MLB

Serby’s Subway Q & A with… The voices of SNY Ron Darling, Gary Cohen and Keith Hernandez

With the Subway Series vs. the Yankees coming up this week, Post columnist Steve Serby tracked down SNY Mets analysts Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling for some prime-time Q&A.

Q: Favorite Subway Series memories?

Gary Cohen: Nothing will ever match the feeling of that very first game in 1997. First meaningful game between two New York teams since 1956, heated passion on both sides, and by the time it was over, all the Yankee fans had left, with 20,000 Mets fans left to celebrate, punctuated by Dave Mlicki striking out Derek Jeter to end it. Also, Matt Franco’s game-winner against Mariano [Rivera] in 1999. [David] Wright’s walkoff against Mariano in 2006. Dae Sung Koo doubling off Randy Johnson, and sprinting home with a leaded ball in his pocket. And, of course, [Mike] Piazza vs. [Roger] Clemens, Rounds 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Q: Think Yankees fans might invade Citi Field in force?

Darling: You’re gonna see Yankee fans on the 7 train, I think it’s gonna be Mets fans on the 4 train this week. That’s the one thing I love about New York — and it never makes any sense to me, a kid from Massachusetts — is that husbands and wives, brothers, sisters, uncles and aunts, one can wear a Met hat and the other a Yankee hat (chuckle), it’s amazing to me. And I think that’s what makes the series.

Q: The pitching matchups: Phil Hughes vs. Jon Niese tomorrow night.

Darling: Hughes has struggled at times at Yankee Stadium with the home run ball, but he’s got all the pitches to be a great starter. Jonathan Niese, to me, is a left-hander that should win 15-plus games every year. Jonathan just hasn’t found the control he had last year, once he does, he’ll rattle off four, five wins.

Q: Hiroki Kuroda-Matt Harvey Tuesday night.

Darling: Kuroda’s been the Yankees’ best pitcher. Even though CC [Sabathia is] the No. 1 pitcher over there, Kuroda’s been their most consistent, and he’s gonna go against the Mets’ phenom. I’m looking forward to that one.

Hernandez: It should be electric. Should be a full house.

Q: How will Harvey do on an extra day’s rest?

Darling: He did it on seven days’ rest and he was outstanding recently. If you look around long enough, you can find enough excuses to have a bad outing. There’s no excuses for him.

Q: Give me a scouting report on the Harvey-Robinson Cano matchup.

Darling: Robby Cano is one of those few hitters, like Miguel Cabrera and others, that they have really no holes. With that being said, Robinson doesn’t walk a lot, so you have to take that into consideration if you’re Matt. He’s a guy that wants to swing. Try to use that aggressiveness against him. It’s a matchup we could see for the next few years. I always love a matchup of pitcher’s best stuff against a great hitter. No one else seems to get Cano out, so maybe he’ll figure out the key to him.

Q: David Phelps vs. Jeremy Hefner Wednesday night.

A: Phelps and Hefner are exactly the same pitcher. They’re guys that come out and challenge you, they don’t walk anybody, and they also can be a swing guy, they can be in the bullpen, and they can spot-start.

Q: Vidal Nuno vs. Dillon Gee Thursday night.

A: Nuno’s the young kid who just came up, kind of a crafty lefty. Dillon Gee has been just short of what he was last year. Listen, there’s no better start, to get you back locked in, than to beat the Yankees in their place.

Q: What is wrong with Ike Davis?

Keith Hernandez: I know where Ike’s at. My rookie year, I was mired in a deep slump and eventually got sent down [to Tulsa]. It’s a very dark, lonely place. But I was able to go down to get away from the spotlight and get it back together.

Q: Describe that dark, lonely place.

Hernandez: My confidence was shattered. … I was getting booed by enough people, and it wasn’t fun. And put pressure on myself after every at-bat … 0-for-2, then turning the screws a little tighter. … I remember my first day in Triple-A. I was embarrassed, humiliated, didn’t want to come out of the clubhouse in my uniform … [but] it was a big load off my shoulders. For me, the best thing that ever happened to me was getting sent down.

Ron Darling: When I talk about Ike, I try to explain that I’ve been there. In ’87, when everyone was hurt — Dwight [Gooden] was in rehab, [David] Cone broke his finger, Sid [Fernandez] hurt a knee, Roger [McDowell] pulled a groin — and I think I went 12, 13, 14 starts without a decision. And bottom, bottom of the barrel. I don’t know what my record was in the first half, but I couldn’t have had more than two wins, and I equate that to the start that Ike has gotten off to. All I can say in Ike’s behalf is that he had about the same numbers last season at this time. The Mets need their young players to be good to have a great future, and Ike’s certainly at the top of that list.

Q: If his slump is starting to affect his defense, would being sent to Las Vegas be beneficial to Ike?

Hernandez: I watch TV and I see the expression on his face, and I’ve been there. It might be beneficial for him to get away from this. … There are plenty of other people that have underperformed and gone under the radar because of Ike’s struggles. … This has been a group effort.

