Mets All-Stars David Wright and Matt Harvey sat down with The Post’s Steve Serby to discuss sex symbols, All-Star memories and double dates:
Q: What’s your reaction to his [Wright’s] sex symbol status…
(Wright chuckles)
Q: …ranging from teeny boppers to cougars, which is pretty impressive.
Harvey: (Grins) I don’t know… I don’t even know how to answer that question.
Wright: Tell him how good-lookin’ I am.
Harvey: I’m not getting into that.
(Wright laughs)
Harvey: No, he’s a role model, everybody looks after him. He’s not a terrible-looking guy so …
Wright: I’ll take that as a compliment. That’s about as good as I’m going to get so I’ll take it.
Q: Well how do you think his [Harvey’s] nude body shoot will propel him to sex symbol status — and New York Post photo shoot?
Wright: Yeah he’s already at sex symbol status. He’s full-fledged sex symbol. He’s dominating on the mound, he’s dominating in the tabloids. He’s got it all right now.
Q: Matt, what would your dream All-Star Game scenario be?
Wright: He’s going to punch out the first six, I’ll tell ya. That’s what he’s going to do, he’s going to punch out the first six and call it a day (laugh).
Q: Excuse me, it’s his dream scenario, not your dream scenario.
Harvey: I think any starting pitcher wants to do that … really just enjoy going out there. I’m not going to take anything for granted at all. I’m going to soak all the experience up, and like he said, (smile) six punchouts on six guys would be the ideal scenario.
THEN AND NOW: ALL-STARS FROM TODAY AND FROM 1964
Q: Do you think you’ll be amped up enough to throw 100?
Harvey: (Smile) If it’s in there, I’ll throw it. The biggest thing is attacking every pitch, and mostly having fun with it. If triple digits show up, then they do, but … the biggest thing is I don’t make a fool of myself and throw four balls to every single guy. It’s still pitching, it’s still getting guys out, and do what I’ve done all year, and the reason that I got there, and really just think about that and go after each guy that I face.
Q: What would your dream All-Star Game scenario be?
Wright: I’m really concentrating on trying to enjoy it as much as I can. It’s going to be hectic, you’re probably going to be getting pulled in a bunch of directions, but I want to be able to just sit down in the clubhouse with the best players in baseball … and enjoy it. Just kind of soak it in as much as I can. Then on the field, obviously you want to go out there and put on a good show. And that’s going to be difficult, ’cause the adrenaline’s going to be pumping, and it’s going to be tough to keep the emotions within check, but hopefully I can go out there and play well.
Q: Well how about a game-winning home run off Mariano [Rivera]?
Wright: (Laugh) That’s asking a lot. A single off Mariano is hard enough, much less that.
Q: Favorite All-Star memory.
Wright: Here (PNC Park, 2006). I think that will probably be replaced by having your name called at your own stadium, starting the game, but my first All-Star Game, Home Run Derby, I didn’t embarrass myself, and then hit a home run my first at-bat in my first All-Star Game.
Q: First pitch too, wasn’t it?
A: Yeah, first pitch.
Q: Off … you remember the pitcher?
A: Kenny Rogers.
Q: Did you almost pitch in the 2008 All-Star Game?
A: At Yankee Stadium?
Q: Yeah.
A: I was next in line to come in to pitch, yes (smile).
Q: Disappointed you never got the call?
A: (Laugh) No! You know, I was probably more scared than anything. I feel like I’m close to the hitter at third base — that’s really close to the hitter! And when you’re throwing 76 miles an hour? They’re going to take some pretty good swings at it.
Q: That’s what you would have brought to the table?
A: Probably. Have you seen me try to throw the ball from third to first? It doesn’t get over there all that quickly.
Q How did you know you almost were going to pitch?
A: He (NL manager Clint Hurdle) told me that I was going to pitch. That I was going to be next in line.
Q: What did you tell him? Besides “homina homina homina”?
A: I don’t think I said anything. I don’t even think I gave him an answer. My jaw dropped, and he took that as a yes, so …
Q: How do you think he would have done pitching in the All-Star Game?
