The Post’s Steve Serby chatted with Mets manager Jerry Manuel about his team’s playoff chances and about being on the hot seat:
Q: Is Mike Pelfrey a gangsta?
A: (Laugh). Pelfrey is a gangsta, no doubt. Serious gangsta.
Q: How many do you have?
A: One, two, three, four, five. . . . I got about seven gangstas in there.
Q: Is that enough to win the division?
A: Oh, no question.
Q: It is?
A: Yes it is.
Q: How many did you have last year?
A: I was having guys evolving (laugh). . . . Last year we didn’t quite get there. . . . We had a couple last year.
Q: Define gangsta.
A: At any cost try to win . . . whatever it takes to do within the confines of the rules to get the job done.
Q: With seven gangstas you feel that you can win this division?
A: Yeah I feel we can win the division. . . . Things will have to go our way. . . . We have to have some breaks along the way.
Q: Do you feel like to keep your job you have to make the playoffs?
A: Yeah.
Q: Have you been told that?
A: Not to any certain extent, but that’s what I feel I’m here for.
Q: What, if anything, have you learned about yourself in the last two years?
A: (Chuckle). I think for me, what I’ve learned is that . . . I can endure (laugh). I can endure some tough, tough criticism. I’ve been able to endure that, and it surprised me.
Q: Why?
A: Every man likes to be liked and wanted and whatever whatever, and you strive for that. But I think that’s probably something that you know is not [realistic]. . . . You’re not gonna please everybody, and as much as you try, it’s not gonna happen. And the ones that you don’t please here, they can be very, very, very tough and very, very critical of you and it can be a public. . . . You can be exposed, in that sense. But nothing that should be able to move you from who you are and what you stand for.
Q: What has been your key for enduring?
A: Probably my faith. My faith has definitely been tested. That’s been my key — is to have faith, or have patience in my faith. You’ve gotta have a certain amount of patience, you gotta let patience complete you.
Q: It also helps to know who you are and to believe in yourself.
A: No question, no question. That, I think, is a part of going through the fire. Getting a lot of things off of you. As much as you hate to go through the fire, it’s actually purifying you. Some of the criticism is true, is right, to a certain degree, but I think it’s just a part of going through the fire.
Q: What’s it like being on the hot seat?
A: Again, I think the fire is hot enough. . . . I think it’s hot enough to purify you — straighten you up. It’s hot enough to get your attention. And to look at yourself and say, “Despite being here, do I belong here? Am I the guy?” And then you have to say, “Yeah, hey, this is why I am here.” . . . I think you have to go through some fire and some criticism and some things like that in order to enjoy the fruits. I think you gotta have some dirt piled on you in order to come up through the roots. You gotta have some things piled on you.
Q: Who do you lean on during these times for support?
A: My wife (Renette) and my family.
Q: How does she encourage you?
A: Well we’ve been together for so many years, almost over 40 years. . . .
he probably knows me better than anybody. She’s a strong, strong woman of faith. So, it doesn’t really move her ’cause she don’t get caught up in it. In that way, she is somewhat removed, so therefore she can see the forest for the trees.
Q: Are you a good manager?
A: In what sense? In strategy or . . . you have to define that.
Q: OK, let’s start with strategy.
A: I’m comfortable with my strategy. Now, I don’t know whether that means it’s good or not, but I’m comfortable with it.
Q: Are you a good motivator?
A: I like to motivate. I think motivation and communication is very huge as far as leadership goes. I think that I am. . . . Now, you can get different opinion there, but I feel that way.
Q: Are you a good leader?
A: A leader is somewhat immovable at times. . . . I think the jury is out on all things until it’s over. I think you’re constantly evolving into the best that you can be. So when it’s all said and done, you can look back and say, “I think I did do that pretty well,” or “I think I could have done something a little better,” blah, blah, blah.
Q: Where do think you need to improve the most?
A: W-I-N-S (laugh).
Q: What has surprised you most about this job?
A: The knowledge of the public in general, and the media and the fans — the level of knowledge of the game of baseball that they have here.
Q: How do see your job status?
A: I view it contractually. The contract says I’m gonna manage this year. That’s how I’ll approach it.
Q: You’re OK being a lame duck?
A: Yeah, I’m OK, because I’m not necessarily into that. My focus is on the 162. I have to prepare this team for 162, I can’t focus on the urgency or the immediacy of doing things that would affect the 162. I can’t say, “OK, I’m on the hot seat, so let’s start the pitchers on three days’ rest.” Like I’m in a playoff game or something like that. I wouldn’t do that. Or I’m running this guy in the ground because I need a win today because I might. . . . I have to be focused on the long haul, regardless of what is out there about me or what is said about me.
Q: Do you read the papers or listen to talk radio?
A: No.
Q: Have you been told not to?
A: No no. . . . I feel that would kinda blur what I’m trying to focus on.
Q: What do you hope your players are saying about you?
A: I would hope that they would say [I’m] . . . steady . . . immovable . . . those types of things . . . just be there for ’em.
Q: (Former Mets catcher Brian Schneider) said, “He gives Braveheart speeches all the time.”
A: (Laugh).
Q: Can you elaborate on that?
A: Most times I have a tendency to speak from my heart, not my head.
Q: When was the last time you chewed out a player behind closed doors?
A: (Pause) About a week ago.
Q: How often do you do that kind of thing?
A: Some teams you had to do it every week.
Q: How about this team?
A; This team is not that type of team. There’s not a lot of issues about how to play the game or how to go about your job, so you’re not necessarily doing that.
Q: What is it about this team’s personality that makes you believe in it?
A: I think the fight.
Q: Did you watch the Yankees parade?
A: No.
Q: Any reason?
A: I don’t watch any other parade — only parade I want to see is mine (laugh).