Darling: I don’t think it would be beneficial to him, no. I don’t think that him hitting a few balls over the fences in Las Vegas is beneficial. Sometimes you get sent down, not only because of your own bad play, but because the firestorm is ignited around him and the team, sometimes makes it that you just want an out-of-sight-out-of-mind kinda deal. He did it last year, I’m gonna give him the benefit of the doubt he’s gonna do it again. Maybe it’s because I like Ike. … I believe in him, I believe that he’s gonna do it again.

Cohen: I think it could go either way. The storm clouds keep gathering, which makes it harder and harder for him to simply concentrate on his job. On the other hand, one key hit could get him turned around. After all, he’s done it before.

Q: Did your slump affect your fielding?

Hernandez: It affected some judgments that I made, maybe throwing to a wrong base. But it didn’t affect me catching the ball.

Q: What advice would you give Ike?

Hernandez: Don’t listen to every piece of advice. It just clouds you up.

Darling: The hard thing about when you’re in a real big slump is that there’s so much noise around you, that if you’re a sensitive sort, you could listen to all of it. Not only the criticism, but I’m talking about the remedies of people that are gonna get you right. Still I go back to what [Tom] Seaver told me — it’s the best piece of advice I’ve ever gotten, not only in baseball, but in my own life — that is: You are a major league player, and Ike is certainly a major league player, you’re never a mile away, you’re an inch away. So the best piece of advice I’d give him is that it *** seems **** like you’re a mile away. But probably a little tweaking and back to basics probably gets him where he wants to be.

Q: Who plays first base if Ike is sent down?

Hernandez: I don’t care who plays first base. I would like to see [Jordany] Valdespin given a chance to play every day. We’ve got no speed! Play him every day and lead him off and see what he can do. If they do decide to send Ike down, I’d tell him: “You’re in there every day against lefties and righties, here’s your chance, go run with it.”

Q: Where does Valdespin play?

Hernandez: Second base, that’s his natural position.

Darling: I agree with Keith. I’m a big fan of the athlete. I want to see what he can do with a few at bats. There’s a lot of complaints, he doesn’t do this, he doesn’t do that — to me that’s the coaching. At some point, make him do that, or this.

Q: Where would you play him?

Darling: I’d play him anywhere. Just play him.

Q: Is he going through in the clubhouse what Gregg Jefferies went through?

Darling: When I look back in retrospect, certainly that locker room should have been better to [Jefferies] and it wasn’t. This one, I think that Jordany’s probably put a lot of this on himself (chuckle). … But you know what? People can change, players can change. And any player, can heal any kind of wound, or any kind of rift, with great play, and let’s hope he can do it.

Q: What do you do with Daniel Murphy?

Hernandez: I would put him at first.

Q: Who does Matt Harvey remind you of?

Darling: I’ve heard a lot of names thrown out … to me he reminds me a little bit of Curt Schilling, in a sense that he is uber-confident, goes right after the hitters and … Curt I remember him having three outstanding pitches, Harvey has three-and-a-half, or four, Schilling had three, the slider, fastball and forkball … just that demeanor on the mound.

Cohen: As unfair as it is at this point, Matt seems to have a lot of Seaver in him. The seriousness, the sense of purpose, the expectation of greatness, the ability to transcend the failures around him. And then, the stuff, and the ability to win without his best fastball.

Hernandez: Different stuff than Doc [Gooden]. … Clemens wasn’t that way when he was young coming up. … He reminds me of Seaver. I did not see Tom pitch when he was 22, 23, but demeanor on the mound, intelligence — he figures out what he’s got, what he doesn’t have, what he has to lean on. … He’s able to figure out how the other team is approaching him. You don’t see it too often.

Q: How would you describe that demeanor?

Hernandez: Business. Like he’s been in the league eight years. Unflappable might be a better word.

Darling: The only thing I see between him and Tom — now, I didn’t see him ‘til the end of his career — I was told Tom on his day … you were as good as any team in baseball. And I think that’s how Harvey feels when it’s his day. It’s like, “You know what? We can beat anybody, I don’t care who we’re facing today, we’re gonna beat anybody.” I think that permeates through a ballclub.

Q: What effect did Doc have on teammates and fans on days or nights he pitched?

Darling: I don’t know if fans are like they used to be. I don’t know if that could ever happen again, ’cause I think of Fernando [Valenzuela] had his thing, [Mark “Bird”] Fidrych had his thing, and Doc had his thing. And Harvey hasn’t come close to any of that kind of stuff ’cause Doc’s thing was 19 years old. … There’s something about teenagers playing with grown men, that are better than the grown men, you can’t explain that. Harvey’s different than Doc — Doc had a flair, and Harvey is just blue-collar, kinda get it done … and they’re both fun to watch.

