered their lineup at the trade deadline, Collins told his team that whoever hits will play. Lucas Duda heard the message loud and clear.

The first baseman went on a tear, hitting nine home runs in eight games.

Then he went on the disabled list with back stiffness Aug. 22.

Since returning from the DL on Sept. 7, Duda was hitting only .154 with only one homer entering Wednesday.

Collins said Duda's been taking extra batting practice because "with him, it's reps that he needs to get."

"We're hoping that he starts to catch fire here right now, this next week," Collins said. "We're going into two places where they're great hitters' parks.

"You want to get in the groove now."

Torres unavailable

Carlos Torres is still dealing with the effects of a strained left calf suffered Sept. 7.

He pitched Sunday against the Yankees, but hasn't been available since.

Collins said Torres will do some fielding today to test the leg.

Mets injury report: How're Juan Uribe, Carlos Torres doing?MARIA GURADADO, NJ ADVANCE MEDIA

Mets infielder Juan Uribe took batting practice before Wednesday's series finale against the Atlanta Braves and said he feels much better after suffering a deep bone bruise in his chest cavity.

Uribe was injured while making a diving play against the Yankees on Sunday and missed the last two games due to lingering soreness. Manager Terry Collins said he would wait to see how Uribe feels after hitting before determining the veteran's availability against the Braves.

Right-handed reliever Carlos Torres will be kept out of Wednesday's game as his left calf strain continues to be an issue. Collins said Torres plans to test his ailing calf on Thursday to see if he's capable of fielding his position.

"Apparently tomorrow they're going to try to do some pitcher's fielding stuff with him to see how his leg reacts," Collins said. "So that we know that not only is he capable of covering first, but that he can back up the bases, that type of thing. We'll find out more tomorrow."

Mets prospect Gavin Cecchini talks breakout season, Arizona Fall LeagueMARIA GURADADO, NJ ADVANCE MEDIA

After struggling in his first three minor league seasons, Mets prospect Gavin Cecchini enjoyed a breakout year with Double-A Binghamton in 2015.

The 21-year-old shortstop, who was selected by the Mets in the first round of the 2012 draft, was named the Eastern League Rookie of the Year after hitting .317 with 26 doubles, four triples, seven home runs and 51 RBI. (He also committed 28 errors.)

On Monday, the Mets honored him with another accolade, presenting him with a 2015 Sterling Award, which are given annually to the most valuable players on each of the organization's minor league affiliates.

It's a remarkable turnaround for Cecchini, whose previous career-best batting average in the pros was .273. While his early professional baseball career was also slowed by injures, Cecchini said Monday that he owes his success this year to simply being patient and continuing to work hard to further his development.

"Just staying with the process," said Cecchini, who's currently rated as the Mets' No. 4 prospect, according to MLB.com. "Just staying with what I always do and being myself. Being Gavin and just keep working the way I've always worked. I knew it was just a matter of time.

"Sometimes you need a little time to work things out. This game is about making adjustments and the quicker you can make them the better off you'll be. That's one thing that I've had to learn. I'm going to keep going and keep working hard and being the best player that I can be."

A hip injury cut Cecchini's Double-A season a little short this year, but he'll be back in action next month, as he's been assigned to play in the Arizona Fall League. Cecchini said he plays to use that experience to continue to refine all aspects of his game.

"I'm always working hard on everything," Cecchini said. "Offensively, defensively, baserunning, the mental side. Whenever someone says that they can't get any better at a certain aspect of the game, then they're lying to you. That's when they're going to go down heels home. I'm not

just working on one thing, I'm working on everything. Just polishing all my tools and just keep going."

Arizona Fall League play opens on Oct. 13.

How does Mets' Terry Collins feel about being a candidate for National League Manager of the Year?MARIA GUARDADO, NJ ADVANCE MEDIA

Despite having to deal with injuries, a once-woeful offense and controversies over innings limits, Terry Collins is on track to steer the Mets to their first winning season since 2008.

With the Mets also poised to break their their nine-year playoff drought, Collins' name has deservedly entered the discussion for National League Manager of the Year.

Still, when asked about his candidacy for the award, Collins downplayed his role in the Mets' success this year.

"It's always nice to get an award," the 66-year-old Collins said Tuesday. "But those kind of things -- it's all about the players, believe me. I've talked to a lot of the great managers who have won these awards hundreds and hundreds of times and very few of them have ever said, 'Oh boy, I managed my a** off.' They put the right names in the lineup is what they've done and let them go play.

"It's nice to be mentioned -- you know why? Because our players are playing good. That makes me a lot happier than anything else. If we can finish this off, nothing can top that. With what we've gone through for five years, nothing can top the fact that we've finally given this organization and this fan base something to cheer about."

Autumn Arrives at Citi FieldMARK SINGER, THE NEW YORKER

A hardly impartial witness’s notes on observing the putatively cake-walking-to-the-National-League-East-title New York Metropolitans entertaining weekend visitors from East 161st Street, Bronx, NY:

Friday, 7:15 P.M., exiting the 7 train, ticketless. Reliable intelligence indicates Yankees already on the board, 1–zip.

Scalper (less reliably): “Middle level, behind home plate. These are my seats. I’ll be right next to you. Hundred bucks … Nope … Nope … O.K., ninety.”

