On the Mets beat

These are heady times for the Mets and not just because of their present situation high atop the NL East standings. The future looks promising, too, because a nice core group of young stars is being developed. Jose Reyes and David Wright were first-time All-Stars at age 23. Lastings Milledge, the 21-year-old outfielder, appears to have All-Star tools and may be here to stay. And 22-year-old Mike Pelfrey, though a victim of the numbers game Wednesday when he was sent back to Norfolk, offered enough encouraging signs to indicate that he, too, might be a future All-Star.

"This was a real positive thing for Pelfrey. A win-win situation for the Mets and for him," manager Willie Randolph said. "He pitched well and gained experience. We got a glimpse of our future and he got a taste of the big leagues."

It tasted so good that Pelfrey, despite smiling and joking with reporters as he packed up for his move, admitted, "Of course I'm disappointed. But I got a chance to work with [pitching coach Rick] Peterson and he changed some things mechanically. I made some bad pitches but I learned from them. It won't be the last bad one I make."

But this may be the last time the Mets have to send him down. Pelfrey showed a big-league fastball and made progress on his off-speed pitches. He's a big kid who looks like he'll be able to eat up innings once he learns the art of pitching. He already seems to have the heart of a pitcher, escaping several jams with a veteran's tenacity. "I'll be better prepared next time," he said.

Now that's something to look forward to.