The Post’s Steve Serby chatted with the veteran Mets righty who will start tonight against the Yankees.
Q: What did you think when Johan Santana told Jerry Manuel, “I’m a man, I’m a man,” when he was being taken out of the game?
A: I think he showed a lot of heart. He showed he wanted to continue to pitch. That day he said that because the first hitter in the inning hit a home run and (Manuel) took him out. Some people you gotta ask, “How you feel?” or something.
Q: If you were the manager, you would have let him pitch?
A: I’d go ask him, “How you feel?” He’s my horse, I go ask him. And he say, “Yeah, I feel good” — OK.
Q: Your goal is to be the winningest Cuban pitcher in history (he is 77 behind Luis Tiant’s 229).
A: Last two years, people are talking on TV, Livan is maybe done. . . . Sometimes I don’t watch TV and I don’t listen to what people say, because it hurts you. People don’t understand how you feel inside your body. I say, “Yeah, he can say that,” but nobody got more heart than me in this game. I’ll be there every five days no matter what.
Q: Why do you think you have so much heart?
A: I think that way is the way you gotta play baseball. You represent one city. . . you represent one color . . . (and) I think that’s the way you’re supposed to play baseball — with heart.
Q: You’re a throwback — you’d try to pitch nine innings every night.
A: I see people happy, the starting pitcher happy with five innings. I’m never gonna be happy with five innings.
Q: You like pitching in New York?
A: It’s difficult for a lot of people . . . (but) me and Santana always say, “Be a man!” When you go on the mound, you give 120 percent, and we do it like that.
Q: When you say you’re a man on the mound, describe your mentality on the mound.
A: You’re not scared of nobody. Barry Bonds told me one day, “I like you because you’re never scared of nobody.” You like to face people. You’re on the mound, you gotta say, “Nobody’s better than you.”
Q: The Subway Series?
A: It’s great for the city of New York.
Q: What did you learn about some of the Yankee hitters last time?
A: No, I learned about the stadium (laughs). You throw some fastballs inside and people swing hard 120 percent and try to hit a home run to right field.
Q: It’s a lot different at Citi Field?
A: I like (it) here.
Q: Toughest Yankee hitter to get out?
A: (Derek) Jeter or maybe (Mark) Teixeira.
Q: Why Jeter?
A: Because he puts the ball in play.
Q: Favorite manager?
A: Jim Leyland and Dusty Baker.
Q: Jerry Manuel is a players’ manager?
A: I think he’s got good communication.
Q: Pitchers you like to watch?
A: Greg Maddux . . . (Tom) Glavine. Because my style is the same. . . . Before, I like to see (Roger) Clemens, and Pedro Martinez. I’d say, “I want to be like Pedro.”
Q: You were 1997 World Series MVP with the Marlins in 1997 as a rookie. Why weren’t you nervous pitching in the Series?
A: The way we play in Cuba, it’s like a playoff game every game. When I played on the Cuba national team, I was the youngest guy on the team. . . . I played with people 40, 38, 35.
Q: The Yankees offered you $1 million more than the Marlins ($2.5 million signing bonus).
A: The people around me told me, “Don’t sign with the Yankees, don’t sign with the Yankees, sign with the Marlins, because you’re in Miami, there are more Cuban guys in Miami.”
Q: Was George Steinbrenner angry?
A: The scout got mad. . . . He threw everything on the table.
Q: You threw the first pitch when baseball came back to Washington, D.C. (and) you met President Bush in the clubhouse.
A: I got a picture in my house.
Q: Did he know your story?
A: Yeah, because remember, he owned the Texas Rangers, and
I was close to signing with Texas, too.
Q: What did he say to you?
A: He said good luck in Spanish and thank you for all the things you do for this city.
Q: How did you feel when the Nationals traded you?
A: (GM) Jim Bowden was lying to me. . . . I asked him one day, “Are you gonna trade me, because I gotta pack everything.” He said, “No. I’m never gonna do that to you. You’re The Franchise here, you do a lot of good things for this team.” And two days later he traded me.
Q: You pitched with a bad knee in 2005 that needed postseason surgery.
A: Jim Bowden told me, “We’re in first place.” I pitched because I like to pitch, I never missed a start in the league for 12 years, and I’m there every five days. Sometimes a lot of teams don’t appreciate it. I’m not a power guy like before (when) I struck out 10, 12 people in a game. . . . I know how to pitch.
Q: You like to talk to the fans in the on-deck circle and in the dugout.
A: I try to be happy every day.
Q: Any nasty comments?
A: Some people tell you, “Go back to Cuba,” but you don’t
listen to that.
Q: You’ve hit nine home runs — your favorite?
A: I hit one in Philadelphia almost in the upper deck.
Q: Will Manuel let you pinch hit?
A: Yeah, it’s gonna happen.
Q: Most fun memory growing up in Cuba.
A: We get together and ride bikes around the island. We get up five o’clock in the morning, and we take it like 12, 14 hours.
Q: You’d throw rocks to knock mangoes from trees.
A: Five or six people started throwing. . . . We had good competitions (chuckles).
Q: What would you ask Castro?
A: Let the country be free. . . . Let me go back and enjoy my country.
Q: You’re a scratch golfer.
A: The first time I go swing, I missed the ball three times. I throw the club, I said, “I’m out of here.”
Q: Boyhood idol?
A: My brother (Orlando).
Q: Three dinner guests?
A: Michael Jordan, Denzel Washington; Julia Roberts.
Q: Favorite movie?
A: “Scarface”; “American Gangster”.
Q: Favorite entertainer?
A: Jay-Z.
Q: Favorite sushi place?
A: Nobu.