(Wright laughs)
Harvey: I just wish I was hitting (smile).
Wright: (laughs) Ten at-bats, I’d get him out more than he gets me out.
Q: You think so?
Wright: If he pitches against me, I pitch against him, I’ll get him out more than he gets me out.
Q: Do you agree with that, Matt?
(Wright laughs)
Harvey: Not at all (smile).
Q: Did you have All-Star Game fantasies as a kid?
Harvey: Absolutely. As many games as there were on in Connecticut, whether it was the Red Sox playing every night or the Yankees on TV every night, there’s always baseball to watch. I liked watching the highlights, I never really sit down to an entire baseball game and watch it, but when it came to the All-Star Game I was locked in. Even at a young age, my mom always said: “You get so excited for this All-Star Game,” and I said, “Yeah, ’cause I want to be one of those guys.”
Q: All-Stars you’re looking forward to meeting.
Harvey: I think definitely having the opportunity to work with Yady [Yadier Molina]… obviously [I] kind of interact [with him] when I go up and hit, but if I have the opportunity to throw to him, he’s arguably the best that’s ever caught, so… having that opportunity, getting to kind of pick his brain a little bit, I think that would be awesome … everybody. It’s an exciting time. Like I said, growing up, I wanted to be one of those guys. Now I can say I am, and it’s not just a single guy, it’s everybody, everybody’s there for a reason. There’s going to be a time where I’m going to really enjoy it like David said, and kind of go around to everybody.
Q: Your first All-Star Game, did you get anybody’s autograph, or anything like that?
Wright: You get to the field early and you sign hundreds of different things, so guys put their stuff out, so I have a nice team autographed ball, team autographed bat, team autographed jersey from my All-Star Game … it’s surreal. You look in your dugout and you see the National League’s best players. I remember in San Francisco, my locker was right next to Barry Bonds. And then, you look across the field, and you’re playing against Derek Jeter, you’re playing against these Hall of Fame players, and it still doesn’t soak in. And it definitely didn’t my first All-Star Game.
Q: Do you remember watching him in any All-Star Games?
Harvey: Oh yeah. Absolutely.
Q: You even remember his home run off Kenny Rogers.
A: Yeah… when was that?
Q: ’06.
Harvey: I was a junior in high school.
Q: What makes him [Harvey] an All-Star?
Wright: I think that it takes a certain mentality and a certain type of person to succeed in New York, and I think that the numbers speak for themselves, the way he’s gone out there and dominated National League lineups. But also, I think that the work that he puts in in-between starts is the reason that he’s going to be doing this for a long time. The personality on top of the work ethic, and obviously the ability, that makes for pretty much the perfect combination.
Q: Same question for you, what makes him [Wright] an All-Star?
Harvey: He’s done it pretty much every year, so … the way that he leads. He’s what every kid growing up wants to be, they want to be David Wright.
Q: Not me.
(Wright laughs)
Harvey: Well you’re not a kid (smile).
Wright: You’re far from a kid, trust me, yeah (laugh).
Harvey: Growing up as a kid and you look at the superstars in this game, and I can’t imagine too many kids out there that are not saying they want to be like David Wright. He lives up to that, and exceeds beyond that, and that’s what makes him one of the best, and makes him an All-Star year after year.
Wright: We’re getting sappy here (smile).
Q: On the baseball field, what makes him an All-Star?
Harvey: It just seems like, anytime we need, whether it’s a big play or a big hit, I don’t think there’s another guy that I’ve ever watched that you’d want in the box more than him. It seems like quite a few of the times it’s a little flare over a second baseman’s head (smile), but still…
Wright: That wasn’t exactly a compliment.
Harvey: It’s a compliment, it’s still a hit (smile)! But no, it’s shown so many times that when he gets up in a big count or a big situation, whether we need a baserunner or we need a big hit for a run, he’s the guy that you want.
Q: People in your life that are on your All-Star team.
