MLB

UNSAID QUESTIONS FOR METS’ BAD PLAY

THE nature of televised interviews with Mets’ managers is becoming predictable. And pathetic.

The manager is politely — in so many words — asked to comment on why the Mets are ill-prepared to win by any means other than a superior pitching performance or on one swing by a batter.

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Wednesday, during the Mets’ loss in St. Louis, Jerry Manuel was interviewed on SNY. The initial theme, inescapable and hinted at by Gary Cohen, was the Mets’ loss the night before, another predicated on inattentive and unprepared play and take-it-for-granted base-running.

Or, as Bob Ojeda said in Tuesday’s SNY postgame, why, when Carlos Beltran was tagged out at the plate late in a tie game, wasn’t the next batter, Luis Castillo, giving Beltran the “down” (slide) signal?

Cohen and then Manuel spoke of the Mets having to “buy into” playing hard and Manuel having to “sell” the notion of being prepared to win.

It was polite code, the kind previously spoken to Willie Randolph. That pros, highly paid and presumably well-coached, have to be “sold” or must “buy into” paying attention and playing harder is sad. If one didn’t know that Cohen and Manuel were talking about a big-league team, we’d have thought the Mets are Bunk 6 at Camp I-Dah-Wanna.

Instead of politely asking why the Mets play this way, perhaps it’s time to start politely asking when they’re going to cut it out.

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So what happens if/when the Yanks make the playoffs? Do they raise ticket prices? Do those $2,650 seats jump to $3,900? Those $850 jobs go to $1,000, the $325 ones to $450? Those so-so $150 seats to $250?

The Yanks’ ticket pricing is so obscene that to avoid not selling out the (fabulous, new!) house during the postseason they might have to reduce the regular-season price of some tickets while leaving other prices as they are.

Incidentally, blaming the economy for unsold tickets is nonsense. How well were $850 tickets going to sell 18 months ago?

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Curt “Joaquin” Kaplan, producer of ESPN’s “Mike & Mike” simulcast, and ESPN production assistant Kim Murphy this week teamed to produce a very funny parody of John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman.

LISTEN HERE

Speaking of Sterling, he remains disinclined to provide accurate descriptions, choosing smug self-affection over his profession. While radio play-by-players are ostensibly hired to provide listeners with a mind’s eye view, the game Sterling describes often doesn’t exist.

It’s not just his, “It is high! . . .” and tortured nickname nonsense. In Wednesday’s A’s-Yanks, what Sterling described as a pop to Derek Jeter “in short left” in fact was to center. “The payoff pitch, low, so [Nick] Swisher is on,” wasn’t just low, it was in the dirt. Sterling made such calls the entire game — and for the last 20 years.

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SNY begins closed captioning on Mets’ telecasts, May 1. . . . One night Alex Ovechkin is going to take a hit and all these springs, wires, bolts and computer chips are going to be all over the ice . . . Best pitcher’s name? The A’s Josh Outman.

This Just In! During an NFL Draft skull session on ESPN Tuesday, this graphic appeared: “Texas Tech WR Michael Crabtree falls to eighth in [ESPN analyst] Todd McShay‘s mock draft.” ESPN always goes that extra step to look silly.

Those struck by the absence of Mets’ history at Citi Field should consider Joe Pignatano. The 1962 Met, a Mets’ coach (and noted planter of bullpen produce) from 1968-81 and a beloved lifelong local, wasn’t invited to Shea’s closing nor to Citi’s opening.

Creative, Dangerous: 1050 ESPN this morning concludes a week-long contest conducted during Brandon Tierney‘s show from which the winner will announce from the podium a seventh-round pick from the NFL Draft on Sunday . . . Mets radioman Wayne Hagin yesterday ended the top of the third with, “Nothing across for the Mets. They had a hit and left two runners.” Huh?

Broadcasting and photo regulars at Yankee Stadium were upset Wednesday with the unreasonably rough way a New York-based veteran TV cameraman, trying to do his job from left-center while shooting for A’s TV, was mistreated by security.

SNY’s Adam Schein, with USC draft-ready QB Mark Sanchez, conducted a strong interview. Schein asked good questions, got to the point and was cordial without pandering. Sanchez seized those prompts to provide good, to-the-point answers.

One of ESPN’s great strengths is its ability to attach wildly irrelevant stats to stories. ESPNews’ Mark Morgan on Wednesday reported that Houston’s loss in Portland on Tuesday was, “The Rockets’ eighth loss in their last 10 road playoff games.” Apparently it didn’t matter that the Rockets opened the playoffs, two days earlier, with a 108-81 win — in Portland.

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So Pirates starter Paul Maholm goes six against Florida and leaves up, 6-4. Next, Jesse Chavez pitches to two batters, then Sean Burnett pitches to one. John Grabow pitches the eighth. Matt Capps pitches the ninth. Bucs win, 7-4.

Ready? Maholm got the win, Chavez got a hold, Burnett got a hold, Grabow got a hold, Capps got the save.

phil.mushnick@nypost.com