Hernandez: Doc was electric with the fans. Don’t forget, Doc was striking out double-digits all the time. Doc was electrifying to play behind. You just assumed he was going to strike out 11, 12, 13.

Q: What do you think of Zach Wheeler?

Hernandez: Very easy, fluid motion. Dynamite curveball, electric fastball. He’s got what it takes. It’s a matter of throwing strikes. He’s got an effortless motion, all of a sudden the ball just explodes out of his hand. He would remind me of a young David Cone.

Darling: He’s got a whole different arm action than Harvey. He’s long and limber. … Harvey to me is like a tank. And when I watch Wheeler throw, he’s more like a whip. He also has everything in front of him. Like I said, I’d trade my baseball card to have Harvey’s future. Certainly would do that with Wheeler, too.

Q: Could there be an added burden on Wright as captain of a team that could be on the brink of losing hope?

Hernandez: No, the only burden on David is that he has the spotlight on him with every player on that team watching him. He has to set the example. He can’t become … demoralized. He has to rise above it. He commands that kind of respect and he deserves it. I see more maturity in him this year. I think he’s taken his captaincy seriously, and I think it makes him a better player.

Darling: I hope he doesn’t feel that way. A captain can only do so much in baseball. I think that all the things that need to be said, all the Knute Rockne speeches. … He’s more of a get-together-with-players-solo-kinda guy anyway. David should just do what he does, and that is just excellence and hard work every single night. You can tell that he comes from a blue-collar kind of family, his dad was a police officer, because he brings it every day.

Q: Describe the great Mariano Rivera.

Darling: He has been such a boon to not only himself, his family, the Yankees and baseball — that’s a lot of people to represent, and no one’s represented it better. He should write a book someday on how to handle success, ‘cause no one’s handled it better.

Hernandez: It’s all conditioning and all that … but he’s just a solid person and inside, he’s a quality man.

Q: Bobby Parnell.

Darling: This is the first time I’ve seen him walk the walk. Sometimes being blessed with great ability can be a curse, because everyone expects the light bulb to go off quickly, and sometimes it doesn’t, sometimes it takes time. When the ball’s in his hands, I’m not his teammate, but I get to watch him all the time, I figure the game’s over, and that’s the best compliment you could pay a relief pitcher, is that you know he’s gonna do his job.

Hernandez: I think he’s gotten past his youthful insecurities. I’ve always been in his corner. He figured it out. It’s been fun to watch.

Q: Lucas Duda.

Darling: One of the strongest guys I’ve seen with a bat in his hand, and I’ve seen [Mark] McGwire, [Jose] Canseco, [Darryl] Strawberry. I think he’s just learning how to hit, so there’s a big upside. … I think he’s a 25 home runs, .280 average and 90-plus RBIs. I would expect nothing less from him.

Hernandez: He’s swinging the bat more aggressively. I don’t want him to feel like he has to hit 40 home runs, just drive in 80, 90 runs, I don’t care if they’re by singles or doubles.

Q: Lyle Overbay.

Hernandez: Yankee Stadium has resurrected a lot of left-handed hitters. The Yankees just seem to always pick up guys like the old Oakland Raiders under Al Davis … and win Super Bowls, you know? The Yankees seem to have that knack.

Darling: I love Lyle Overbay. He’s a pro’s pro. He’s gonna be a perfect person for the clubhouse, he’s gonna be helpful to the younger players.

Q: Terry Collins.

Hernandez: He’s a terrific manager. You’re not gonna outmanage him on the field, you’re not gonna do it.

Darling: Incredible gentleman. A historian of the game. He has made my job here so much easier, just how he handles himself day in and day out. There’s been a lot of times that a lesser man would have snapped, which is ironic, considering the reputation that he had. If he hasn’t made everyone in this organization proud, he should have.

Q: What do you think of Justin Turner’s beard?

Hernandez: It matches the orange in the Mets uniform (chuckle). I love it.

Q: Keith Hernandez without a mustache?

Darling: He is not Keith Hernandez to me without the mustache. It’s like Zorro without the Z. But when he dropped the line in spring training that he no longer wanted to look like Charlie Weaver from Hollywood Squares, I get where he’s coming from now that I’m gray myself.

Cohen: I barely notice. His mojo is intact.

Hernandez: Still getting used to it. I’m undecided.

Q: Will you grow it back?

A: I want to keep it off during the season. I want to see if I can get used to it.

Q: Looking forward to the Subway Series?

Hernandez: Absolutely. It’s nice when there’s a lot of electricity for us in the booth.

Q: When can Mets fans realistically expect a winner?

Darling: The turnaround can be quicker than you think when you have dominant arms, and I’m hoping that ’83 and ’84 is ’13-14.

Q: That would mean Harvey and Wheeler and Niese have to be …

Darling: Harvey and Wheeler and Niese are gonna be Gooden, Darling and Fernandez at some point.

Q: Is that realistic to expect?

Darling: Maybe not Gooden, but certainly Darling and Fernandez, absolutely.