Wright: You go with the obvious answers. You go with my family… my immediate family, my soon-to-be family. I think that everything with me starts from my upbringing — my parents kind of instilled that foundation into me, the work ethic. My brothers kind of helped me out with that competitive fire, competing against them growing up. The next chapter in my life obviously with [fiancee] Molly [Beers], and her family … it’s an exciting time. So that’s the easy answers.
Q: Same question for you.
Harvey: My dad’s a coach, my parents are both teachers, so the foundation that David said is definitely the biggest part, and they would be leading in the vote, I guess you could say, of I think everybody’s voting category. And then my sisters and the support staff that’s helped me through a lot of this, whether it’s the [agent Scott] Boras people, whether it’s one of the mentors that I’ve kind of been with them for a while… they’ve been tremendous, and there every step of the way … all the guys that I’ve learned from growing up, and, I know you don’t want the sappiness, but David’s helped me so much, not just with stuff on the field, but also off the field. I’m very thankful for that, and he’s been an awesome teammate.
Q: So he recommended you doing the ESPN Magazine Body Issue?
(Wright laughs)
Harvey: No … that was on my own.
Q: Tell me about the first time you met him.
Harvey (turns to Wright): I think I briefly met you when I was signing. Him and Ike [Davis] were in the locker room, I think he said, “Keep working. It won’t take very long.” I think it was about a year later, I was up playing with him, so…
Wright: I was right (smile).
Q: What do you remember?
Wright: I remember sitting in, not our draft room but my agents’ kind of draft war room, I remember selecting Matt out of North Carolina, and I remember all my agents and all the guys that knew of the draft class just … everybody was such big fans and they said, “This guy’s going to be good,” and they’ve been right.
Q: Is he [Wright] an All-Star dresser?
(Wright scoffs)
Q: Matt?
Harvey: Yeah.
Wright: That’s a no. He dresses way better than any of us. He’s got the skinny jeans, with the nice tops … he outdresses all of us. We’re on different playing fields as far as dressing goes.
Q: Your All-Star meal.
Wright: I’ve been on this huge sushi kick, so I’m going to stick to that. Sushi’s my go-to right now, so we’re going to stay there.
Q: Your All-Star meal.
Harvey: I’d have to go with growing up in the northeast, and fishing and catching lobsters, I’d have to go with lobster. It’s kind of a food that we’ve always eaten in my house. My mom will sit there for four hours picking at lobsters, to get every last piece of meat in each lobster.
Q: Sounds like you on the mound, like a perfectionist.
Harvey: Yeah, oh yeah. My dad is, and I guess my mom is with her lobsters, and I am with pretty much everything.
Q: Why is Molly an All-Star?
Wright: Well, she puts up with me, which is tough to do sometimes, ’cause I could be about as moody as they come. No matter what it is, we have fun doing it. I would say that she’s the ultimate optimist, and kind of balances me out as far as kind of away from the baseball field.
Q: Aren’t you the ultimate optimist too?
Wright: I could be pretty tough, especially on myself, so I think that she kind of balances that out.
Q: What makes your Upper East Side apartment an All-Star place to live?
Wright: I think anywhere in New York is an All-Star place to live. There’s a certain energy and electricity that comes along with being in New York. I take great pride in considering myself a … making New York kind of a second home the way the fans have welcomed me from Day 1, so I don’t think it matters where you live, there’s just a certain buzz and vibe that comes along with living in New York.
Q: What makes your East Village apartment an All-Star place to live?
Harvey: I live there all year round, so … the views that I have are pretty nice. Obviously waking up in the morning during the summer and having my coffee out on the balcony, getting to see New York and smell New York, it’s kind of what I’ve always wanted.
Q: What is the red carpet like?
Wright: That’s cool. It’s usually 100 degrees and you sweat through your suit. I got a chance to do it while I was at Yankee Stadium, too. You’re rolling down — it was down 6th Avenue going towards the park. And just seeing the fans line up and yelling and screaming, and the words of support I mean is really, really cool. And that’s what you really want to soak in. And those to me are the lasting memories of these All-Star Games — these All-Star Games are for the fans, and for them to come out in full support and yell and scream and cheer you on just rolling down the streets of New York is pretty special.