Translation: “You’ll be in Section 501, the uppermost, outermost, beyond-the-foul-line reach of right field, three rows from the top, and the nearest familiar face will be that of Curtis Granderson, miles below, patrolling right. On your left will be Andrew, a thirteen-year-old purportedly pretty good pitcher from the Island; next to him is his brother, Jesse, eight; and they

might as well have stayed in their living room, in Patchogue, because the only game capable of engaging either will be on Andrew’s phone or Jesse’s iPad.”

* * *

Bottom sixth: Elsewhere in Section 501, seven members of the Class of 2013, Robert F. Kennedy Community High School, Flushing, Queens—five outlier Yankeephiles (Michael Gottlieb, Chris Regan, Nick Liotta, Ron Baxter, Walter Spangenberg) and two loyal Metsies (Joe Bursch, Alex Plavnicky)—are greeted by the Bud Light-hoisting father of an absent friend. He wears a visiting-team jersey with “9” on the back—Graig Nettles’s old number, evoking the most operatic Steinbrenner years, when seriously hating the Bombers was an honorable enterprise.

Number 9: “Greetings, my brothers of different mothers and fathers. What’s going on?”

Instanter, Daniel Murphy goes deep to right-center, the second of three Mets homers that will seal a 5–1 “W.”

* * *

Heading home, Corey Mittenberg, a resident of Elmont, and his friend Kristen Chiacchia, of Bushwick, clad mostly in black, are the happiest Goths on the subway platform. Amply inked and ghostly pale, pierced sufficiently to trigger a metal detector, Kristen wears a sparkly Jacob DeGrom jersey. Corey, a lifer with his own engraved brick embedded in the Citi Field Fanwalk, sports a custom-made Mets shirt. Number on back: “0.” Above that: “Sisyphus.”

* * *

Saturday, 1:05 P.M.: Second of three sell-outs. Again, the Yankees begin unloading the lumber before the stragglers summit the escalators. This time, they’ve brought a bigger truck. Jacoby Ellsbury leads off with a soft single to center and Brett Gardner does likewise, setting up the creaky but still-great erstwhile Met Carlos Beltrán, who strokes a perfect nine-iron shot to the right-field upper deck.

Unfortunate coincidence: on inflatable-thundersticks-giveaway day, the home team has brought no thunder. Down by five runs in the sixth, they stir faintly before capitulating. The stands begin to hemorrhage.

* * *

Sunday, 8:08 P.M.: Matt Harvey, possessor of the most fetishized arm in the tri-state area, is on the mound and in form, and for once the top of the first goes one-two-three. His opposite, CC Sabbathia, roller-coasters from the get-go—lead-off doubles, two Ks, two BBs, bases loaded, thirty-two pitches—and somehow gets off the hook only one run down.

The stadium reverberates with bilateral bonhomie—LET’S GO YANK-EES! … LETS GO METS! LET’S GO YANK-EES! … LET’S GO METS!—the evening zipping along until, after five splendid innings (seventy-seven pitches, one hit, one walk, seven strike-outs), Harvey gets benched by a committee of investment advisers.

Cue the wheels coming off. Yanks, top of sixth: two-run double by Beltrán, three-run dinger by Dustin Ackley. Mets: two infield errors. On a dime, autumn arrives.

By the time a certain Yankee named Rodriguez pinch-hits in the eighth, even the boos are perfunctory, lowercase. Five more runners cross the plate. Dust clears. Infield stands as bare as grocery shelves on hurricane eve.

The bitter-enders in the left-field bleachers include Coleman Feeney and Melissa Greco, of Astoria. Melissa’s parents and brother just spent five hours driving from Guilford, Connecticut; sat in traffic on the Grand Central Parkway long enough to watch forty-seven planes land at LaGuardia; finally showed up at the bottom of the fourth; departed in the middle of the eighth (“Tomorrow’s a work day”), and went home happy. Yankee fans.

Not so Coleman and Melissa. “We’ve been together four years,” he said. “Our tradition has been to come in September and sit out here in the cheapest seats. Last year, we had the entire outfield to ourselves. I’ve been a fan for twenty-five years. A week ago, we were watching a game at home and Keith Hernandez said something along the lines of ‘The Nationals are done. This race is over.’ I told Melissa, ‘That’s a curse. This is the beginning of the end.’ You can never be too careful. I don’t think they’re going to botch it, but I’m very aware that they can.”

* * *

Monday, 12 A.M.: Slow walk to the exit. Weekend tally: 130,803 paid, twenty-four runs, forty-six hits, four errors (all Mets), one XL Mets T-shirt, one Matt Harvey bobblehead, one deflated orange thunderstick.

No. 7 express to Queensboro Plaza. Front of train occupied by concession-stand workers, some chatting in Spanish, but most quiet and looking exhausted after another shift shovelling fries and chicken fingers. Among them, Eric Ramirez, wearing a green Jets jacket and a black Yankees cap. For ten years, he’s worked Mets games at Shea and Citi Field, Yankees games in the Bronx, and Rangers and Knicks games in the Garden, unless he’s playing in a winter baseball league in Ponce, Puerto Rico.

Whom does he root for?

“The home team. Wherever I am.”

And when they play each other?

“That’s a no-win situation.”