PORT ST. LUCIE — Here comes Underdog to save the Mets.
Hardly the team that will be America’s choice to win the NL East, the Mets yesterday received orange T-shirts with the letter “U” in the style of the logo worn by Underdog, a cartoon superhero who graced TV screens in the 1960s and ’70s.
According to a club source, owner Jeff Wilpon approached general manager Sandy Alderson three weeks ago and pitched the idea of the shirts. Alderson gave his OK after checking with manager Terry Collins.
But Wilpon told The Post yesterday a player had come to him with the idea for the shirts and wanted the team’s approval. Wilpon wouldn’t reveal the identity of the player, but said Underdog made sense as a rallying point.
“He always saves the day, right?” Wilpon said.
Younger players Ike Davis and Dillon Gee said they had no idea a cartoon superhero named Underdog existed. But the players certainly understand the concept.
Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean they are embracing Underdog.
“I don’t really like using the whole Underdog thing,” David Wright said. “I don’t like really playing that card, but I think it’s a way to remind everybody in here that the outside expectations aren’t the expectations we have for ourselves.
“But we shouldn’t view ourselves as [underdogs]. We’ll let everybody else view ourselves as that because we kind of know what we’re capable of.”
One Met, who did not want his name used, said he didn’t like the Underdog idea because it gives the team a built-in excuse if it plays poorly. Others are less bothered by Underdog.
“I don’t know how well it’s going to catch on, but at the same time it’s something that why not?” Jason Bay said. “It’s just something to rally around, something to banter about. The T-shirt is not lying. It’s telling the truth.”