Q: Do you have any sense for what this city would be like if and when the Mets start winning?
Harvey: I played for Wally [Backman], so obviously I got to ask him what it was like when he played and how the city responded to that, and I think with the amount of rain delays that we’ve had, we’ve watched enough clips on the ’86 Mets (smile) to get a good feel of what it was like, just seeing the electricity in the stands. Even from the videos, it kind of gives you chills and makes you strive for more … really shows what winning can do. Even those guys have said, “The Yankees are kind of expected to win, but when we win, New York City just absolutely loves you.” That’s something definitely to look forward to.
Q: How far away is this team from turning the corner so to speak?
Wright: Soon. I told him, we were going through rough stretches early in the season, I said, “Don’t get used to this. It’s not going to be like this for long.” And obviously a lot of it has to do with … with the buzz and what he brings to the table. But I love the direction that we’re going in. It’s not going to be long before I think that we are in a situation where we are perennial playoff contenders.
Q: Do you have anything to add to that?
Harvey: Yeah, I mean I don’t think there’s one guy in the locker room who is looking towards the future. We’re here to win now. There’s a lot of baseball to be played in the second half, especially with the way the wild card works now, you never know. I feel like there’s no reason to believe why we can’t do it this year. At least make a good run, and get on the right path for next year.
Q: What do you say to those who say you should have made your start in Pittsburgh?
Harvey: My dedication to this team, and the way I love winning … there’s nothing that’s going to ever want me to not take the ball. This is kind of an organizational decision, and obviously I had my two cents, and wanted to keep going, but in the long run it’s not my call. The decisions that they decided to make in their eyes was the best for the organization, and if that’s how they feel, then I’m all for it.
Q: Why is he [Wright] an All-Star captain?
Harvey: Just everything. Not just the way that he talks to everybody, the way that he goes about his business, but the way that he performs and plays … I mean, I think he’s got one off day the entire year. He’s always in the lineup, he’s always playing. You can hear him on the bench, he’s always cheering guys on. He’s the prime example of what a captain should be. It’s been an incredible thing for me to be able to watch, and talk to him and become (smile) not just “co-workers” as he would say …
(Wright laughs)
Harvey: … but somewhat friends. It’s been an awesome way of starting my career and having somebody like him to look after.
Q: What’s that inside joke about co-workers?
Wright: I tell these guys all the time, I’ll get on some guys and I tell him, “Don’t get your feelings hurt, we’re co-workers, not friends.” And it’s more of a joke, obviously.
Harvey: I heard it the entire time I was up there last year.
Wright: I said it to him quite a bit, so…
Harvey: This year we’re friends, though.
Wright: It’s taking that next step. It’s a process … there’s a courting process, obviously. You got to take me out on some dates, buy me a couple of dinners, and then you get to become more than the co-worker.
Q: Are you recognized more in Manhattan?
Harvey: More, yeah.
Q: How do you handle that?
Harvey: I started ordering some decent-looking hats to wear, so… (smile)
Q: But don’t you like being recognized, or no?
Harvey: It’s a good feeling. I don’t know his level, what’s it like, so… I think it was one of those things as a kid you always want that, and now that it’s happening, it’d be nice to go to a dinner and kind of just have a dinner instead of worrying about where you’re going or what’s going on. It’s definitely a good feeling and the support is very much appreciated.
Q: Do you guys socialize off the field?
Wright: Yeah.
Harvey: Oh yeah.
Q: But you don’t double-date?
Harvey: Haven’t yet.
Wright: You can ask Rico Suave over here.
Harvey: Whoa … it hasn’t happened yet. We will. It’s definitely in the plans, it’s in the books.
Wright: Busy schedules, a lot of busy schedules to coordinate.
Q: Last thing — how high is his ceiling?
Wright: I think he’s just scratching the surface of what he is going to be. I’ve played with some Hall of Fame pitchers, but the combination like I said, the bulldog mentality with the work ethic with the natural stuff, he’s going to be special. He already is special. Like I said, I think that we’re just scratching the surface of what’s going to be a long, ultra-successful, dominating career.
steve.serby@nypost.com